Hormones and How to Keep Them Balanced

Updated: 28-10-2025

From approximately the age of 12 to 50, women are fertile. During this entire fertile phase, which begins with the first menstruation and ends with menopause, female sex hormones play a significant role. The influence of these hormones on a woman's body is so substantial that no day is the same for a woman. What role do these hormones play and how can we keep them balanced?

The Menstrual Cycle: How Does It Work?

A girl becomes fertile from the moment she starts menstruating. From puberty to menopause, this is a monthly recurring event. A menstrual cycle lasts on average 28 days and can only proceed smoothly if there is close cooperation between the female hormones. These are the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), the luteinising hormone (LH), oestrogen, and progesterone.

During a cycle, the following occurs: the pituitary gland, a pea-sized organ in the head, releases the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This hormone reaches the ovaries via the bloodstream and ensures that an egg cell matures in one of the ovaries. Simultaneously with the maturation of the egg cell, the ovaries also release more oestrogen, causing the uterine lining to grow. The growing uterine lining inhibits the production of FSH and stimulates the pituitary gland to release Luteinising Hormone (LH). When the LH peak is at its highest, ovulation occurs; the matured egg is released from the ovary and lands with a 'jump' into the fallopian tube.

Ovulation

Ovulation typically occurs on day 14 of the cycle. This is also the time when a woman is most fertile. After ovulation, the egg cell can be fertilised. In addition to oestrogen, the ovaries now also produce more progesterone: this provides the growing uterine lining with extra nutrients for the potentially fertilised egg. If the egg is not fertilised, the oestrogen and progesterone levels drop again, triggering menstruation.

What is Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)?

Why some women experience more discomfort around menstruation than others is not yet fully understood. Abdominal pain and fatigue are to some extent part of menstruation, but it is estimated that 5-10% of women experience more discomfort than average. This is known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or the more severe form of PMS: premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Mental symptoms, such as mood swings, irritability, and depression, are particularly burdensome. PMS is a result of a hormonal imbalance and usually begins around the age of thirty or after pregnancy, but nowadays it is increasingly occurring in younger women.

Causes of PMS

The following factors play a role:

• In PMS, a woman is less flexible both mentally and physically in coping with fluctuating hormone levels during the menstrual cycle.
• In PMS, women produce less serotonin after ovulation. Serotonin is a substance produced in the brain that affects your emotions and mood.
• PMS mainly occurs when the progesterone level is at its peak: on days 19, 20, and 21 of the menstrual cycle. An imbalance between progesterone and oestrogen levels during these days may also play a role.

According to scientists, the risk of developing PMS and PMDD is higher when there is acute and chronic stress, insufficient rest, obesity, smoking, inadequate nutrition, low intake of essential nutrients, lack of physical activity, and genetic predisposition.

In PMS, a woman is less flexible both mentally and physically in coping with fluctuating hormone levels during the menstrual cycle.

How to Keep Your Cycle Balanced?

For balance in the body and hormone regulation, your lifestyle is crucial. Increasing physical activity, preferably outdoors, has a positive effect on serotonin production. Try to eat less sugary foods and limit the intake of alcohol or caffeine-containing drinks during your period of discomfort. Feeling really down one day? Talk to a family member or a good friend about it. It can be relieving.

How Can You Further Support This Balance?

For additional support with discomforts before and during menstruation, you can explore the power of plants and herbs. There are various plants and herbs that can provide positive support, but we will highlight one particularly special plant: Chasteberry, also known as Agnus castus. This is a well-researched plant that originally grows in the Mediterranean region. The efficacy of this plant is attributed to the high concentration of active substances found in the dark berries. The dried berries have a peppery taste and were used by monks as an alternative to pepper, hence the name. Today, chasteberry is used to promote a normal and regular menstruation and to reduce mood swings and irritability before menstruation*. *Health claims pending approval by the European Commission.

How Does Menopause Work?

The egg supply in the ovaries gradually decreases throughout a woman's life. At birth, the ovaries contain an average of 1-2 million eggs, when menstruation begins, only 100,000-300,000 remain, and around menopause, there are only about 1,000 left. The menstrual cycle stops when the ovaries run out of eggs. For years, the ovaries have produced oestrogen and progesterone, but with the cessation of menstruation, much of the function of these hormones also disappears. A new phase of life begins; menopause. This marks the end of a woman's fertile period, with the beginning marked by a changing menstrual pattern and the end characterised by the first menstruation-free years. Menopause can last 7 to 10 years and is often confused with menopause; this is only the very last menstruation. Menopause consists of several phases:

Pre-menopause
The period before menopause, when the menstrual cycle is still regular.

Peri-menopause
The period before menopause when menstruation changes, up to a year after the last menstruation.

Menopause
The last menstruation in a woman's life. The timing of menopause is determined retrospectively, a year after the absence of menstrual bleeding.

Post-menopause
The period from a year after the last menstruation.

Menopause is not the same as menopause. Menopause is a single moment, namely your last ever menstruation.

Throughout the entire menopause period, women can experience discomfort related to the changing function of the ovaries, the dwindling egg supply, and reduced production of oestrogen (up to 60% less) and progesterone. Eventually, a new hormonal balance is achieved, but until this balance is reached, fluctuating hormone levels can cause menopausal symptoms. The most common symptoms are hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and dry mucous membranes. A thinner, looser skin, bone loss, weight gain, and a reduced libido are also common during menopause. Want to know more? Read more about menopause here.

Herbs for Menopause

Often, as a woman going through menopause, you are told that complaints are part of it and that they will pass. This is unfortunate, as about 20% of women in menopause suffer a lot from it, sometimes lasting 10 years or more.

What can you do yourself? Of course, a healthy lifestyle is paramount: with a diet rich in vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats. Get enough exercise for a better mood and avoid sweets for a more stable blood sugar level and fewer mood swings. Ensure more relaxation to reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol, which is beneficial for the functioning of progesterone and oestrogen. You can also find some extra support in the power of nature. The two most commonly used are red clover and black cohosh.

Avoid sweets; that can reduce mood swings.

Red clover is a phytoestrogen-containing herb from the legume family and can be found wild throughout Europe. The phytoestrogens or isoflavones in red clover have a structural similarity to oestrogens. Red clover helps reduce hot flashes*. Black cohosh or Cimicifuga racemosa has silvery flowers that grow upwards like a candle and is found throughout North America. Before the arrival of settlers in the U.S., black cohosh was used by Native Americans for various women's ailments. Today, black cohosh is highly sought after due to the active substances in the black root and rhizome of the plant. These substances have a supportive effect on mood swings during menopause, irritability, and hot flashes*. *Health claims pending approval by the European Commission.

Note: this article is informative and does not replace medical advice. Always seek advice from your treating physician or another medical expert.