15 Ways to naturally balance hormones

What exactly are hormones?

Hormones are chemicals produced by your endocrine system that regulate most of your major bodily functions. You can think of them as messengers that are constantly traveling through your bloodstream and cell fluid with instructions that tell your organs and tissues, what to do, how to do it, and when. These little messengers play a huge role in creating and maintaining a healthy body. [1]

The medical community has identified over 50 hormones in the human body, all with their own unique function. They control and/or regulate the following biological processes, sometimes on a daily or even hourly basis:

• Blood sugar
• Blood pressure
• Breast milk production
• Growth
• Metabolism
• Mood
• Release of egg cells in females 
• Production of sperm cells in males
• Red blood cell production
• Reproduction and reproductive cycles
• Sleep

Here's a little more about the most common hormones (that you'll hear about in this article) and how they work:

[14,2]

When you come across discussions about these hormones and systems online or in person, it’s likely that the topic of conversation is how to naturally balance hormones. But how do you know if your hormones are out of balance in the first place?

What is a hormonal imbalance?

A hormonal imbalance happens when there is either too much or too little concentration of one or more hormones in your system. It can be difficult to tell which hormone is out of balance since hormones influence so many different bodily functions, but some common symptoms are unexplained weight fluctuation, low sex drive, and mood swings. 

For women specifically, irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, insomnia, brittle bones, and severe acne may all suggest hormone imbalances. Women tend to be more involved in conversations about hormonal imbalances due to our increased awareness of the hormonal changes that we experience each month during our cycles, and the radical hormonal changes our bodies undergo during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.

If you think you have a hormonal imbalance, it’s a good idea to speak with your healthcare provider, they can help you identify the cause of your symptoms. This may involve a blood test, urine test, and/or imaging via ultrasounds or MRIs. [3] Keep in mind that our sex hormones in particular fluctuate frequently so it’s not always easy for healthcare professionals to get an accurate picture of your hormonal health from one test alone. They may want to invite you for multiple tests or may use other symptoms or your health history to help with diagnosis depending on your situation.

What conditions are caused by hormonal imbalances?

Hormonal imbalances can often either directly lead to, or become indicators of, larger medical conditions including diabetes, thyroid disease, and obesity — all caused by abnormal levels of one or more hormones. Conditions specific to imbalances in female sex hormones include polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, premature menopause, infertilitym and amenorrhoea (missing multiple menstrual periods). [4]

Again, before self-diagnosing or self-medicating, it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional about your symptoms and the potential underlying causes. They can test to see which hormone levels need to be restabilized to a healthy range and help create a comprehensive care plan to address the hormone imbalance and related health conditions. 

In addition to this consultation with your healthcare team, there are plenty of healthy lifestyle choices you can make to support your overall hormone health and bodily function. Let’s go through a few below to help you naturally balance hormones and feel your best:

How to naturally balance hormones

1. Learn about your body’s natural cycle

Tracking your cycle can be a useful way to get to know your body better. With Natural Cycles, you can learn about your body’s natural levels of certain female sex hormones and how they fluctuate each month. Natural Cycles finds your fertile window and narrows down your ovulation day. Knowing whether or not you’re ovulating is a great indicator of whether your sex hormones are balanced.

The app is also packed with content that can teach you more about how your body and hormones change over time with pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopausal phases. Knowledge is power, and tracking your cycle over time can help you identify any potential abnormalities or imbalances in your hormone levels.

2. Prioritize sleep

Getting high-quality, regular sleep is essential to overall healthy body function and normal hormone levels. Poor sleep has been linked to many imbalances in hormones like cortisol, growth hormone, and insulin. This can lead to long-term complications with your immune function, metabolism, and even diabetes. Full sleep deprivation is associated with a 24-hour increase in cortisol, the stress hormone, which makes it harder to manage stress, appetite, and mood the following day. [5]

A few tips for getting enough high-quality sleep each night include going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, avoiding blue-light emitting devices like phones and televisions before bed, and making your bedroom environment dark, quiet, and cool. All of this will help your hormones function properly.

