Top 10 Foods to Naturally Balance Your Hormones

Key Takeaways

• Nutrient-dense foods like avocados, fatty fish, and nuts provide healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals that support hormone production and signaling. 
• Fermented foods and fiber-rich foods like berries and chia seeds promote a healthy gut microbiome, essential for healthy metabolism, appetite regulation, and hormonal balance. 
• Green tea and cruciferous veggies like broccoli help lower stress hormones and remove excess estrogen, supporting overall health and well-being. 

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Hormones are chemical messengers in the body and affect every aspect of your health, from metabolism and energy levels to blood sugar regulation, mood, and reproductive function. When they’re out of balance, symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, weight fluctuations, infertility, and irregular periods can show up, making it hard to feel your best. Hormones can also influence chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome. 

Lifestyle factors like quality sleep, stress management, and physical activity all play important roles in correcting hormonal imbalance, but what you eat is equally important. More than 200 hormones are found in the human body, all regulated by the endocrine system, which includes glands like the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, thymus, and pineal glands, as well as the pancreas, ovaries, and testes.¹  Each part of the endocrine system relies on specific nutrients to function. 

Certain foods can provide the building blocks for hormone production, influence hormone signaling, and help regulate your body’s sensitivity to hormones.² In this article, we’ll cover 10 of the top foods that can naturally support hormone balance, improve your overall health and well-being, and keep you feeling your best.

1. Avocados

This creamy green fruit is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and fiber, two nutrients that can help you feel full and satisfied after eating, as they help to slow down the digestive process. While this alone can help regulate blood sugar levels, researchers have found that avocados may also help decrease insulin resistance in cells.³

2. Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds are rich in phytoestrogens, a compound that can have estrogen-like effects in the body, thanks to a group of plant compounds known as lignans. You can also find lignans in whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, but flaxseeds are the richest source.⁴ 

Because of this compound, supplementing your diet with flaxseed may be especially beneficial for postmenopausal women or those with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Research is inconsistent, but some small studies have found promise that flaxseed may improve metabolic health and reduce inflammation in these populations.⁵

3. Fatty Fish

Salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna are rich in several nutrients our bodies need to properly regulate hormone production, including iodine, selenium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids. While iodine and selenium are particularly beneficial for the production and action of thyroid hormones, vitamin D is considered a steroid hormone and is essential for bone health, metabolism, and immune function.⁶ While our bodies can’t make omega-3 fatty acids, they’re found near hormone receptors in cell membranes, aiding in hormone signaling and action.⁶

4. Spinach

Leafy greens like spinach, kale, arugula, and collards are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support overall health, reduce inflammation, and influence hormone levels. Spinach, in particular, has unique bioactive compounds that support hormone regulation by preventing oxidative damage and secreting satiety hormones that help suppress appetite.⁷

5. Fermented Foods

A healthy gut microbiome is key to hormone balance since cells in the gut release several hormones essential to glucose metabolism, appetite, and digestion.⁸ Fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir help introduce beneficial bacteria into the gut, supporting a well-operating enterendocrine system (the hormone system of the gut) and overall gut health. 

6. Berries

Berries are rich in bioactive compounds and antioxidants that help fight inflammation and are a good source of complex carbohydrates, including fiber, which supports the gut-related hormone system. In one study, supplementing with a blueberry smoothie once daily for six weeks increased insulin sensitivity in obese and prediabetic adults compared to a control group. Researchers believe the anthocyanins in blueberries increase the secretion of the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), leading to improved blood glucose regulation.⁹

7. Nuts

Walnuts, pecans, and almonds are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids and micronutrients that support hormone regulation and overall health, particularly regarding male fertility and PCOS. Researchers have found that eating two or more servings of nuts daily may improve sperm parameters, leading to better fertility outcomes.¹⁰ 

For women with PCOS, fertility can also be a concern. Some research suggests that regularly eating tree nuts may help increase levels of sex hormone-binding globulin, a protein that plays an important role in regulating testosterone and estrogen.¹¹

8. Broccoli

Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are rich in a compound called glucoraphanin, which is a precursor to sulforaphane, a compound with potent anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidants, and cancer-fighting effects. Its ability to break down excess estrogen and neutralize xenoestrogens (harmful environmental chemicals that mimic estrogen) is particularly protective against hormone-related cancers like breast, ovarian, and cervical cancer.¹²

9. Chia Seeds

These little seeds contain many powerful nutrients to support hormone health, including omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, magnesium, antioxidants, and specific hormone-related amino acids.¹³ The type of omega-3 fatty acids found in chia seeds, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), may benefit PCOS symptoms by helping regulate sex hormones, reduce inflammation, and support a healthy gut microbiome.¹⁴

10. Green Tea

Discuss the potential of green tea in improving insulin sensitivity and its antioxidant properties that support overall hormonal health. Researchers have found that decaffeinated green tea helps lower adrenal stress hormones like cortisol, DHEA, ACTH, and corticosterone in people who experience high levels of daily stress and anxiety.¹⁵ Lowering cortisol levels (and other stress hormones) can have cascading benefits on health, including improved mood, lower blood pressure, reduced inflammation, and improved appetite regulation.¹⁶

The Bottom Line

Hormones play a key role in energy levels, metabolism, mood, reproductive health, and more. Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and specific vitamins and minerals can help support hormone balance and overall well-being. Along with a nutrient-rich diet, managing stress, prioritizing sleep, and staying active can support your hormonal health and help you feel your best. 

Learn More About How to Improve Blood Sugar Health With Signos’ Expert Advice

Your hormones play a big role in managing your blood sugars, and eating the right foods is a good first step. What you eat, how you move, the quality of your sleep, and stress management all play an important role. With Signos, you’ll get real-time feedback on how your body responds to your diet and lifestyle so you can make the best choices for your weight and blood sugar management goals. To find out if Signos is the right choice for you, take the free, quick quiz.