Hormonal Imbalance - Male And Female

By Zhang Bing

 

Alternative Therapies For Restoring Hormonal Balance In Women

Not too many people realize the influence hormones, such as estrogen have on body weight. The worst part is, just as too much estrogen causes weight gain, low estrogen levels also cause similar issues with weight.

The liver and the gastrointestinal system, both work towards taking care of excess levels of hormones. Hormonal imbalance occurs when these organs do not function properly. Once it is determined that the hormones are imbalanced, detoxification needs to be done to get rid of the toxins in the body.

Holistic medicine aims at getting these organs working first to normalize the body functions. There are also several therapies in alternative medicine that work towards balancing the hormones, such as changes in diet and nutrition, herbal medicine, exercise, homeopathy and hormone replacement.
There is no point in artificially trying to induce hormone production and ignoring the main reasons that are responsible for this imbalance. It is important to first find out why there is a build-up of estrogen or a deficiency in progesterone. This way, restoring the balance can be achieved in a much better manner with the necessary changes in diet and other things.

Diet

Femaile Homne Replacement Alternative TherapySoybeans and other soybean products are an invaluable source for tackling the negative effects of excessive estrogen. These foods contain the substance genistein in high quantities, and this is known as a phytoestrogen, which block estrogens from attaching to the cell receptor sites, which is where estrogens show their effect in the body. These phytoestrogens are said to balance estrogen.
There are other foods that are high in phytoestrogens, such as apples, nuts, flaxseeds, celery and alfalfa. Foods that also help in balancing estrogens are vegetable juices, especially green juices, fresh fruit juices, leafy green vegetables, dates, figs, garlic, cabbage, grapes, beets, avocados, wheat germ as well as wheat germ oil.

Experts believe that most women usually walk themselves into hormonal dysfunction. They eat too many carbohydrates without eating much protein and this creates a problem with the zinc/copper ratio. Protein is important for the adrenal glands.

Also, with the fear of weight gain, women mostly avoid fats, and many a time, they do not get the necessary fats that the body needs. Only one or two tablespoons or essential fatty acids per day are required to restore hormonal balance in the body. Essential fatty acids are unsaturated fats, such as Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils and they should a part of the diet. These are found in fish oils such as cod, salmon, mackerel; flaxseed and canola oils; vegetable oils, such as corn, peanut, sesame and safflower oils. The most therapeutic Omega-6 oil is found in black currant, evening primrose and borage oils. These oils are converted to prostaglandin's in the body, which are substances that are like hormones and regulate the metabolic functions in the body.
Physicians also recommend daily vitamin intake to cleanse the body of harmful toxins and pollutants that can actually lead to excessive estrogen production, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, B-complex vitamins as well as magnesium.
There are also other natural therapies that can restore hormonal imbalance.

Natural Progesterone Therapy

This entails taking progesterone capsules orally or applying progesterone cream that is absorbed by the layers of fat under the skin and into the blood. The cream is said to be better than capsules as it is easier to regulate the amount of progesterone entering into the body.

Herbal Therapy

Herbs have proven to be exceptionally effective in maintaining hormonal balance as well as treating imbalance. Herbs such as unicorn root used for pre menopausal women and black cohosh are said to promote normal production of estrogen as well as help in maintaining the balance of estrogen and progesterone levels. Even dong quai, Siberian ginseng, licorice and grape seed extract are said to be beneficial in regulating hormones.
Progesterone supporting herbs are sarsaparilla, yarrow, wild yam and chaste-tree berry. They can be taken in supplement form or as teas.

Exercise

As everyone knows exercise is great for weight loss; however, in addition to having a direct connection with weight, it also reduces menopausal symptoms and has been seen to reduce the hot flashes and burns off the estrogen that is stored in the body fat and prevents further build-up too. It also helps with alleviating stress, increasing energy and proper cardiovascular functioning.
Unlike synthetic therapies, these alternative therapies are much safer and work better with no side effects; however any sort of therapy should be taken only under proper medical supervision.

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