Foods to Balance Her Hormones

Did you know your hormones affect your urinary tract and vaginal health?*
Before menopause, your hormones rise and fall with your menstrual cycle, causing you to be more likely to develop an imbalance in your vaginal microbiome in the two weeks following the beginning of your period.1 Additionally, the hormonal shifts that come with perimenopause and menopause also affect urinary tract comfort.2

As well, disruption to your hormone levels may also cause a range of symptoms like PMS;3 heavy or light periods;3 tender or swollen breasts;4 weight gain around the butt, hips, waist, and back of arms;5-7 low mood; anxiousness; fatigue;7 and reduced libido.7
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Here are some foods to eat and others to avoid to help keep your hormones in harmony:

Another way to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need to support your health is to add supplements like Wellness Essentials® Women or Wellness Essentials Women’s Prime to your daily regimen.

For additional urinary tract and vaginal health, consider taking a probiotic specific to urinary tract and vaginal health.*
References

1. Morison L et al. Bacterial vaginosis in relation to menstrual cycle, menstrual protection method, and sexual intercourse in rural Gambian women. Sex Trans Infect.2005;81:242-247.
2. Raz R et al. A controlled trial of intravaginal estriol in postmenopausal women with recurrent urinary tract infections. N Engl J Med. 1993;329(11):753-756. 
3. Nagrath A. Premenstrual syndrome. Progress in Obstetrics and Gynecology 2012;3:349.
4. Vorherr H. Fibrocystic breast disease: pathophysiology, pathomorphology, clinical picture, and management. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1986;154(1):161-179.
5. Pedersen SB et al. Demonstration of estrogen receptor subtypes alpha and beta in human adipose tissue: influences of adipose cell differentiation and fat depot localization. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2001;182(1):27-37.
6. Krotkiewski M et al. Impact of obesity on metabolism in men and women. Importance of regional adipose tissue distribution. J Clin Invest. 1983;72(3):1150-1162.
7. Endocrine Society. What does estrogen do? https://www.endocrine.org/-/media/endocrine/files/patient engagement/infographics/what_does_estrogen_do.pdf. Accessed January 19, 2023.
8. Robbins MG et al. Induction of detoxification enzymes by feeding unblanched Brussels sprouts containing active myrosinase to mice for 2 wk.  J Food Sci. 2010;75(6):H190-199.
9. Yoshida K et al. Broccoli sprout extract induces detoxification-related gene expression and attenuates acute liver injury. World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(35):10091-10103.
10. Nicolopoulou-Stamati P et al. Chemical pesticides and human health: the urgent need for a new concept in agriculture. Front Public Health. 2016;4:148.
11. Mumford SL et al. Omega-3 fatty acids and ovulatory function. Fertility and Sterility. 2011;96:S15.
12. Lock EJ et al. The significance of vitamin D for fish: a review. Aquaculture Nutr. 2010;16.1:100-116.
13. Brinkman MT et al. Consumption of animal products, their nutrient components and postmenopausal circulating steroid hormone concentrations. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010;64(2):176-183.
14. Araújo RG et al. Avocado by-products: nutritional and functional properties. Trends in Food Sci & Tech. 2018;80:51-60.
15. Duarte PF et al. Avocado: characteristics, health benefits and uses. Ciência Rural. 2016;46:747-754.
16. Hodges RE. Modulation of metabolic detoxification pathways using foods and food-derived components: a scientific review with clinical application. J Nutr Metab. 2015;2015:760689.
17. Kaplowitz N. The importance and regulation of hepatic glutathione. Yale J Biol Med. 1981;54(6):497–502.
18. Sacco R. Glutathione in the treatment of liver diseases: insights from clinical practice. Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol. 2016;62(4):316-324.
19. NIH. Vitamin E: a fact sheet for professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/. Accessed January 19, 2023.
20. Mahmoodianfard S et al. Effects of zinc and selenium supplementation on thyroid function in overweight and obese hypothyroid female patients: a randomized double blind controlled trial. J Am Coll Nutr. 2015;34(5):391-399.
21. Cleveland Clinic. High Estrogen. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22363-high-estrogen. Accessed January 19, 2023.