Navigating the world of women’s hormone health can be a difficult one. Although all women live with a mix of hormones, we don’t always know exactly how to manage them, let alone identify and treat imbalanced ones.
Other than your diet and some genetic factors, other things like lifestyle, stage of life, and underlying medical conditions call all influence hormone levels.
No matter the cause, fluctuations in your hormones impact your life in many ways. That’s why many women turn to diet and natural hormone balance supplements to improve their quality of life.
The good news is that natural hormone balance supplements are an easy, positive integration to a healthy lifestyle, especially if you suspect a hormonal imbalance of any kind. That being said, there is no “one size fits all solution” when balancing your hormones.
Disclaimer: Although these are natural supplements, they all can interact with our bodies differently. At ProT Gold, we may produce the best collagen supplements for women, and they are medical grade, but we are not claiming to be medical experts. We hope this will be a helpful guide to provide resources and information. Still, we suggest that you consult with a medical professional to get a detailed diagnosis and personalized treatment plan that includes collagen products.
Identifying a hormonal imbalance
Women’s hormone health is a complex topic, and it is still in need of ongoing research to provide conclusive answers regarding which supplements are most beneficial. We know for sure that there are several types of hormone imbalances – and a plethora of natural hormone balance supplements to treat them. Which is exactly why we stress working with a professional to discuss any symptoms and identify their root causes.
Types of hormone imbalances commonly seen in women include:
- Estrogen dominance: one of the most common types of hormone imbalance, this is when estrogen levels are much higher than progesterone levels. Things like medications, PCOS, and menopause can cause this.
- Low estrogen: women experiencing menopause or are post-menopausal may experience infrequent or nonexistent periods that can cause low estrogen levels. Many women experience mild symptoms with low estrogen, while others have severe and even debilitating symptoms.
- Elevated progesterone: less common than estrogen dominance, but still possible. This often arises due to hormone replacement therapy, some congenital disorders, or ovarian cysts and tumors.
- Elevated testosterone: having high levels of testosterone is mainly seen in women experiencing PCOS, congenital syndromes, or hormone replacement treatments.
- Low testosterone: often occurring during or post-menopause, this is a common part of aging for many women. Younger women with low testosterone levels may suffer from the ovary or adrenal gland issues.
Thyroid and adrenal glands are often impacted by hormone health issues, but the opposite is true as well. Thyroid and adrenal gland disorders can also cause hormone imbalances. Many other things may influence hormone health, such as age, birth control use, and pregnancy.
Due to the complexity of how hormones interact with your body, it’s important to understand all the different symptoms that may be present – prior to purchasing any natural hormone balance supplements.
Symptoms of a hormone imbalance
Commonly seen symptoms of hormone imbalances in women include:
- Mood swings
- Irregular or severe PMS
- Heavy, irregular, or absent periods
- Excessive hair growth on face
- Hair loss
- Hot flashes
- Breast tenderness
- Headaches or migraines
- General fatigue
- Painful sex
- Fertility issues
- Anxiety
- Rapid weight gain
Women experiencing PCOS, thyroid issues, or other types of hormone imbalance disorders may be more likely to experience more severe symptoms, but even minor imbalances can impact your day to day life in a big way.
The list provided is not completely inclusive – nor does it pair specific symptoms with specific issues.
So, just because your symptom is not listed, does not mean your hormones are balanced.
The only way to know for sure is with certain blood or saliva tests. Your doctor can order the correct blood panels needed to measure hormone levels. And there are also at-home tests that allow you to learn more about your hormone health, such as Thorne, a vitamin company offering multiple natural hormone balance supplements, and Everlywell, a company that specializes in at-home tests for a range of issues.
5 Natural hormone balance supplements for women
Once you’ve consulted with a medical professional and are ready to seek treatment, it should come as a relief to know that there are many natural hormone balance supplements available to women. Even better, they are easy to find online and/or in your local drug store!
Knowing which ones will be most beneficial to you depends on your individual needs. We recommend introducing one supplement at a time. That will help you observe how your body handles each one.
1. DHEA
Your body naturally produces DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) through the adrenal glands, and it helps your body produce hormones like testosterone and estrogen. DHEA is a precursor to hormone production in your body. So, when your DHEA levels drop for any reason, it can influence your natural ability to produce other hormones.
If low levels of DHEA are causing or influencing a hormonal imbalance, then DHEA may be one of the best women’s hormone balance supplements for you. With it, your body will have what it needs to produce proper estrogen and testosterone levels again.
For most people, DHEA levels peak when you are in your 20s, and much like your body’s natural collagen production, they gradually decline as you age. Because DHEA is thought to decrease with age, there are some mixed claims regarding its anti-aging benefits. While you may be tempted to introduce it to an anti-aging diet, Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database does not have any supporting data to prove that this supplement actually slows down the aging process.
