How to Naturally Balance Hormones, According to Research

Many women, including myself, have experienced the fallout of a hormonal imbalance. 

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Without treatment, a hormone imbalance may contribute to several debilitating symptoms.  Acne, irregular periods, sudden weight gain, insomnia, and anxiety are among the most common warning signs. 

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Birth control pills may improve the symptoms, but they don’t always treat the underlying cause. Plus, they may come with undesirable side-effects.

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Whenever I took birth control pills, my skin cleared up. I’d bleed once a month. However, I also came up against intense mood swings. Even worse, the symptoms reappeared right after I stopped taking the pills.

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Here’s the good news: several natural treatments exist. These are proven remedies you can use to lose weight, sleep better, and feel happier.

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If you're specifically looking to bring your hormones into balance naturally, you’ll find evidence-based strategies you can try right away.

What are the signs of a hormone imbalance?

In women, common signs of a hormone imbalance include sleep problems, excess hair growth, irregular menstrual cycle, mood swings, and infertility. You can find a full list of signs in this article.

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Before you start experimenting with natural remedies, you have to know for sure you’re dealing with a hormone imbalance.

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Many conditions can cause a hormone imbalance in females. My PCOS diagnosis came after an ultrasound scan showed my ovaries were covered with cysts or follicles. PCOS was the root cause of all of my hormone imbalance symptoms: acne, excess body hair, and irregular periods.

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Although physical symptoms can indicate a hormone imbalance, a test is the only way to confirm, said Melissa Groves Azzaro, hormone and fertility dietitian, in an Eating Well article.

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To start, share your symptoms with your healthcare provider, recommends Endocrine Web:

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“Because there’s no one way of knowing which hormones are imbalanced, your doctor may need to do a bit of investigation and more than one test to determine the root of your symptoms and the best course of treatment tailored to your specific imbalance.”

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Medical News Today lists some of the more common tests used to diagnose a hormone imbalance:

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• Blood testing: includes tests for insulin, the thyroid hormone, and testosterone
• Imaging: usually ultrasound or X-ray to check for cysts 
• Urine testing: to measure hormones related to the menstrual cycle, including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

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In sum, while this article focuses on natural ways to balance hormones, figuring out the root cause of your hormone imbalance is the best place to start. 

6 natural ways to balance hormones

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Scientists believe we have about 50 hormones, and here’s a summary of the ones mentioned in this post:

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• Estrogen, a sex hormone: low levels of estrogen are associated with irregular periods, decreased sex drive, and insomnia  
• Testosterone, a male sex hormone: excess testosterone in women causes acne, excess body hair, and irregular periods 
• Insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels: high insulin levels, known as insulin resistance, result in weight gain and increased blood sugar
• Melatonin, known as the sleep hormone: too much or too little melatonin can affect sleep and energy levels  
• Ghrelin, the hunger hormone: ghrelin influences how much you eat - the higher the ghrelin, the more you’ll want to eat
• Leptin, another hunger hormone: leptin decreases your appetite, leaving you feeling full

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Below, we review the research into the most effective tactics for balancing these hormones.

1. Find the right hormone-balancing supplements

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Supplements, such as magnesium and vitex agnus-castus, have been shown to regulate hormones naturally.

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Decades of research suggest hormone-balancing supplements are fairly effective. One review of 36 randomized controlled trials concluded that women with PCOS who took zinc saw improved insulin levels. Herbs like vitex agnus-castus can also improve insulin resistance and reduce excess androgens in women with PCOS, according to another article published in the DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

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Consult with your healthcare professional to pick the best hormone supplements for you. Without testing and investigating your hormone levels, you risk taking a supplement your body doesn’t need, according to Linda Van Horn, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University. Van Horn tells Web MD:

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I get some concern when I see people take one of these and one of those, just because they’ve read somewhere that a supplement is helpful…Imbalances can easily occur, and you may not be aware of it.”  

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2. Follow a hormone-balancing diet

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There’s a clear link between diet and hormones. Some foods serve to regulate your hormones, while others will trigger further imbalances.

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Dr. Christiane Northrup, a women's health expert and physician, tells SFGATE foods with high glycemic index (GI) scores adversely affect hormone health. The GI measures how quickly foods impact your blood sugar levels. Foods like white bread, sugar, and fruit juice cause increases in insulin.

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Similarly, excess red meat also contributes to a hormone imbalance. Sara Gottfried, an integrative medicine doctor, writes in Mind Body Green:

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“As a doctor, I’ve observed an unusual phenomenon. When women eat grain-fed, hormone-injected, superbug-infected meat, it can negatively impact digestion and may cause bloating or constipation. And this effect on the gut leads to hormonal imbalance, raising estrogen levels.”

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By contrast, the best diet for hormone balancing is rich in cruciferous vegetables and high-fiber foods, medical experts explain in Eating Well.

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Cruciferous vegetables, like kale and broccoli, help the liver metabolize estrogen. While high-fiber carbohydrates remove excess hormones from the body. In addition, eating starch at dinnertime regulates melatonin, the sleep hormone, as well as cortisol, the stress hormone. 

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Unsweetened beverages, like green tea, mushrooms, berries, and legumes can also help leptin, the fullness hormone, work more effectively, according to Web MD.

