Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They are produced in your endocrine glands, including your thyroid, adrenal, pituitary, pancreas, ovaries in women, and testes in men, and travel in your bloodstream to target tissues or organs. They affect many different processes, including your growth, metabolism, energy, sleep, sexual function, and mood. Hormones are powerful, and it only takes a tiny amount to cause big changes in the body. This is why too much or too little of a certain hormone can significantly alter the quality of life.
Hormone imbalances are more the norm than the exception these days, and lead to all kinds of health complications. An overactive thyroid for example, will cause anxiety, weight loss, rapid or irregular heartbeat and insomnia, whereas an underactive thyroid will cause weight gain, constipation, and fatigue. Women’s hormonal imbalances lead to common disorders like premenstrual syndrome (PMS) with irritability, acne, and dysmenorrhea, and polycystic ovarian syndrome or ovarian failure with significant increased risk of infertility.
We can take at least five basic steps to rebalance our hormones, and this will carry us a long way toward improved health and wellbeing. First, women would be well advised to avoid birth control methods that involve synthetic hormones, such as most forms of oral contraceptives and hormonal IUDs. Synthetic hormones are not identical to our endogenous hormones, and often occupy receptors while not performing the intended hormonal function—commonly leading to unwanted weight gain, increased inflammation, and even nutrient deficiencies.
Second, ensuring a proper diet is critical for hormone health. This includes eating high quality fat- and cholesterol-rich foods, essential for the proper production of hormones. New research shows that the microbiome plays a big role in estrogen regulation, and numerous studies show that a “leaky” and inflamed gut directly affects brain health, leading to mood disorders. Fully ninety-five percent of serotonin—our “feel-good” hormone and the focus of most antidepressant medications—line our gut! Maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet and balancing the gut microbiome is therefore key to hormone health.
Third, we need to keep our liver detoxification pathways working smoothly. Healthy bile flow is essential for clearing out toxins including xenoestrogens that are ubiquitous in our modern environment. A congested and sluggish liver quickly leads to a buildup of estrogen, leading to common symptoms of estrogen dominance, including fibrocystic breasts, endometriosis, and weight gain.
Fourth, we need to manage our stress! The over-production of stress hormones such as cortisol literally “hijack” the production of other hormonal pathways, most prominently progesterone. Progesterone deficiencies have become epidemic in even young women, leading to problems with fertility, increased risk of miscarriage, and depressed and irritable moods.
Finally, hundreds of studies reveal the significant effects acupuncture exerts on balancing the body’s hormonal systems, including thyroid, adrenal, and sex hormones. Acupuncture additionally reduces inflammation and stress, while normalizing digestion. At Vital Health we combine individualized nutritional supplementation, diet and herb recommendations and acupuncture to achieve significant results in balancing hormones naturally.
©2023 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.
