Are you constantly fatigued, suffering extreme PMS, can’t seem to lose weight and suffer irregular periods?
These are just some of the symptoms of hormonal imbalance and should not be ignored.
What is the Importance of Balanced Hormones?
Hormonal balance is a delicate orchestration of multiple hormones, essentially determining the functionality of every part of our body. Hormones act as messengers – secreted in the bloodstream, carrying information from one area of the body to the next.
On a physiological level, these messages manage our behaviour, development, reproduction, mood, mental health, physical health and more through the endocrine system.
Through this article, we will be discussing the 3 main reproductive hormones and their effect on female health and wellbeing.
How do you know if your hormones are out of balance?
Now that we know why keeping a hormonal balance is so important, let’s try to assess whether you potentially may have an imbalance. Below we discuss the importance of each female hormone, along with the symptoms of both excess and lack in any hormone.
1. Oestrogen
Did you know that oestrogen does not refer to just one hormone? In fact, it is a generic term referring to oestradiol (the main oestrogen from our ovaries), oestrone (from body fat), oestrogen metabolites (from intestinal bacteria) and xenoestrogens (environmental toxins that act like oestrogen).
Queen Oestrogen (as Lara Briden refers to it) is important for the vital roles including muscle and bone development, whilst maintaining the health of the brain and the heart. Not only this, but it is important for maintaining a healthy metabolic rate, the ability to lose fat around your waistline, enhances insulin sensitivity, acts as a natural appetite suppressant and plumps our best parts (1).
Remember, there is such thing as too much of a good thing. Symptoms of oestrogen excess are (2):
- Irritable mood
- Breast pain
- Irregular, heavy or painful periods
- Water retention
- Breast swelling and tenderness
- Hair loss
- Headaches or migraines
- Fibrocystic breasts
On the other hand, if you have too little oestrogen you may experience (2):
- Insomnia
- Memory loss and brain fog
- Vaginal dryness and painful sex
- Headaches
- Hot flushes
- Fatigue
- More fine lines and wrinkles
- Irregular or missing periods
- Depression
2. Progesterone
Progesterone peaks during the second half of our cycle, following ovulation. Progesterone has many beneficial effects including thinning the uterine lining and thus preventing heavy periods, calms the brain (helping with stress, anxiety, and sleep) and maintaining a healthy pregnancy (2). It is also vital for reducing inflammation, builds and maintains bone, protects the heart, normalises immune function and increases our metabolic rate (2).
In the first half of the menstrual cycle during the luteal phase, our progesterone is naturally low. However, if it gets too low then issues can arise causing hormonal imbalance as oestrogen becomes the dominant hormone. As you’ll see, these symptoms are very similar to the above symptoms of oestrogen excess. Symptoms of too little oestrogen include (1):
- Mid-cycle spotting, heavy or irregular periods
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Insomnia
- Cramping
- Irritability
- Anxiety
An excess of progesterone is rare, with symptoms not typically arising unless a woman is pregnant, using progesterone orally or certain conditions such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia (1). These symptoms include:
- Breast tenderness
- Intense mood swings
- Waking up feeling “groggy”
- Dizziness
- Increase in yeast infection
- Bloating
3. Testosterone
Yes, even though testosterone is named a ‘male hormone’, it is just as important for women. Think of it like this – testosterone is our power hormone, giving us motivation, drive, determination and supporting our sex drive (1).
Symptoms of excess testosterone include (1):
- Hair loss (on our scalp)
- Excess body hair on areas such as our upper lip, chin, chest and abdomen
- Infertility
- Acne
- Oily skin
- Irritability and aggression
- Sleep disturbances
- Increased body odour
- Elongated menstrual cycles
Symptoms of too little testosterone include (1):
- Loss of libido and disinterested in sex
- Vaginal dryness
- Memory loss
- Fatigue
- Depressed
- Joint pain
- Hot flashes
- Loss of muscle mass
- Missing periods
- Infertility
What to do now?
Do you experience any of these symptoms? Or perhaps a few from different categories?
Many of my female clients feel hopeless by the time they have reached out to me for support. Our reproductive hormones are so important for every organ and its functionality.
The symptoms outlined above are never normal and should be acknowledged. If you are ready to get to the bottom of your hormonal imbalance, don’t hesitate to book an Initial Nutrition Consultation so that we can find the root cause.
Written by:
Mollie Caughey-Wade,
Clinical Nutritionist (BSc).