5 Important Vitamins for Hormone Balance
All the hormones in the body are connected and when one is too high or too low, this will impact all other hormones.
Stress and sex hormones are a family of hormones called steroid hormones, meaning they are built from cholesterol.
Other hormones are proteins built from peptide chains (chains of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein).
These vitamins for hormone balance provide essential nutrients for healthy hormone production and metabolism.
Here are 5 important vitamins for hormone balance:
1. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the vitamins for hormone balance. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that has many beneficial functions like improving immune function, creating scars for wound healing, and helps maintain tissue and skin integrity. A study found that vitamin C was associated with higher progesterone levels in perimenopausal women when typically they would be low. Additionally, another study found that pregnancy rates increased and progesterone levels increased in those who supplemented with vitamin C and had luteal phase defect (shortened luteal phase). Food sources include citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi, bell peppers, and broccoli.
2. Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is one of the vitamins for hormone balance. B6 is a powerful vitamin for cognitive development, gluconeogenesis, lipid metabolism, and protein metabolism. A study found that supplementation of B6 could stabilize hormone levels in cases of estrogen dominance. In addition, B6 supports hormone detoxification which can aid in reducing recirculating estrogen that should have been excreted. Furthermore B6 can also help regulate mood chemicals, called neurotransmitters which have an effect on hormones too. Food sources include: fortified oatmeal, potatoes, pinto beans, pistachios, tuna, and meat.
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3. Vitamin B12
Another one of the vitamins for hormone balance is vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is one of the most common deficiencies in America with about 50% of the population being deficient. Similar to B6, B12 has many functions in numerous metabolic reactions in the body. B12 can also regulate hormone levels and internal stress response. B12 influences the clearance of homocysteine in the blood. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced when proteins are broken down, but at elevated levels, it is called hyperhomocysteinemia which is damaging. These high levels are not good for the body because it can degrade the arterial lining, and increase stress levels. Increased stress levels have a negative effect on hormone balance. Sources include meat, eggs, chicken, fish (animal foods).
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4. Riboflavin
Riboflavin or vitamin B2 is another one of the vitamins for hormone balance. Riboflavin helps aid in proper thyroid function. The thyroid is a gland in our throat that needs to release thyroid hormones to maintain a stable metabolism among other things. If these hormones are not released as frequently as they should, then this is called low thyroid or in more intense situations, hypothyroidism. In these scenarios where our thyroid is not producing enough thyroid hormones, our body will try to stimulate more thyroid output. This generation of more thyroid hormones can effect the reproductive hormones to go out of balance. Since riboflavin supports the thyroid, this is why it is one of the vitamins for hormone balance. Food sources of riboflavin include: eggs, yogurt, and meat.
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5. Folate
Another one of the vitamins for hormone balance is folate or vitamin B9. Folate intake in women was associated with a decline in ovulatory infertility. It is also a vital coenzyme in many metabolic functions which can assist with fertility. Studies show that folate can have a positive impact on increasing progesterone and decreasing anovulation, both are very important for hormone balancing. Food sources include: avocados, oranges, leafy greens, legumes, and asparagus.
