Hormones and How to Keep Them Balanced

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

Menstrual Cycle

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 twenty-eight days and can only proceed smoothly if there is a close collaboration between the female hormones. These include follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), oestrogen, and progesterone. During a cycle, the following occurs: the pituitary gland, a small organ in the brain the size of a pea, releases the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This hormone reaches the ovaries through the blood and ensures that an egg cell matures in one of the ovaries. Alongside 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 detaches from the ovary and makes a 'jump' into the fallopian tube.

Ovulation

Ovulation typically occurs on day 14 of the cycle. It goes without saying that around this day, the woman is most fertile. After ovulation, the egg can be fertilised. Besides oestrogen, the ovaries now also start producing 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, leading to menstruation.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Why some women experience more discomfort around menstruation than others is not fully understood. Of course, abdominal pain and fatigue are common during menstruation, but it is estimated that 5-10% of women experience more than normal discomfort in the form of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) or the more severe form of PMS: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). The psychological 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 it is increasingly occurring in younger women as well. 

Causes of PMS

The following factors certainly play a role: In PMS, a woman is both mentally and physically less flexible 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, a low intake of essential nutrients, lack of physical exercise, and hereditary predisposition.

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

How to Keep Your Cycle Balanced

For balance in the body and hormone regulation, it is essential to make positive changes to your lifestyle. Exercising more, preferably outdoors, has a positive effect on serotonin production. Try to eat less sugar and limit the intake of alcohol or caffeine-containing drinks during your symptoms. Do you feel particularly down one day? Talk to a family member or a good friend about it. It can be a relief.

How Can You Further Support This Balance?

For additional support with discomfort before and during menstruation, herbal remedies can also be used. There are various plants and herbs that can provide positive support, but we highlight one particularly special plant for convenience: Chaste Tree, also known as Agnus castus. This is a scientifically well-researched plant that originally grows in the Mediterranean region. The effectiveness 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. Nowadays, chaste tree is used to promote a normal and regular menstrual cycle and to reduce mood swings and irritability before menstruation.

The Menopause

The egg reserve in the ovaries decreases slowly throughout a woman's life. At birth, the ovaries contain an average of 1-2 million eggs, by the start of menstruation only 100,000-300,000, and by menopause, there are only about 1000 left. The menstrual cycle stops when the ovaries run out of eggs. For years, the ovaries have produced oestrogen and progesterone, but with the disappearance of menstruation, a large part of the function of these hormones also disappears. A new phase of life begins; the menopause. This marks the end of the woman's fertile period, with the beginning signalled by a changing menstrual pattern and the end marked by the first menstruation-free years. The menopause can last 7 to 10 years and should not be confused with menopause; the very last menstruation. Within this entire transitional period, various phases can be distinguished:

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

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

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

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

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

Throughout the entire transitional period, women may experience discomfort related to the changing function of the ovaries, the ever-decreasing supply of eggs, and a 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 flushes, sweating, mood swings, and dry mucous membranes. A thinner, less firm skin, bone loss, weight gain, and a reduced libido are also common during the menopause.

Herbs for the Menopause

Usually, a doctor will reassure a woman and indicate that menopausal symptoms will pass on their own. This is unfortunate because about 20% of women in the menopause experience severe symptoms, and this sometimes lasts for periods of 10 years or more. What can you do yourself? Of course, positive changes in lifestyle are also important now: a diet rich in vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats. Sufficient exercise for a better mood and avoiding sweet treats as much as possible to achieve a stable blood sugar level and reduce mood swings. Reducing stress decreases the production of the stress hormone (cortisol), which is beneficial for the functioning of progesterone and oestrogen. There are also several herbal remedies for menopausal symptoms. We mention the two most commonly used: red clover and black cohosh.

Avoid as much sugar as possible; this can reduce mood swings.

Red clover is a phytoestrogen-containing herb from the legume family and can be found in the wild throughout Europe. The phytoestrogens or isoflavones in red clover have a structural similarity to oestrogens. Red clover helps reduce hot flushes. Black cohosh or Cimicifuga racemosa has silvery flowers that grow upwards like a candle and can be found throughout North America. Before the settlers arrived in the US, black cohosh was already used by Native Americans for various women's ailments. Nowadays, black cohosh is highly sought after due to the active substances in the plant's black root and rhizome. These substances have a supportive effect on mood swings during the menopause, irritable feelings, and hot flushes.

Meno and Mena Formula

No matter what life stage a woman is in, mental and physical balance is inextricably linked to a good hormonal balance. To support women in striving for this balance, we have recently developed two special products, namely the Mena Formula and Meno Formula. Mena Formula contains a unique combination of herbs, including chaste tree, to support a normal and regular menstrual cycle. Meno Formula is intended for women who could use extra support during the menopause. It contains red clover and black cohosh.

Author: Sanne van der Rijt