Fun hormone fact: melatonin levels rise throughout the day and evening, queueing your body when it’s eventually time for bed. Cortisol rises as morning approaches, helping you wake up naturally (like a natural alarm clock). [6]

3. Eat more healthy fats 

Another hormone-balancing habit is adding more healthy fats to your diet. These include foods like salmon, tuna, avocado, chia seeds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, and almonds. Foods high in healthy fats, particularly omega-3 fatty acids, provide the building blocks for your body to produce hormones like cortisol, the sex hormones, hormones involved in regulating inflammation, and hormones that help your immune system function properly. [7] Fats play a vital role in your overall well-being.

4. Feast on fiber

High-fiber foods aid in the digestion process, and they also contribute to healthy hormone function. Consuming fiber allows the production of hormones that make you feel full, and also increases your body’s sensitivity to insulin. Combined, these processes make sure that your body is getting just the right amount of energy it needs to function properly.

Some high-fiber foods that can help naturally balance hormones include lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, oats, berries, and chia seeds. [6]

5. Cruciferous vegetables

On the fiber front, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and kale can be particularly beneficial for anyone experiencing estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance indicates that estrogen levels are higher than normal levels, but cruciferous vegetables help metabolize estrogen and can assist in getting the excess out of your body. [7]

6. Reduce your added sugar intake

Added sugar is a top culprit of imbalanced hormones, particularly insulin. Eating high amounts of sugar causes your blood sugar levels to spike, which decreases your body’s sensitivity to insulin. High levels of sugar in the diet have been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and overall inflammation. [8]

The high levels of added sugar found in beverages like soft drinks and foods with high fructose corn syrup can disrupt our natural hormone function, so it’s best to reduce or avoid these types of sugary foods and drinks altogether. [9]

7. Become pro-protein

One last diet-related natural hormone-balancing habit is making sure that you are eating enough protein; about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound is recommended. [15] Your body needs this added dietary protein to produce protein-derived hormones (also known as peptide hormones) such as insulin, growth hormone, and luteinizing hormone. [16]

Some high-protein foods that naturally balance hormones include fish, poultry, greek yogurt, eggs, and beans. [15]

8. Maintain your gut health

All of the nutritional recommendations above that can help naturally balance your hormones will also assist in maintaining your gut health. Your gut (mainly made up of your intestines) is a sensitive microbiome (a community of microorganisms) that contains large amounts of various types of bacteria. These bacteria ensure that the nutrients you consume are properly converted into energy. [10] 

If this delicate balance of bacteria is disrupted, it may affect the hormone levels necessary for proper nutrient absorption, insulin regulation, and even mood. Again, focusing on high fiber, healthy fats, and plenty of protein while reducing your sugar intake will help keep your gut bacteria and hormone levels healthy. You may also want to try adding fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut to your diet, both of which are full of good gut bacteria. [6]

We want to note that this doesn’t mean you can never indulge in a delicious bowl of ice cream or a crisp soda ever again — your body should be able to metabolize them as long as they are consumed in moderation and most of your diet follows the guidelines outlined above. Always be sure to consult a doctor before making major dietary changes.

9. Exercise often

Getting regular exercise in your weekly routine has been linked to a host of hormone benefits. Cardio exercises like walking, running, dancing, or biking have been shown to regulate cortisol, making it easier for your body to manage stress. Weight lifting and other types of strength training help stimulate growth hormones, helping you build muscles, supporting your metabolism, and aiding in the healthy aging and development process. [7] Building muscle also helps with insulin resistance and prevents bone loss. Something that’s extra important as we approach menopause. 

Overall movement helps regulate your blood sugar levels, keeping your insulin sensitivity in a healthy range. You can also sync your workouts with each cycle phase to optimize your body’s response to the exercise. With all of that in mind, any amount of movement you can fit into your schedule will aid in balancing your hormones, but experts say to aim for about five workouts per week ideally. [6]

10. Keep your weight in a healthy range

Building on the recommendations above, maintaining a healthy diet and exercising often should allow you to maintain a healthy weight. This is important because staying in a healthy weight range for your age and height can improve your insulin resistance, and also lower your risk for infertility. Speak with your doctor about what your healthy weight goals should be, and in addition to diet and exercise, make sure to drink plenty of water when on a weight loss journey. [6]

