A woman’s hormonal health is important in her overall health. Hormones can affect many bodily processes as well as our energy levels when they are out of whack due to various reasons such as stress and environmental toxins. Some of the symptoms of hormonal imbalance include PMS (emotional stress), irregular and/or painful menses, infertility, low libido, peri/postmenopausal challenges, fatigue, etc.
Natural therapy is always better when it comes to hormonal imbalances. There are all-time favorite herbs that can help us deal with hormonal problems.
Ashwagandha
One of the best adaptogenic herbs, ashwagandha can help us deal with hormone imbalance. Since ancient times, this herb has been used to lower down stress and cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone that can create high blood sugar and increased abdominal fat, particularly in women.
Vitex Or (Chaste Tree Berry)
This herb from the mint family is often used in treating PMS, menstrual cramps, regulate the cycle, initiate a period in women who have had absent periods for some time, assuage endometriosis side effects, and preventing miscarriage in the first trimester. It balances hormones by regulating the pituitary which in turn sends out the signal to the other glands to tell them when and how much hormone to produce. If the pituitary is not balanced properly this will effectively throw off the balance of the other glands.
Milk Thistle
This flowering herb is mainly used to treat liver conditions. A healthy liver is necessary for hormone balance. Some women may have excess estrogen and a deficiency of progesterone if the liver is congested and stagnant. This mainly because the liver can’t eliminate these excess estrogens and they re-enter the body. Also, once the liver is unable to eliminate the body’s toxic wastes – such as chemicals, heavy metals, fungus, and other toxins – they mimic hormones in our body and lead to further hormonal imbalance.
Red Clover
Red clover is a plant with bright pink flowers. It is known to target some of the most unpleasant symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, anxiety, and depression.
Red Raspberry Leaf
Red raspberry leaf is a nutrient-dense power-packed herb that is best known for its uterine strengthening properties. Due to its richness in vitamins and minerals, it is also been known to help increase fertility in both men and women, prevent miscarriage and hemorrhage, and help decrease heavy blood flow and painful menstrual cramps. What’s more? Having a pleasant taste as a tea, the red raspberry leaf can also ease nausea associated with pregnancy and reduce pain during and after labor.
Maca Root
Maca works by adapting to each body’s circumstances and balancing hormones depending on the person’s needs. It regulates hormones and keeps them in check not allowing them to get out of control either way. This means that it can either increase the deficient hormone or decrease the body’s production of the overabundant hormone. It has been used for centuries in boosting the production of estrogen and easing side effects of PMS.