Useful Herbs to Balance Hormones for Women and Men

Using herbs to balance hormones can be a helpful tool to help both women and men feel better. This is because turning to natural options is often a more gentle approach than conventional medications for many hormonal issues and overall health. 

This has been true countless times in my life and in many people’s lives who are willing to explore the balancing benefits of herbs. 

In this post, learn about the best herbs to balance hormones for women and men and herbal combinations that may be able to keep you at your best.  

Why Use Herbs to Balance Hormones

In today’s fast-paced world, our bodies can have imbalanced hormones due to stress, poor eating, exposure to toxins, and more. 

Hormone balance for women is also affected by various stages of life, whether it is in younger women, those going through perimenopause, or women in menopause.  The same goes for men; hormones are affected by age and lifestyle as well as exposures to toxins.

Herbs have been used to help balance female hormones since the dawn of time. Research also supports their effectiveness in keeping our bodies and minds aligned.  

For example, adaptogenic herbs can help keep the body more resilient to stress, so they indirectly benefit estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and more. 

When balancing hormones with herbs, it is often ideal to choose herbal blends of multiple herbs. Their individual components help to optimize hormonal health in slightly different ways. 

As always, check with your healthcare provider before making any changes in your healthcare routine. 

Adaptogenic Herbs for Hormone Balance

Herbs that Balance Hormones in Women

At the root of many hormone imbalance issues is often estrogen dominance.  Excess estrogen can be present at any age but can be particularly vexing in women over age 35. Women at this age often have a reduction in overall progesterone production.  

Estrogen dominance can lead to almost any symptom. This includes heavy bleeding, anxiety, fatigue, fertility issues, weight gain, PMS symptoms, and more. 

Herbs can help naturally balance estrogen by increasing progesterone levels in the body.  

You can also use essential oils because they often can help reduce stress hormones in the body. 

Powerful Women’s Herbs

Vitex (Chaste tree berry): of all the hormone-balancing herbs, vitex is often very effective. This is because it reduces premenstrual syndrome symptoms, including breast tenderness, swelling, and bloating. It is able to help reduce headaches and migraines, and improves mood.  It may also balance prolactin levels.

Borage: although borage doesn’t directly affect hormonal imbalances, it can help hormone balance by reducing inflammation. It also may help reduce breast tenderness, anxiety, and menopausal symptoms. 

Dong Quai (female ginseng) according to Healthline, Dong Quai may help reduce period cramps and help normalize menstrual cycles. However, more research is needed. 

Maca is an adaptogenic herb that has the ability to help balance hormones. It is an herb to increase progesterone, estrogen, and follicle-stimulating hormone in women with perimenopausal symptoms. 

Tribulus increases testosterone levels in women and improves sexual function as well. Women use it to improve libido and reduce vaginal dryness symptoms. 

Related post: Can Probiotics Affect Your Periods?

Best Herbs for Hot Flashes

St John’s wort is among the best herbs to balance hormones during menopause. This is because it helps reduce hot flashes in both perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. 

Black cohosh: is a commonly used herb that may reduce hot flashes and many other symptoms of menopause, including mood swings and physical discomfort.  It also may help improve sexual function. 

Wild yam is among the many useful herbs for hormonal balance.  This is because it contains phytoestrogens and phyto-progestins that can help balance female hormones. 

For more tips on hot flashes and perimenopause, read my newly released book called Period Fix.

Hormone Balancing Herbal Teas for Women

Red raspberry leaf tea has long been used as a hormone-balancing tea and a uterine tonic. According to research, it may help improve labor and delivery. It may also reduce preterm labor and post-term labor risks. Fascinatingly, it also reduces heavy bleeding, also known as menorrhagia, in women. 

Fennel tea for hormonal balance is helpful in increasing FSH, estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone according to early research. It is also a type of herbal tea that helps reduce menopausal symptoms in women. 

Suma root is also known as South American ginseng and is used as an aphrodisiac. Early research shows that suma root helps to increase estrogen levels as well as progesterone and testosterone levels. So it may be useful in women who are struggling with menopausal symptoms.

Herbs for Menstrual Cycle Pain and Heavy Bleeding

Pine bark helps with natural hormone balance and helps to reduce menstrual cycle pain. 

Cramp bark helps to reduce PMS symptoms and is used traditionally to reduce pain during menstruation. 

Lady’s mantle is a useful herb because it may help reduce heavy bleeding during periods.  It is also very rich in healthy antioxidants that may help reduce cancer risk and help male hormones. This is because it is an aromatase inhibitor.  

Shepherd’s purse is a common naturopathic treatment for heavy bleeding and it is taken during the menstrual period to reduce bleeding. 

Herbs to Balance Hormones in Men

Many herbal remedies are very beneficial for men’s hormones too. Here are some examples:

• Tribulus may help increase testosterone levels in healthy athletic men according to research. 
• Nettles root is an aromatase inhibitor. This means that it reduces the production of estrogen in men. 
• Rhodiola helps to reduce stress in the body, which indirectly can improve hormone levels in men. 
• Ginseng helps to increase testosterone levels while also reducing stress hormone levels in men with metabolic syndrome. 
• Mucuna also increases testosterone levels, reduces stress levels, and improves sexual function according to research. 
• DIM is an extract from broccoli that helps reduce prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Additionally, it possibly reduces estrogen because it is an aromatase inhibitor. It is also helpful for women because it may reduce the growth of breast cancer cells. 
• Longjack (Eurycoma longifolia )is a useful herb for sexual disorders in men, such as low libido, erectile dysfunction, and low testosterone levels. 
• Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic adaptogen herb that helps reduce stress levels and cortisol in the body. This makes ashwagandha a great herb for both men and women. 

Foods and Nutrients that Balance Hormones

If you want to balance your hormones, you need to make sure that you have a nutrient-rich diet with foods that support hormonal health. Eating a good balance of protein-rich foods along with anti-inflammatory fats goes a long way to keeping hormones at healthy levels. 

Additionally, it is important to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. This includes kelp for its iodine content, broccoli sprouts, leafy green vegetables, and plenty of spices and herbs in cooking. 

Also, avoiding food intolerances and food sensitivities can greatly help improve hormonal levels for both men and women. 

You may also want to consider supplementing the following nutrients: 

• Vitamin D is a natural hormone balancer. It is critical to optimize your vitamin D levels for anyone of any age. 
• B vitamins are essential in making hormones in the body. Extra B vitamins can help reduce stress-related hormonal imbalances. It’s always best to choose a B complex vitamin that is naturally derived. 
• Vitamin A as retinol helps to reduce heavy bleeding or menorrhagia. It helps to strengthen the uterine lining. 

A Note about Herbal Safety for Hormones

Herbs are usually safe when used in appropriate doses and used for certain health conditions. However, certain herbal use can be dangerous for pregnant and breastfeeding women. People taking certain medications or with some medical conditions also need to use caution when taking herbs to balance hormones. As always, consult with your doctor or healthcare provider before starting any new herbal therapy. 

Heidi Moretti, MS, RD, CLT

Heidi Moretti, MS, RD, CLT is The Healthy RD.  A registered dietitian for 25 years as well as a book author of the new bestselling book Cortisol Fix,  Period Fix and Gut Fix and The Whole Body Guide to Gut Health, Heidi has a passion for functional nutrition and natural medicine.  She has researched supplements and natural medicine throughout her career.  One of her biggest loves is helping people gain function and vitality by tackling the root causes of illness.

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