01/9Foods you must avoid to manage hormonal imbalance
Did you know your diet impacts the hormonal balance in the body? Hormones are chemical messengers of the body, which travel through different organs and tissues of the body to ensure proper functioning.
Hormones are secreted from the endocrine glands, which regulate everything from boosting your metabolism to reproduction. Thus, a mere imbalance in hormones can impact the entire process, but your day-to-day diet can lead to an imbalance of hormones. So, the key to fix this imbalance is by tweaking the diet by striking off foods that cause imbalance. Here’s a list of foods you must avoid to manage hormonal imbalance.readmore
02/9Red meat
One of the most essential things you need to strike from your daily diet is high fat red meat. This is because red meat like mutton, pork, and beef are rich in saturated and hydrogenated fats, which are unhealthy and should be avoided. Also, eating an excess of red meat increases the production of estrogen in the body and can worsen hormonal imbalance. It is better to replace red meat with fish or eggs or lean meat, which is loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids.
03/9Stevia
Most of us rely on artificial sweeteners like stevia to add some sweetness to drinks. However, it is not a great idea to include stevia as it may lead to an increase in hormonal imbalance.
As an excess of stevia can have an adverse impact on your fertility or monthly cycles.
04/9Cruciferous vegetables
Not all veggies are good for health, cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and kale may cause inflammation if consumed in excess. Moreover, too much consumption of these veggies can affect the thyroid gland, which can lead to an imbalance in hormones.
05/9Processed foods
Packaged and processed foods are easy to grab and eat, but they are one of the major reasons for hormonal imbalance. These foods are laden with sugar, salt, preservatives and the combination of these may lead to inflammation in the body, cause stress and increase the risk of obesity.
06/9Caffeine
Consuming too much caffeine affects the sleep cycle. Apart from that, an excess of caffeine can increase the cortisol production in the body. High cortisol levels are linked to stress hormones, which is a major reason for hormonal imbalance.
07/9Milk products
Dairy products are loaded with nutrients, but if you are suffering from hormonal imbalance, then it is a must to reduce the intake or avoid it completely. This is because an excess of dairy products can lead to inflammation in the gut and impact hormonal balance. In fact, consuming milk in excess increases triglyceride levels, which affects the sugar level in the body.
08/9Sweets, candies
Too much candies, sugar loaded chocolates, and mithais may lead to an increase in the sugar levels. Sugar leads to a spike in insulin levels, and an increased intake of sugar over a period of time suppresses the Leptin and Ghrelin sensitivity. Both these hormones are linked to controlling appetite, which eventually impacts the hormonal balance in the body.
09/9Soy products
Increasing consciousness towards health has led to an increase in the intake of soy products, but too much consumption of soy can lead to hormonal imbalances. This is because soy has a bioactive substance called Phytoestrogen, which increases estrogen in the body, which impacts ovulation cycle affecting reproductive health in the long run.
Originally published in Times of India, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/these-foods-are-causing-hormone-imbalance-in-your-body/photostory/87366444.cms