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3. Start exercising 

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Exercise has a profound effect on our hormones, notes Dr. Amy Lee, a medical doctor and medical nutritionist. Changes in our heart and nervous system during exercise tell the brain to release different hormones, explains Lee in this Brydie article.

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Healthline recommends coordinating your exercise routine with your menstrual cycle. That’s because lower estrogen levels at the start of the month put you at higher risk for ligament injury.

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“Activities that require quick changes in direction or side-to-side cutting, including soccer or downhill skiing, should be pursued with caution during this phase, and it’s critical to mind proper knee placement during squats, lunges, jumps, and repetitive cardio,” suggests Healthline.

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Joan Rivett, a personal trainer, shares the best exercises for hormonal balance, per Byrdie:

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• HIIT
• Yoga
• Walking 
• Strength training 

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For me, the best exercise is the one I can do consistently. 

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4. Manage stress

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Excess stress can throw your hormones out of sync.

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When we’re stressed we release steroid hormones, which include cortisol. The American Psychological Association sums it up like this:

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“During times of stress, the hypothalamus, a collection of nuclei that connects the brain and the endocrine system, signals the pituitary gland to produce a hormone, which in turn signals the adrenal glands, located above the kidneys, to increase the production of cortisol.”

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This cortisol boost gives us the extra energy we need to weather a particularly challenging time. 

Our bodies need cortisol to help regulate the immune system and protect against inflammation. But too much of it causes havoc. Excess cortisol is linked to health issues like chronic fatigue, diabetes, and depression.

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Harvard Health recommends the following tools to manage stress:

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• Practice relaxation responses: try deep breathing or visualization to counter stress. 
• Engage in regular physical activity: yoga or a fast walk after feeling stress can help manage stress
• Find social support: it’s believed social support can help people deal with stressful episodes 

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Remember what works for one person might not be as effective for you. In addition to using a hormone-balancing supplement, I also went to regular therapy sessions to work through challenges.

5. Get enough sleep

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The quality of your sleep is directly tied to hormones.

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Female sex hormones are especially connected with sleep. That’s why women are more likely than men to experience sleep problems. For many of us, sleep disturbances coincide with the onset of puberty, according to a review published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.

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“This suggests that female sex hormones might partly account for the gender difference in prevalence of depression and sleep problems.”

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Another review published in the Journal of Circadian Rhythms notes that sleep deprivation can affect female fertility. Additionally, for older men, poor quality sleep can lead to reduced testosterone. In postmenopausal women, sleep disturbances can interfere with female steroid hormones.

Additionally, a lack of sleep increases ghrelin and lowers leptin. In other words, you eat more than you might need to.

Unfortunately, I’ve struggled with sleep problems on and off since my early 20s. My first line of treatment? Sleeping pills. And a lot of them. I ended up using prescription drugs for years; I was wholly dependent on them. Falling pregnant meant I had to stop using the pills immediately, and I mercifully fell into a steady sleeping pattern.

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Still, I relapse whenever I go through a stressful episode. I eventually visited a doctor who encouraged me to learn about the importance of sleep hygiene. 

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During this process, I discovered Matt Walker, a sleep expert and professor of neuroscience. Walker’s published over 100 research articles on sleep.

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Based on his recommendations, I started a worry journal and meditation habit. A worry journal is where you write down everything you’re stressing about. Try to do this an hour or two before bedtime.

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It took some time, but I found I was finally able to fall asleep naturally. 

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Here’s what currently works for me:

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• Routine: I follow the same routine most weeknights. Once my kids are sleeping, I shower, read, and have a cup of chamomile tea.
• Limit blue light: I never take my phone into the bedroom and stop using any devices (except my kindle) around an hour before bed.
• Go to bed when tired: Once I feel tired, I go to bed right away. This is usually between 10 pm and 10:30 pm.
• Supplements: Magnesium and Rhodalia helped me reduce anxiety and improve my sleep.

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Learn more in this article about improving sleep.

6. Reduce exposure to endocrine disruptors

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Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, found in processed food, some beauty products, and plastic packages, interfere with hormones.

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Reviewing the research, the Reproductive Sciences journal finds:

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“Several investigative studies have shown that prolonged exposure to various chemicals, such as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the form of pesticides, fertilizers, and industrial products (plasticizers and phytoestrogens), is associated with reduced fertility by disrupting various hormonal pathways.”

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To reduce your EDC exposure, understand common EDC sources per the Endocrine Society:

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• Industrial chemicals and pesticides: these seep into soil and groundwater, where they come into contact with produce, animals, and people 
• Non-organic produce: typically covered in pesticides 
• Cosmetics, lotions: specifically products containing parabens 
• Products with fragrance: research shows fragrances and fragranced products contain several EDCs
• Processed foods: endocrine disruptors present in food packages can leach into food

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Here’s how to limit EDCs:

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• Buy organic produce where possible
• Wash fruit and vegetables to remove traces of pesticides
• Don’t heat food in a plastic container
• Make sure plastic items are marked as BPA free 
• Avoid cosmetic products containing parabens 

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Balancing hormones naturally is possible  

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When you produce too little – or too much – of a certain hormone, you’ll likely experience a whole host of unpleasant symptoms.

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Fortunately, there are several research-backed, natural ways to bring your hormones back into balance. 

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