15 Causes of Hormone Imbalances
Hormones are the chemicals in our body that control many functions like hunger, thirst, energy, activity, emotions, fertility, sleep, and stress. All of our hormones are connected, so when one becomes imbalanced, this can set off a cascade in our body. As this cascade occurs, our body signals this to us through many symptoms like pain, inflammation, constipation, stress, fatigue, infertility, extreme cravings, and changes in weight. We need to pay attention to these symptoms and figure out the root cause of them.
Here are 15 potential causes of hormone imbalances:
1. Stress
Stress is one of the most common causes of hormone imbalances. Stressors can be things going on in our life like school, work, family, and relationships, but they could also be internal stressors like a gut infection, inflammation, low sleep. Cortisol is our stress hormone, which when elevated for long periods of time can negatively impact all other hormones.
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2. Nutrient Deficiencies
Many nutrients are building blocks for hormones in our body. When we aren’t eating enough of the right foods this can diminish our reserves and these hormone levels can deplete. Some of the important hormone-balancing nutrients are omega 3s, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B complex, vitamin D, and vitamin C.
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3. Gut Imbalances
The gut imbalances are another one of the causes of hormone imbalances. The gut is our natural estrogen detoxifier. We do not want to over accumulate estrogen because when it recirculates in the body, the estrogen can offset progesterone causing estrogen dominance. You want to maintain healthy gut bacteria to make sure you are keeping your digestion functioning. Symptoms that you have gut imbalances include constipation, bloating, and diarrhea.
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4. Underlying Infections
Underlying infections may also be one of the causes of hormone imbalances. If you’re dealing with persistent gut issues then this might be something to look into further. Our gut is normally lined with a variety of healthy bacteria that help us absorb nutrients, pass bowel movements, and protect our internal cells. When you have an infection of bad bacteria, sometimes the good bacteria can no longer compete and the bad bacteria ends up winning. As a result, our digestion takes a decline. I use the GI MAP gut health test that can identify if there is something like a gut infection going on contributing to symptoms.
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5. Environmental Toxins
Another one of the causes of hormone imbalances is environmental toxins. Many times these toxins can be in the air you breathe, the paint on your walls, and even in the lotions, you put on your skin. It is important to recognize these toxins and figure out if they can be eliminated or avoided. Toxins to look out for are Phthalates, Atrazines, Bisphenols, and Heavy metals.
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6. Blood Sugar Imbalances
Blood sugar imbalances are another one of the causes of hormone imbalances. When blood sugar is imbalanced this means you do not have stable levels of blood sugar throughout the day. Over time this can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance causes high levels of testosterone because when insulin levels are high in the blood, it will stimulate an enzyme called 17-hydroxylase which will promote the ovaries to make more testosterone. Additionally, this process will inhibit the synthesis of a binding protein to testosterone which increases the abundance of free testosterone in the blood. Increasing testosterone too high in women can cause a whole host of symptoms like hair loss, acne, irregular periods, hirsutism, and infertility.
7. Overexercising
Another one of the causes of hormone imbalances as overexercising. Overexercising can mean you either being physically active too frequently, too intensely or for too long. When you are pushing your body too much during exercise this can cause your cortisol levels to remain high even after the session is done. This is because your body can’t handle the stress it is under, and to combat this you release cortisol.
8. Undereating
Undereating is another one of the causes of hormone imbalances. Undereating means eating fewer calories than you burn throughout the day. This is detrimental to hormones because these undereating patterns put our body into a state of panic and stress because we are trying to survive at an energy level insufficient for our current size. From this stress, estrogen and progesterone levels decrease because we need to preserve our energy and avoid the most taxing human function which is pregnancy. Our body fat percentage is most likely decreasing as well due to the undereating and because estrogen is produced from fat tissue, our levels can decline as a result.
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9. Food Reactions
Another one of the causes of hormone imbalances is food reactions. These food reactions could be sensitivities or full-on allergic reactions. Many times these sensitivities can develop later in life due to stress or other lifestyle changes. Many people unknowingly will eat the foods they are sensitive to because they won’t experience a ‘normal’ allergic reaction. As a result, the body is sensitive to the food and when consumed can promote an internal stress and inflammatory response.
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10. Inflammation
As mentioned inflammation is another one of the causes of hormone imbalances in the body. Inflammation occurs when your white blood cells sense an invader or an area of injury in the body, so they release chemicals to surge the area as well as increase blood flow there. The idea behind inflammation is to create an increased blood flow of nutrients and fighter cells to the problem affected area to hopefully lessen the negative impact. Over time this can be a heavy cost on the body and will elicit a stress response that will cause hormone imbalances.
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11. Genetic Factors
There are also genetic factors that are causes of hormone imbalances.
The gene MTHFR is responsible for making the enzyme Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, which is a regulatory enzyme for the metabolism of folate. Folate is an important nutrient that will aid in the detoxification of estrogen. Thus, when MTHFR is not working properly in methylation, this can be a factor for why you aren’t fertile.
The gene COMT is responsible for making the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase which aids in the production of estrogen and is also important in dopamine metabolism. A study showed a positive correlation that those with the COMT genotype had higher levels of estrogen in women, so COMT can be a factor for what causes high estrogen.
12. Alcohol
Another one of the causes of hormone imbalances is alcohol. It is known to overwhelm the liver and affect hormone metabolism. Specifically, estrogen dominance can be caused by the overconsumption of alcohol.
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13. Poor Sleep
Poor sleep is another one of the causes of hormone imbalances. Proper sleep is extremely vital to maintain a functioning circadian rhythm and our biological time clock. When you do not get enough sleep, or when you do not get quality sleep, this is when you can offset your cortisol levels. Typically first thing in the morning you should have a spike of cortisol to get you out of bed and start the day. As the day goes on, this level of cortisol should steadily fall so that when the sun goes down you begin to start getting tired so you can fall asleep at night. Many lifestyle factors can impact this cycle of cortisol but making sure you have a proper sleep schedule is the most important.
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14. Past Traumas
Though hard to deal with, past traumas can be a cause of hormone imbalances. This is because past traumas can cause a build-up of stress internally because your baseline nervous system is shifted. Chronic stress over time can lead to hormone imbalances.
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15. Lack of Self Care
Lack of self-care is another one of the causes of hormone imbalances. Self-care is doing whatever you feel you need to do to put yourself first. Check-in with your feelings, your stress, and your responsibilities. Going long periods without check-ins can cause an accumulation of stress. Sometimes you need to take a step back and provide yourself with your needs before going forward with your day. Doing yoga, going on a walk, taking time to make your favorite meal, and doing a spa night are all great ways to honor your body and your mind.
