Husband: Hi, my love how are you today?

Wife: I am very hungry?

Husband: Do you want a Sandwich, Burger, or Pizza

Wife: No, I want COOKIES or CHOCOLATE as I am PMSing

Have you ever experienced such a conversation where you really don’t know what to say or do!!

Have you come across instances when you don’t understand why your wife, mother, or sister is behaving in a certain way? This is because of the flush of hormones in the woman’s body. You would have come across words like PMS (premenstrual syndrome) which every woman goes through every month.

Let us understand what hormones are and what happens when there is an imbalance in a woman’s body.

What are hormones?

There is an endocrine system that contains glands that produce hormones. Hormones are chemical messengers that travel throughout the body like cars traveling on the highway. They carry the messages to various organs and glands to function accordingly

The common jobs hormones do
– Growth & development
– Metabolism (production of energy)
– Sexual function
– Reproduction

The endocrine system always tries to bring balance to the body, for example, if you are in a sunny day, the body automatically sweats to bring a balance in internal and external temperature. This is how homeostasis or balance is maintained in the body.

What happens when there is a hormonal imbalance?

Hormonal imbalance is when there is too little or too much hormone traveling in the body which leads to havoc in the body system.
For example, if you add too much salt to your bowl of soup, that becomes inedible.

Signs & symptoms of hormonal imbalance
– Weight gain or sudden weight loss
– Irregular periods
– Sleep problems like night sweat, hot flushes, or difficulty falling asleep
– Chronic acne
– Dry skin
– Attention and memory problems
– Stomach pain, bloating, or diarrhea
– Ongoing fatigue
– Mood swings & depression
– Hair loss
– Headache
– Vaginal dryness
– Loss of libido
– Breast changes

How can hormonal imbalance be controlled?

There are ways to balance hormones like maintaining a healthy diet, adding more omega 3 fatty acids in your diet, exercising, and having a good sleep. But there are also a few herbs that make a lot of difference in maintaining hormonal balance. Let’s see the list below.

1. Ashwagandha
   Ashwagandha is also known as Withania somnifera normalizes the body’s response to stress hormones. It is proven an anxiolytic, antidepressant, and anti-stress adaptogen. It helps reduce fatigue, enhances the sense of well-being, and reduces cortisol levels. Symptoms of PMS which include mood swings, changes in energy levels, and irritability can be alleviated by Ashwagandha.
2. Shatavari
   Shatavari root extract also known as Asparagus racemosus contains natural phytoestrogens which promote women’s well-being. May improve female hormonal imbalance, PCOS, and infertility by reducing oxidative stress and increasing antioxidant levels in the body. It helps in reducing menopausal symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats. Helps in combating anxiety and depression by interacting with GABA and serotonin. It also acts as a galactagogue which promotes milk production in lactating mothers
3. Nigella seeds
   Nigella sativa extract has a positive impact on the endocrine system. It is largely contributed by thymoquinone a molecule that acts as an antioxidant that protects the endocrine tissues from free radical damage and contributes to hormonal balance.
4. Fenugreek seeds
   Fenugreek seeds commonly known as methi seeds have significant effects on sexual problems by enhancement in estradiol levels which are known to increase the concentration of serotonin which influences sexual desire. It reduces menstrual discomforts and reduces PCOS which is due to abnormal levels of testosterone.
5. Chaste Berry
   Chaste Berry also known as (Vitex agnus -castus) is used for the treatment of PMS, painful breast swelling, and menopause. Chaste berry stimulates the luteinizing hormone which increases progesterone in return normalizes the balance between estrogen and progesterone. This helps in reducing menstrual pain
6. Black cohosh
   Black cohosh alleviates menopausal symptoms, like hot flushes, sweats, irritability, and vaginal dryness. It suppresses the secretion of luteinizing hormone which is associated with menopausal symptoms.

You will find more natural herbs that can help with hormonal imbalance. These herbs can be safely incorporated into your daily routine without thinking much on adverse side effects. Good Nutrition Elevate and Enhance for women has fenugreek, ashwagandha and shatavari which balances hormones, enhances female vigor, vitality and libido.