11. Reduce stress where you can

We’ve heard a lot about stress management in recent years, but how does this topic relate to hormones? When stress occurs, cortisol and adrenaline hormones increase in your body, which can increase your heart rate, shorten your breath, and decrease your mood. High spikes of these hormones over time can lead to cardiovascular diseases, mood disorders, and obesity. Stress can also affect your menstrual cycle causing irregularity or delays in your period. Even low levels of chronic stress can create this endocrine system response that releases abnormal levels of these hormones. [3]

The good news is that many of the techniques we mentioned above (sleeping well, eating healthy, regularly exercising) can help you manage stress effectively. For added stress management, consider a regular mindfulness meditation and/or yoga practice, spending time in nature, listening to your favorite music, and carving out time to spend with loved ones. [6]

12. Consider taking vitamins and supplements

While it’s important to remain wary of any online ads or influencers telling you that there is a one-size-fits-all hormone-balancing supplement, it is possible that the hormone imbalance you’re experiencing is caused by a nutrient deficiency. Your doctor can do specific testing to see if this is the case. If so, some of the most common deficiencies that you can supplement with over-the-counter vitamins include:

• Folic acid
• Magnesium
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin D
• Zinc [6]

Taking supplements if you aren’t deficient in certain vitamins or minerals can be toxic, and may affect any other medications you are taking. Check with your doctor before starting to take supplements, they will be able to carry out tests to identify any deficiencies.

13. Avoid smoking and vaping

Smoking tobacco, even in small quantities, has been shown to alter thyroid hormones, abnormally stimulate pituitary activity, and raise cortisol levels. [3] It’s best for your overall health to avoid smoking and vaping altogether. If you’re located in the U.S., call a hotline like 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or check out these quit-smoking resources and get support.

14. Reduce your exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Unfortunately, there are chemical substances present in our everyday lives that can be disruptive to hormone function. These substances, referred to as endocrine-disrupting chemicals or EDCs, are found in food and beverage packaging, cosmetics, and other consumer goods. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has identified over 1,000 potential endocrine disruptors, some of the most common being:

• Bisphenol A (BPA), found in food packaging, toys, and some canned food and beverages.
• Dioxins, found in the air after waste burning or wildfires.
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), found in nonstick pans, paper, and firefighting foam.
• Phthalates, found in cosmetics, fragrances and toys. [11]

While more research is needed to fully understand the impact and mechanism of EDCs, we know that they may mimic natural hormones and can bind to the receptors in our body, not allowing our actual natural hormones to bind and function properly. This may also cause the over or underproduction of certain hormones like estrogen, thyroid hormones, insulin, and melatonin, leading to an imbalance.

It can also be quite difficult to avoid EDCs, especially the environmental type. However, one way you can avoid certain EDCs is by reading the labels of cosmetics and groceries while shopping to be sure they don’t contain the EDCs listed above. Also, opting for organic, pesticide-free produce and natural cosmetics while avoiding plastic products and nonstick cooking pans can help. [12]

15. Check your medications

Hormone imbalances may also be a side effect of certain prescription medications. Some have been known to interfere with the production, transport, and binding mechanisms of the endocrine system, leading to an imbalance or malfunction of normal hormone levels. [13] Check with your doctor to see if any medication you’re on has these side effects and see if you can explore alternatives.

When to see a doctor

As we’ve mentioned throughout this article, consult your healthcare professional if you suspect you have a hormonal imbalance. They can help identify the root cause, do testing to find out which hormones specifically are being affected, and create a treatment plan with your health history and current status in mind. The guidelines mentioned in this article are overarching tips to help create a healthy lifestyle and hopefully, healthy and balanced hormones as well. You and your doctor can take this one step further, creating a personalized plan to naturally balance your hormones.

Get to know your natural hormone cycle

If you’re curious about your monthly hormonal cycle, give Natural Cycles a try. As an FDA Cleared, non-hormonal birth control and fertility tracking method, Natural Cycles helps you understand your body’s natural rhythms on a day-to-day basis. Did you know there’s a link between our sex hormones and body temperature? Natural Cycles’ temperature-driven tracking method can help you understand where you are in your cycle and see trends over time. Take control of your fertility with Natural Cycles.