Guest post by Parmie Sandhu
Our Top 5 recommended herbal teas to balance female hormones
The world can sometimes seem quite chaotic, pulling us in a million different directions. First of all, we need a job that pays the bills, keeps a roof over our heads, and keeps us fed. Secondly, contrary to popular belief, socializing itself can occasionally feel like a full-time job. For most of us, our weekdays begin at work, or another equivalent, followed by a stream of errands – from which there never seems to be enough hours in the day to tick off every last task. Many of us look to the weekend for a space to relax, recharge, and regroup.
Often, in an effort to meet our financial needs and please others, we tend to put our own health at the back-burner, such that the task of achieving a balanced lifestyle can appear unattainable, and even daunting at times. As time goes on, this dis-balance can have some adverse effects on our cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being. This is best exemplified by an ever shifting menstrual cycle caused by a dysregulation of female hormones, manifesting as irregular cycles, painful periods, endometriosis, infertility and other concerns. This is where nature comes to the rescue in an effort to steer us away from this dis-balance…and all at the bottom of a tea cup! Listed below are 5 herbal teas to balance female hormones and get your menstrual cycle back in check:
1. Vitex (Vitex agnus-castus)
Part Used: Fruit (berry)
Main action: Hormone normalizer, uterine tonic
Indications: In cases where female sex hormones can be out of whack (i.e. irregular periods, painful periods, infertility, PMS, menopause, birth control discontinuation), this herb is extremely useful in reigning in hormone levels in situations where levels are too high or too low (1).
2. Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Part Used: Flower head
Main action: Alterative, antispasmodic, female tonic
Indications: In an effort to manage some unpleasant menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, this herb is useful to help balance estrogen levels due to it’s phytoestrogenic properties. Also useful to help regulate menstrual cycles (2).
3. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Part Used: Aerial parts
Main action: Astringent, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, diuretic (1)
Indications: Is great for women experiencing uterine spasms or any painful periods, especially for women with a heavier flow (2).
4. Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)
Part Used: Flowering shoots
Main action: Astringent, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, emmenagogue
Indications: As in the case of Vitex, Lady’s Mantle can also help in balancing our female sex hormones by working in opposing ways. For example, in situations of heavy periods or excessive bleeding between periods, Lady’s mantle is great in taming hormones working in over-drive through its astringent [i.e. decreasing bleeding] and emmenagogue [stimulates menstruation] actions (1).
5. Motherwort (Leonarus cardiaca)
Part Used: Aerial parts
Main action: Nervine, emmenagogue, antispasmodic, cardiotonic
Indications: Can be used for females who do not have periods [amenorrhea] or if periods are delayed by stimulating the onset of menstruation. In addition, this herb is also useful in palliating menopausal symptoms by acting as a relaxing tonic. It’s nervine [calming the nervous system] properties are well indicated for women with reproductive concerns who are anxious an may experience palpitations(1).
We work with a large percentage of our female patients to help balance hormones - it's a more common issue than you may think! And for good reason... we're all busier and more stressed these days then we should be, which spikes cortisol (our stress hormone) levels, causing an inbalance in other hormones including (but not limited to) our female sex hormones. We focus on regulating your response to stress, while helping regulate cortisol and sex hormones to achieve optimal hormonal balance. Click here for more information on how to support your hormones for optimal fertility or other women's health concerns.
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References
1. Hoffman D. Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press; 2003.
2. Godfrey A, Saunders PR with Barlow K, Gilbert C, Gowan M, Smith F. Principles & Practices of Naturopathic Botanical Medicine. Volume I: Botanical Medicine Monographs. Toronto, Ontario: CCNM Press Inc.; 2010.