How Your Diet Influences Hormone Levels: A Comprehensive Guide

Listen, I’m never not talking about hormones in some capacity. I think the human body is so cool, and hormones are part of the incredible and complex ways that we exist!

Hormones are the body's chemical messengers, playing a crucial role in regulating processes like metabolism, mood, growth, reproduction, and even sleep. We usually only think about hormones in the context of reproduction, but this is only a small portion of the jobs that hormones do in the human body! Hormone production is even more vast than we might think - the thyroid, adrenal glands and pituitary gland produce hormones just as much as the ovaries and the testes do. Once produced and released into the bloodstream, hormones travel to various sites across the body, binding with receptors on organs and tissues to trigger function. While we know hormones aren’t meant to be in a tightly controlled, “balanced” state, and instead allow for fluctuation and change over time, hormones can be negatively impacted by outside factors. These can contribute to tissue dysfunction and an increased risk of health conditions over time.

The way we eat is a powerful tool in supporting hormone function. I want to be clear here: food is food, and medicine is medicine. Food will not and cannot take the place of medicines that directly manage hormones, like birth control. Food can have medicinal properties, which can support well-being even when a person is using medications that influence their hormones. The following foods lend us these properties so our hormones can be produced successfully in tissues, work well, and clear out when we are done using them!

Fats are essential for hormone production, as hormones are made from cholesterol (see last month’s post for a review on this!). A diet rich in healthy fats from sources like avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish provides the body with the building blocks it needs to produce hormones effectively. Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, act as an anti-inflammatory compound which can be useful in conditions also influenced by hormones, such as endometriosis. There are some fats that might not be as supportive. Trans fats and high consumption of saturated fats over the long term can negatively impact cardiovascular health and hormone production, with potential impact on inflammation in the human body.

Proteins, including sources like chicken, turkey, fish, and legumes, help regulate insulin levels. Insulin is produced in the pancreas to control blood sugar, binding with glucose in the bloodstream and carrying it into the tissues to be used for energy production. Insulin is a peptide hormone, meaning it is built from protein and amino acids, and protein foods digest slower meaning a slower release of glucose into the bloodstream after eating and more fuel to create the hormone that manages it! Adequate protein can also be important for thyroid hormone production, which is important for adequate energy levels, regular ovulation, and even healthy digestive processes.

Dietary fibre, especially from fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, may play an important role in balancing estrogen levels. Fibre helps the body eliminate excess estrogen by binding to it in the digestive system, particularly from soluble sources, and facilitating its removal through the stool. The gut microbiome is also involved with the metabolism and removal of estrogen metabolites, so feeding these healthy bugs with fibre is important in the long-term!

Sugar gets a bad reputation in the nutrition and wellness world, often with fears of any and all sugar consumption hiking up your blood sugar so high that you automatically have diabetes (this definitely is not the case). And as a result, folks feel pressure to follow incredibly restrictive diets, or wear glucose monitoring devices (always from an influencer with a discount code and supplements to shill) that make their worries even worse. When our blood sugar is poorly managed, mainly by irregular eating patterns, inadequate food intake and imbalances in macronutrient representation (all carbohydrates with no protein or fat or fibre friends, or all fats, or all proteins), this can trigger cortisol as part of the stress response. Cortisol can actually be reduced by including carbohydrates, especially after exercise! While we like cortisol for its job in keeping us alive in dangerous situations, chronic high cortisol levels can disrupt other hormone systems, leading to fatigue, irregular periods and imbalances in sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone. Conditions like Cushing’s disease or Addison’s disease are related to problems with cortisol production, and need to be managed by a medical team with medications and monitoring - not food alone.

Select vitamins and minerals play a vital role in hormone production and regulation, almost like support staff on a big project. Vitamin D is involved in the regulation and production of sex hormones and supports the immune system. Magnesium may be a part of managing cortisol levels and supporting thyroid function. Zinc is essential for testosterone production, in all bodies! And the B vitamins are important for supporting the adrenal glands in the work on the stress response, as well as serotonin and dopamine production. Not everyone needs supplements for these, thankfully, as there are many amazing foods to include - talk to a dietitian if you are unsure about sources or if a supplement is right for you!

No single food or supplement can magically balance your hormones - long-term habits that include variety, energy and nutrient density, and promote satisfying and filling eating opportunities support your body’s natural processes and help you feel your best.