May is all about mothers and women’s hormones. A woman’s overall health is affected by hormonal balances that change throughout different phases like menarche, postpartum, and menopause. The two main hormones in women are estrogen and progesterone. These two hormones are necessary for female sexual characteristics and female reproductive health. Balanced hormones promote healthy menstruation, pregnancy, and lactation, while also supporting cardiovascular, bone, urinary, digestive, cognitive, and immune health.

When these hormones are unbalanced, they can lead to dysfunction in the body and mind. Certain conditions that are a result of hormonal imbalance include perturbations in androgen activity, estrogen metabolism, and hormone detoxification/elimination. These imbalances can lead to multiple impaired functions such as estrogen dominance, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), hirsutism, androgen excess, PMS, dysmenorrhea, and infertility. Inflammation, exogenous stressors, and oxidative stress are linked to hormonal imbalances. This clinical protocol is designed to specifically support female hormone balance and activity through lifestyle adaptations, healthy balanced diets, and nutrient-rich supplements.

A recommended way to start balancing hormones is by having a hormone test taken. An estrogen metabolite/estrogen ratio test should be considered to monitor levels for hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, insulin levels, HbA1c, liver function, GSH, and zinc status. We offer these tests in our office. A balanced diet is also recommended for hormone balance support. This diet includes:

• High intake of cruciferous vegetables for consumption of isothiocyanates. These foods include Bok Choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, etc.
• Adequate intake of fiber to support stable blood sugar metabolism and elimination of hormone metabolites (25 to 30 g/day).
• Antioxidant-rich whole foods like dark chocolate, pecans, strawberries, artichokes, blueberries, raspberries, beets, spinach, avocados, etc.
• Adequate zinc intake through rich sources like oysters, liver, beef, pork, crab, lobster, baked beans, and egg yolks (8 mg/day; 11 mg/day during pregnancy; 12 mg/day during lactation).
• Moderating alcohol and caffeine intake.

The last piece of the hormone protocol is the nutrient-rich supplements. These supplements promote healthy hormone balance. These supplements include:

• DIM – Evail (1-2 capsules/day) uses a blend of diindolylmethane, MCT, quillaja extract, and tocotrienols to support healthy estrogen and metabolism. One tablet a day will keep your estrogen healthy as well as your metabolism.
• FemGuard + Balance (4 capsules/day) promotes hormonal balance, antioxidant status, and hormone detoxification by using a blend of vital nutrients and herbs (vitex, polygonum, black cohosh, DIM).
• Pregnenolone CRT (1 capsule/day) supports healthy cognitive function, memory, and hormone balance. By using controlled-release technology, Pregnenolone CRT copies the way that Pregnenolone is naturally released into the body stimulating healthy cognitive function, memory, and hormone balance.
• Progest – Avail (1 milliliter/day) is a serum that provides progesterone that will aid in healthy menstruation, aging, and hormonal balance.
• FemGuard – HF (2 capsules/day) is specifically designed to help decrease the number of hot flashes during menopause.
• BroccoProtect (1 capsule/day) supports detoxification pathways, antioxidant status, healthy estrogen metabolism, and cellular health. 
• Zinc Supreme (1 capsule/day) offers chelated minerals by using a 2:1 ratio of amino acid glycine and zinc for optimal absorption.

These supplements will help keep hormones balanced. You can view this supplement protocol on Fullscript!

Keeping hormones balanced is very important, so we hope you will take some of these recommendations to keep your hormones balanced and in check!

References:

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