Women are wonderfully complex beings. Our hormones are tightly controlled and have functions all throughout the body. Our sex hormones, mainly estrogen and progesterone, work to regulate our periods. Cortisol, our “stress” hormone, regulates our sleep-wake cycle in unison with melatonin. Our thyroid hormones regulate so much more than just metabolism and energy production, and there are many more hormones which allow us to function optimally. Now, these hormones have pretty important roles, but our endocrine system is very delicate and our hormones can become dysregulated easily.
The “control center” for our hormones is located in the brain, made up of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. This control center receives feedback about our stress levels, nutrient status, the amount of fat available in tissues, how much toxic exposure or inflammation we have, how much sleep we get, and the list goes on. This control system is very sensitive and as our body fights to protect itself from outside “dangers”, our hormones can easily become dysregulated.
Let’s explore the top 5 causes of hormonal imbalance:
Stress
Our bodies react to stress by increasing cortisol, one of our steroid hormones. This is what you might know of as the “fight or flight” response. In modern times, stress seems to be a constant, putting us into chronic overdrive. In order for our bodies to meet the demand of cortisol, we must preferentially use cholesterol to make cortisol instead of important stress hormones like progesterone. This can lead to weight gain, PMS symptoms, and moodiness. Because women’s bodies are more sensitive to the changing levels of hormones, the stress response has a greater effect on a woman’s ability to maintain hormonal balance than men. Stress can also have a huge impact on fertility because our body knows that reproduction is not the priority in times of high stress. Cortisol can also reduce thyroid function, and impair our sleep.
Nutrition
Here I am mainly addressing blood sugar, which is regulated by the food you eat. When we eat a meal high in sugar or processed carbs, we get a spike in insulin and a corresponding decrease in sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG is responsible for binding excess hormones in the blood, so as it decreases we see more free hormones available, primarily testosterone. Increased testosterone is seen in a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS. If you rely on processed carbs or sugary foods to boost energy throughout the day, it is likely that you have dysregulated blood sugar. Low blood sugar can also be detrimental, as our body may think it is “starving” which leads to the activation of the stress response, and cortisol is pumped out.
Irregular sleep habits
The release of certain hormones fluctuates throughout the day. Most of our bodily functions are synced with our sleep-wake cycle, and hormones are no exception. Hormonal systems that are under clear circadian control include melatonin, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis including cortisol and most of our sex hormones, the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, and epinephrine. As life gets busier and we have more and more on our to-do lists, sleep gets put on the backburner to make more time in the day. This is not only damaging to our hormonal regulation, but it impairs almost every physiological process in the body! Sleep needs to be put on a pedestal. If you are not sleeping soundly and getting at least 7 hours, sleep needs to be your first priority.
Chronic inflammation
This is not the swelling and bruising that you are thinking of. This is low-level inflammation that takes place in the body when there is injury, toxins or stress; its purpose is to initiate healing and protect the body. However, when we see this response becoming chronic, much like our stress response, it causes damage to our physiology. There are many culprits at the root of inflammation, including food sensitivities, chronic stress, alcohol, toxic exposure, etc.. The area in the brain that regulates our hormones has receptors that respond to the inflammatory mediators that are released with inflammatory states. In response, our brain signals the adrenal glands to pump out more hormones, like cortisol, as it is a potent anti-inflammatory. But, to reiterate, our body is very delicate to the level of hormones released, and when we get a flooding of one hormone, we usually see other hormones suffering in response.
Environmental toxins
Many environmental chemicals have been found to have endocrine disrupting properties. Many are identified as xenoestrogens, which means they have the ability to modulate estrogen’s activity in the body. Although long-term exposure to these chemicals is not fully understood, hundreds have been found in human breast tissue and have been hypothesized to increase the chances of breast cancer. These chemicals can be found in your makeup, personal care products and other products that touch our food and skin. Some of the known culprits that can impact your hormonal balance are parabens, BPA, phthalates, and triclosan. It is hard to completely avoid these toxins, however, read labels, ditch the plastic for glass, and choose clean products for your body and home.
It can be challenging to avoid these top 5 causes of hormonal imbalance, but it is not impossible! Your first step should be identifying the extent of the impact that these culprits have on your individual health. It can be overwhelming to navigate the world of hormonal imbalance and so, I always recommend working with a naturopathic doctor or functional medicine practitioner.
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