If you decide to take it, be aware that it can very quickly influence your hormone health, mood, and energy levels. You should continue monitoring how you feel before and after taking it each day – and conduct another hormonal balance test after a few weeks to monitor your levels.
2. B Vitamins
There are a wide variety of B vitamins that are helpful to your body and, in general, they are excellent vitamins to balance hormones for females. While they have specific applications in your body, B vitamins generally work to make chemicals in your brain, many of which can impact hormone levels.
Some of the important chemicals created by B vitamins include serotonin and dopamine, both of which are vital neurotransmitters that impact your mood. They also affect the hormone known as melatonin, which helps you fall asleep each night.
A deficiency in B vitamins can affect your mood, energy levels, and metabolism. Rather than trying to treat each thing individually, many doctors recommend starting to take a daily B complex, and seeing which symptoms subside and which linger.
Vegetarians, vegans, and women during and post-menopause are particularly in need of B vitamin supplements, as some B vitamins are only derived from an animal source. Supplementing may help balance hormone levels, and may notably alleviate PMS symptoms.
3. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that helps support your endocrine system. Taking a vitamin D supplement is essential to not only support hormone balance in your body but also to promote reproductive system health.
Many women who experience a vitamin D deficiency may suffer from problems in their menstrual cycle, depression, and a weakened immune system. If a hormone imbalance is partly due to a vitamin D deficiency, women may also be experiencing hot flashes or a low libido.
Some foods are fortified with vitamin D, while others naturally contain it, such as mushrooms, salmon, and tuna. And you can forgo your usual egg white omelet – egg yolks are another fantastic source of vitamin D.
While standing in the sun can help boost your mood, most of us do not get enough vitamin D from our diets or the sun alone – especially during the winter months.
It’s not only a safe, natural hormone balance supplement, but a good all-around vitamin to include in your daily routine.
4. DIM
A commonly suggested female hormone balance supplement is DIM (Diindolylmethane). You can get DIM from cruciferous vegetables – or take DIM supplements, which are derived from them. This would be vegetables like brussel sprouts, kale, and cabbage, preferably eaten raw or very slightly cooked to retain the bulk of their nutrients.
It is thought that DIM may help promote estrogen metabolism. Unfortunately, most of us are not eating the number of cruciferous vegetables we need to maintain the proper estrogen metabolism that DIM provides.
That being said, DIM supplements are only suggested for women with a known estrogen hormone imbalance. Working with a licensed medical professional to identify your specific needs will help you determine if DIM is the appropriate women’s hormone balance supplement for you.
5. Collagen
There are many collagen benefits for women, and one of them may be its ability to help counter hormone imbalances such as low estrogen levels. Women’s hormone levels change and fluctuate with our different stages of life, and so does the amount of collagen your body is capable of producing naturally.
Although a lot of collagen supplement marketing focuses on its anti-aging properties or the connection between collagen and weight loss, it can do much more. As one of our body’s most abundant proteins, collagen’s benefits are much more than skin deep. In fact, recent studies show there may be a correlation between the fluctuation of estrogen levels and the decrease in collagen production as we age. So, depending on the type of hormone imbalance present in your body, additional collagen supplementation may help increase healthy levels of estrogen production and promote healthy aging.
Finding the best hormone balance supplements for women
There are several examples of superfoods and natural supplements that can help you keep your hormone levels on track. We only listed five of the best (and easiest to find) natural hormone balance supplements available to women. There are many other herbs, vitamins, superfoods, and, if necessary, prescription medications that may be beneficial for your symptoms and concerns.
Just remember: what works best will differ for every woman.
Many women experience hormonal imbalances throughout their lifetime, caused by a seemingly endless number of things such as irregular periods, stress, weight gain or weight loss, pregnancy, menopause, PCOS, cancer, diet, and more. Which is why we cannot stress enough the importance of utilizing the resources available to you from your medical provider.
After testing and before looking into your different treatment options, we also recommend working with a dietician or functional practitioner who will consider a holistic approach to your hormonal health.
He or she will help you select from the many hormone balance supplements for women, as not all supplements are created equal. They will also be there to talk about diet in general, and can help you learn which foods contain helpful nutrients.
For instance, foods high in collagen may contain collagen in the whole form. Unfortunately, when collagen is whole, it is not easy for your body to digest and absorb the helpful nutrients. Look for collagen supplements like ProT Gold that are nano-hydrolyzed and exceptionally bioavailable. ProT Gold, in particular, is a unique option because it is a medical-grade supplement and is often recommended by dieticians for post-surgery treatment, wound healing, joint health, and more.
Deciding how and when to get collagen into your diet (or any of the other vitamins and nutrients discussed) will ultimately be up to you. It may be a temporary fix to start feeling like yourself again, or could be a permanent part to your health and wellness routine.
Either way, knowing that the proper diet and supplementation can help you get your hormone levels back on track is an empowering feeling that will stay with you on your hormone health journey!
