Hormonal Imbalance? These 6 “Healthy” Foods May Be Making It Worse, Expert Shares Replacements

Hormones function as chemical messengers that can regulate several key functions in the body, including energy levels, mood, sleep, fertility, and metabolism. While factors like genetics, stress, and lifestyle habits influence hormonal balance, diet also plays a huge role. Certain foods may affect blood sugar levels, place stress on thyroid, or expose the body to hormone-disturbing compounds.

The positive side, however, is that making healthier dietary selection and simple nutrition changes can help support hormonal balance and enhance long-term overall health.

Hormonal imbalance arises when you have too much or too little of one of more hormones in the bloodstreams. It can affect normal bodily functions and can stem from anxiety, natural phases such as puberty or menopause, or underlying medical conditions such as PCOS and thyroid disorders.

According to a study featured in Science Direcet, “The prevalence of junk food, obesity, and its linked complications like PCOS is projected to rise as the world's technological growth accelerates. Correlation between current young society lifestyles associated with junk food leads to obesity and significantly triggers the NAc (N-acetylcysteine) even before obesity appears to affect hormonal balance. It eventually leads to a worsening of the PCOS disorder.” ¹

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) can be described as a supplement used to support hormonal health, especially for conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

Recently, leading Ayurvedic expert Dimple Jangda took to her Instagram account and highlighted foods that may be healthy but can harm the hormonal health. Sharing the post, Dimple said, “Did you know there are six foods that are healthy but not so healthy if you have hormonal imbalance?” ²

6 Hormone Disrupting Healthy Foods

1. Soy Milk: The Ayurvedic expert said, “it contains isoflavones which mimics the estrogen in the body. Now when you have soy milk in excess, like tofu as well, this increases estrogen ratio compared to progesterone.” And, that imbalance can lead to estrogen dominant PCOS, fibroids, tumours, and cyst. Instead replace it with almond milk, coconut milk not oat milk, because even that causes sugar spike.

2. Flaxseeds: “Although flaxseeds are healthy, just two teaspoons of flaxseeds on a daily basis has enough lignans, phytoestrogens that can cause estrogen imbalance in the body. So, if you already have a lot of estrogen in the body, do not have flaxseeds in your diet. Instead, have sunflower seeds and sesame seeds that improve progesterone in your body,” added the Ayurvedic expert.

3. Raw Cruciferous Vegetables: The expert said, raw cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. When you have them raw, they contain goitrogen, which suppresses a thyroid function and thus impacts the hormonal health. Instead, heat them, boil them, or saute them. Heat kills and destroys goitrogen.

4. Packaged Low Fat Foods: When you remove fat from any food, you have to put some kind of replacement, which is emulsifiers, thickener, sugar, which again disrupts your gut bacteria. In Ayurveda, fat is sacred, eat healthy fats like Avocados, coconut, pumpkin seeds, etc. These are the good source of fats that your body needs, emphasized the nutritionist.  

5. Refined Seed Oil: They are the trigger because refined seed oil like soybean oil, sunflower oil, canola oil are rich source of omega 6 fatty acids, which is not good for gut health. It increases inflammation, and inflammation is one of the main triggers for PCOS-PCOD and gut health issues as well. Replace them with cold pressed coconut oil, cold pressed sesame oil, olive oil, avocado oil. These are better for your gut health.

6. Plastic Bottles: The Ayurvedic expert said, “Remember, plastic bottles are releasing microplastics continuously, BPA and such harmful chemicals, which are endocrine disruptors. They mimic estrogen in the body and cause hormonal imbalance. Replace them with steel bottle, glass bottle, drink water out of a copper glass instead once a day or twice a day. Not more than that.”

These are better replacements for that plastic bottle, which is unfortunately dangerous for your overall health, concluded Dimple Jangda.

FAQs

References

1. Science Direct|Impact of junk food on obesity and polycystic ovarian syndrome: Mechanisms and management strategies

2. Ayurvedic expert Dimple Jangda via Instagram|Six foods that are healthy but not so healthy if you have hormonal imbalance

Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions about your health or treatment options.