The Best Supplements For Hormonal Health That Promise To Restore Balance

PMS - premenstrual syndrome, a collective name for the symptoms many suffer in the weeks leading up to and during their period - is so common it's considered the norm. PMS is often far worse for those suffering from conditions like Endometriosis, PCOS, thyroid conditions, perimenopause, anxiety, and adrenal fatigue. For many, it has become second nature to accept crippling cramps, heavy bleeds on a monthly basis. Luckily, certain supplements can ease the symptoms and make life easier.

While there's certainly no magic cure-all - if there was we'd all know about it - there are steps you can take to ease the symptoms of PMS to some degree. They won't work for everyone, and if you're experiencing symptoms that are debilitating in any way, we'd always recommend consulting your doctor first. That said, if your M.O. is to cushion the blow of mild PMS symptoms, consider these tactics.

Understanding Your Periods

Let's start with our menstrual cycle, which runs across 28 days. Think of it like seasons - your period or menstrual phase (approx. days 1-5) is the first stage of your hormonal cycle; this is your winter where you need time to curl up and retreat and allow your body to rest and detox. It's pretty incredible that our bodies naturally detoxify themselves once a month, and it is definitely not something to feel shameful or embarrassed about.

Your second phase, the follicular phase (days 6-14) is your spring - expect newfound energy; your ovulation phase (approx day 14) is when you are the most fertile and many note that their sex drive is at its highest.

The last two weeks of your cycle are dubbed your luteal phase (days 15-28), your autumn. Post-ovulation, if the egg isn't fertilised, you will start to wind down as your progesterone levels start to rise. The hormonal changes during the luteal phase are associated with common premenstrual symptoms that many people experience, such as mood swings, headaches, acne, bloating, and breast tenderness.

Related: How To Tailor Your Skincare To The Different Stages Of Your Menstrual Cycle

To discuss all things hormonal health Grazia talked to Dr. Simoné Laubscher PhD of Science & Nutrition who has treated patients for over 25 years. Since 2014, she has formulated much ofWelleCo’s range of ingestible beauty and wellness supplements together with the founder, Elle Macpherson, and the WelleCo team.

What is the role of hormones in women's health?

"Hormones are chemicals that are produced within your body, which help to regulate and control your development," Dr. Simoné tells us. "They affect everything – from blood sugar and blood pressure, growth and fertility, metabolism, sex drive and even sleep."

"Women experience a significant number of life events that are driven by hormonal changes in their body, such as periods, pregnancy and menopause. While teenage boys and men have the same hormones, women typically have to manage more difficult symptoms, resulting from more intense fluctuations and higher levels of hormones."

What are the common signs of a hormonal imbalance?

Perhaps you may be thinking to yourself, well how do I even know whether I have a healthy hormonal cycle? The best part is you don't need to have a medical degree to understand and listen to your body.

Dr Simoné says that our bodies make over 50 different hormones, all of which play a unique role and contribute to different functions, so the symptoms caused by a hormonal imbalance differ depending on which hormones are affected.

So what are the effects of a hormonal imbalance? She tells us that hormones can have an effect on your metabolism, with symptoms including fatigue, constipation, unexplained weight gain or loss, more frequent bowel movements, and increased sugar cravings. As you can imagine they can also impact your mental state too, causing irritability and mood disorders, such as feeling sad for no apparent reason. Do a little self-diagnosis, do any of these symptoms resonate with you?

"Other hormonal imbalances can affect the regularity and severity of your periods, cause sore breasts before and during menstruation, create fertility issues, reduce your sex drive and can be a key cause of hormonal acne. They’re also often behind the appearance of unwanted facial hair and excessive body odour while, in men, hormone imbalances can lead to performance issues as a result of erectile dysfunction and the appearance of ‘moobs’ – or ‘man boobs’."

Want to find out if you have an imbalance? This quiz from Nourished Natural Health will help you determine whether you have a hormonal imbalance and what the imbalance may be.

What causes a hormonal imbalance?

"Your hormones fluctuate naturally, with certain life events – such as puberty, pregnancy and menopause – causing them to change more dramatically. However, there are other factors that can create hormonal imbalances, such as stress, sleep, the food and drink that we consume, eating disorders and medication. Even using plastic can disrupt our hormones!"

What type of supplements are best to balance hormones naturally, and what are the benefits of taking supplements?

"Supplements can be really effective in helping to balance your hormones," Dr Simoné tells us. "I love Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs, and I have been using them for much of my career with great success. Traditionally taken as a tea, these herbs can be pretty arduous for the taste buds and tough to endure, not to mention the main taking hours to boil them up!"

"For this reason, I recently helped formulate two wonderful new Elixirs for WelleCo that support women through some of their key life stages. The PMS Elixir is great for women who are still menstruating, helping to alleviate all symptoms of PMS, from water retention, sore breasts, sugar cravings, mood swings and period pain. The Goddess Elixir helps you elegantly navigate all stages of menopause, reducing symptoms such as low libido, hot flushes and mood swings, and realigning you so that you catapult into this amazing new season of feminine flow."

