These 4 Nutrients Can Help Rebalance & Stabilize Your Hormones

The foods you fuel your body with dictate how efficiently (or inefficiently) it functions. But, unlike when a sugar rush causes a breakout, or a dairy sensitivity leads to a stomachache, if you're struggling with a hormonal imbalance, a lack of certain nutrients in your diet might be the culprit. 

In conversation with mindbodygreen, Vitti explains that hormones are made up of amino acids and stabilized by essential fatty acids. Given these key nutrient components, it should come as no surprise that your endocrine system is both responsive and sensitive to the foods you eat. 

For example, for hormones to be metabolized by the liver, "your liver needs to have certain micronutrients stored in its cells in order to have its detoxification possible," Viti explains. "In order for them to be excreted by the large intestine, you have to have adequate dietary fiber to support transit out of the body through bowel movement." 

On the list of nutrients associated with hormones, folate is one of the buzziest terms.

Folate is an essential nutrient for both men and women but is commonly spotlighted for the way it supports a healthy pregnancy and reproductive hormones. It's often used interchangeably with folic acid, but folate refers to the vitamin B9 that's found in foods. Folic acid is a synthetic form of vitamin B9 that's added to food or supplements. 

Folate is present in a wide variety of foods, likely many that already exist in your diet. Leafy greens (i.e., spinach, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, and lettuce), grains (like rice and spaghetti), eggs, fish, and fruits (like oranges, papaya, bananas, and cantaloupe), all contain a decent amount of folate.

If you're unfamiliar with lycopene, it's time to get acquainted. This phytonutrient is a carotenoid (i.e., a yellow, orange, or red fat-soluble pigment) found in fruits and veggies of the same colors (think tomatoes, watermelon, guava, grapefruit, and mango). 

Vitti tells mindbodygreen that specific micronutrients "must be present in the thyroid gland for it to manufacture [the] thyroid hormone." Among these micronutrients, she says, is selenium. 

Manganese is a trace element that is essential to the human body in, you guessed it, trace amounts. 

The human body cannot produce manganese naturally (hence the term "essential"), but it plays a key role in a host of natural processes—including amino acid, cholesterol, glucose, and carbohydrate metabolism; bone formation; reproduction; immune response; and more. It is also thought to affect thyroid hormone levels and the neurotransmitter dopamine, though evidence suggests these effects are dose-dependent2 and that further research needs to be done on the subject.

When your body is showing signs it needs support, a hormonal imbalance could be causing a spiral. One of the best ways to get your endocrine system back on track is through your diet.