How to Balance Hormones with Diet

The phrase “balance your hormones” is often thrown around, especially when it comes to promising better health outcomes. But, what does it actually mean to balance your hormones? And can you actually balance your hormones through diet? 

The short answer: yes, though perhaps not in a sudden, life-changing way. But, your diet absolutely influences your hormones, especially when it comes to fertility and reproductive health.

So, here’s what balancing hormones actually means, how it affects your reproductive health, and how you can use diet to help.

Think of them as your body's chemical messengers. Hormones are produced by glands throughout your endocrine system and travel through your bloodstream, delivering instructions to your organs and tissues. Physiological processes such as metabolism, growth development, and reproduction are all possible because of the instructions that hormones provide our body.

When it comes to fertility and reproductive health, we're typically talking about sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, plus supporting players like insulin, cortisol, thyroid hormones, and more.

The term "hormone balance" has become ubiquitous in wellness conversations, promising everything from weight loss to increased energy. But, research examining health discourse notes that "balance" is a somewhat ambiguous term—it suggests harmony and equilibrium, but doesn't have a single medical definition. Which makes it easy to use as a health claim, but harder to define. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s incorrect either.

From a medical professional perspective, balancing your hormones means supporting your body's natural ability to produce and regulate hormones optimally. This looks a bit different for everyone and naturally fluctuates throughout your cycle and life stages, but ideally, it means that hormones are at the right levels in proportion to each other to effectively communicate instructions to the rest of the body.

For females or people with menstrual cycles, regular periods are often the first indicator that hormones are working as they should. Meaning? You have a normal period (which is considered as a 21 to 35-day cycle, according to the ACOG).

When hormones aren't functioning optimally, there are usually a few indicators. These can be physical (seen and felt in the body) or biochemical (seen in bloodwork).

Common physical signs include: 

• Irregular or absent periods (cycles less than 21 days or more than 35 days)
• Persistent acne (especially along the jawline)
• Unexplained rapid weight changes
• Persistent fatigue, despite adequate sleep
• Low libido
• Hirsutism (excessive hair growth in various body areas)

If you're dealing with several of these symptoms consistently, your primary care provider or an endocrinologist can help by assessing your physical symptoms and screening your lab work to identify any hormonal causes and provide treatment or management.

Absolutely. While men don't experience the monthly, cyclical hormone fluctuations that come with menstruation, they still depend on optimal hormone function for fertility, weight, metabolic health, and more.

Male factor infertility is involved in about half of infertility cases, and, evidence strongly suggests that both obesity and hormone disorders (like diabetes and metabolic syndrome) have a negative impact on sperm health. The positive news is that interventions like nutrition, physical exercise, and weight management, generally appear to improve male fertility markers. And yes, thinking about hormone balance can be part of the solution.

Your diet influences hormones in several interconnected ways.

First, different vitamins and minerals in food act as co-factors or “building blocks” that your body needs to produce hormones. Cholesterol, for example, is the precursor for the synthesis of hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

Plus, dietary patterns influence body composition and obesity risk, which can affect reproductive hormone levels. It goes both ways: hormones influence how your body processes food, and food influences how your body produces and uses hormones.

Our endocrine (hormone) system is highly complex, so a general rule of thumb is to aim for a variety of different fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and proteins, to provide a wide variety of hormone “building blocks” for your body. The TLDR? A balanced, whole-food diet can make a big impact. 

If you have specific concerns (like a PCOS diagnosis, for example), working with a dietician to prioritize foods that will have the biggest impact on your overall hormone health, helps. For example, with PCOS, the evidence points toward an anti-inflammatory diet, which emphasizes low-glycemic carbs, healthy fats, antioxidant-rich foods, and lean protein.

• Healthy fats (mono- and polyunsaturated fats): Salmon and sardines, extra virgin olive oil, avocados, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds

• Low-glycemic carbohydrates: Carbohydrates higher in fiber that don’t increase your blood sugars as much on the Glycemic Index—quinoa, oats, sweet potatoes, beans, whole fruits, starchy vegetables

• Antioxidant-rich foods: Raspberries, blackberries, dark cherries, carrots, dark greens, pomegranates

While food should always be your foundation, certain supplements may support hormone health when you’re not getting enough through food:

Mediterranean Salmon Bowl

Ingredients:

• 4 oz wild-caught salmon fillet
• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup roasted broccoli
• 1/2 cup chickpeas
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 2 cups mixed greens
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Fresh dill