She also gave us a great tip on how to balance those hormones. Did you know that adding seaweed to your diet is also a tremendous hormonal balancer, particularly for the thyroid? It is high in iodine.

"You can easily buy dulse and seaweed flakes to add to salads and stir-fries," Dr Simoné says. "You can also make yummy homemade sushi rolls with fish and avocado; swap the rice for quinoa, or opt for black or brown rice to keep your GI index down." You had us at sushi.

Here are the best supplements targeted towards alleviating PMS and menopause symptoms: from magnesium supplements - which help to reduce stress, tension in your muscles and cramps - to Ayurvedic adaptogens, which help your body to adapt to stress.

What are some tips for balancing your hormones and taking the next steps?

Want to integrate some daily practices and rituals to help naturally balance your hormones? Dr. Simoné gives us the scoop on how to take the next steps.

Deal with inflammation – a diet high in animal fats, processed meats and grains, dairy and sugar will increase inflammation and cause hormonal imbalance. Eat more plants, and less animal protein, cut dairy and go more pesca-vegan for three months to combat inflammation and hormonal imbalance. For women, heavy drinking increases the risk of ovulation disorders; for men, it lowers testosterone levels, causes erectile dysfunction and decreases sperm production. High consumption of caffeine can also interfere with fertility, so lowering your caffeine to one cup per day, or giving it up entirely, is a good idea when trying to conceive.

Balance your blood sugar levels – blood sugar spikes will directly impact your hormones and cause them to peak, creating hormonal imbalances, particularly oestrogen, which can leave you feeling mentally and physically out of sorts. The sugar rush will also kick-start your fight or flight/stress response, surging adrenaline and cortisol, and creating a vicious circle leading to fatigue and mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Good quality protein at each meal, which can be found in fish, nuts, seeds, organic eggs, or a vegan protein powder such as WelleCo’s Nourishing Protein, will provide easily absorbed essential amino acids to balance your blood sugar levels and hormones. Adding Omega 3’s from oily fish, avocados, nuts, seeds and coconut oil will also help regulate your blood sugar levels. Research shows that this will also help regulate ovulation, improve egg quality and even delay the ageing of ovaries. Do your best to opt for organic foods with lots of green vegetables, as pesticides can also affect oestrogen and other hormones, and worsen imbalances.

Related: A Comprehensive Guide To Supplements

Move your body – exercise is crucial for balancing your hormones, as it supports both your mental and physical health. Choose an activity you love and which brings you joy; spend time in nature, get barefoot on the earth, breathe and choose to respond, rather than react to your environmental triggers. The sea is also wonderful to balance your nervous and hormonal systems but if that’s hard for you, opt for Epsom salt baths or foot baths.

Reduce stress – research has shown that stress directly impacts both male and female hormone levels; with such a difficult few years for many and stress levels at an all-time high, we are seeing a massive rise in hormonal imbalance issues in our clinics. As stress increases, fertility tends to decrease. Stress also increases heart rate and vasoconstriction, triggering hot flushes and increasing period pain. Blood circulation is also reduced, causing fatigue, body pain and mood disorders, low libido, and PMS and menopause symptoms.

Improve your sleep – low quality or limited amounts of regular sleep are linked to inflammation, and hormonal imbalances can reduce the body’s ability to heal during the night, leading to excessive stress – a natural enemy of hormonal balance.

Use less plastic – plastics are hormonal disruptors, so increase your green vegetables and reduce exposure to plastics from water bottles and storage containers. Try never to use plastic when warming food, and try to use glass, ceramic or stainless steel wherever possible; sometimes, especially with kids, plastic water bottles are necessary, so choose the PBA and toxin-free varieties, but still keep them out of the direct sun and heat.

Related: 9 Best Vegan Multivitamins To Bring You Energy And Balance

Increase foods high in vitamin C – plant-based vitamin C helps with wound healing if you have hormone-related acne and is also excellent for fertility. It triggers regular ovulation in women and can increase sperm quality in men. Plant-based vitamin C with Citrus Bioflavonoids has been shown to reduce menopause symptoms, including hot flushes, leg cramps, sexual and mood disorders, and hair and memory loss. Vitamin C foods also help your body to absorb iron, an essential nutrient for women - grapefruits and other citrus fruits, kiwi, guava, cherries, berries and kale are excellent sources. Pumpkin seeds are also high in vitamin C and, as a bonus, they are anti-parasitic and even increase zinc, an essential nutrient for reproduction in both men and women. If seeking to supplement vitamin C, take care not to buy a synthetic vitamin C, which flushes out of the body – opt instead for a wholefood Vitamin C, which can be found in all WelleCo products, including The PMS and Goddess Elixirs.