The human body is so unique and wonderful, performing thousands of functions at a time. Hormones regulate most of these functions. Now, what are hormones? Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate different organs to function properly. They are produced by certain endocrine glands present in the body.
They regulate various complex as well as simple activities like hunger, reproduction, moods etc. Hormones are most of the times reason for sudden mood changes.
Women are judged most of the times for having sudden mood changes and made fun of, but sometimes they do suffer from some serious female hormone imbalance. Not only in women but hormone imbalance for men can also show various symptoms. Let’s know what exactly hormonal imbalance is.
About hormonal imbalance
Are you feeling any sudden body changes like bloating, dizziness or unable to lose weight? Well, the reason can be an imbalance in hormone levels.Hormonal imbalance, also known as endocrine disorders, occurs when the glands produce too much or too little of the respective hormone. This, in most cases, doesn’t affect the normal functioning of the human body. But in some cases, it affects the body functions, and symptoms start showing indicating something is wrong.
Types, symptoms and causes with risk factors
There are various types of hormones and alteration in their production can cause different types of hormonal imbalance. Most common hormones to show imbalance are cortisol, oestrogen, thyroid, progesterone and testosterone. Too much or too little of this hormone can lead to various symptoms like fatigue, being too slow in the morning, dizziness, certain food cravings, weight gain, irregular menstrual cycle etc.
There can be various risk factors including:
- Ageing
- Stress
- Overweight or obesity
- Improper sleep schedule
- Lack of healthy diet
- Too little physical activities
- Use of toxic products or cosmetics
Why use essential oils for hormone balance?
There can be a variety of treatments used by healthcare experts to control hormonal imbalance. These include various hormonal therapies, use of prescription creams, medications etc. While these treatments can be useful in most cases, they can also lead to various side effects. Many of these medications are not even FDA approved like Metformin is given to women with PCOS condition. Even the prescribed creams might contain chemicals which might have various risks.
Although one can always improve hormone balance by improving lifestyle and taking a healthy diet, there is one other natural way of improving hormone levels, and that is by using essential oils.
Various essential oils are effective like thyme oil, clary sage oil, sandalwood oil, lavender oil etc. These oils are considered to have anti-depressant properties, that regulates the body’s control centre and help maintain a balance in hormonal level.
Essential oils for hormone balance
There are many essential oils used for balancing hormones and can be used by both men and women. They give required nourishment to the body and give you healthy hormones. The various essential oils used are:
- Rosemary Essential oil: Rosemary oil is beneficial in women dealing with estrogen level fluctuations. Rosemary is not just a herb, but its oil has healing powers when it comes to estrogen imbalance.
- Frankincense essential oil: Frankincense essential oil extracted from Boswellia. It helps reduced stress hormone cortisol. It may also help regulate estrogen levels and is proved useful in fertility improvement.
- Bulgarian Rose essential oil: Bulgarian rose with its fantastic scent has healing properties when it comes to hormones. It stimulates hormone levels particularly in women by regulating the menstrual cycle. It also reduces anxiety caused by stimulating body hormone balance.
- Clary Sage essential oil: Clary Sage oil is extracted from salvia sclera plant and has plenty of benefits including improvement in hormone balance. It has an anti-depressant effect and balances cortisol levels in the human body. It is also believed to regulate estrogen and thyroid levels in the body.
- Peppermint Essential oil: Peppermint oil also has so many benefits one of them is providing relief in PMS in women and also reducing stress levels. It also helps regulate mood hormones.
- Thyme Essential oil: Progesterone hormone levels might fluctuate in both men and women at the point of a lifetime. It affects the body and results in PCOS, depression and even infertility. Using thyme essential oil can help prevent these effects and also help regulate women’s cycle.
- Sandalwood Essential oil: It works as a sedative and controls stress hormone levels. It is also instrumental in regulating testosterone levels in both men and women.
- Lavender Essential oil: Lavender oil with its aroma sure has become part of many households. With beautiful fragrance, lavender oil is believed to reduce stress level and improvise moods. It also treats various symptoms like depression and anxiety in people suffering from hormonal imbalance.
- Fennel Essential oil: Fennel oil has various benefits when it comes to balancing hormones. It helps regulate estrogen levels in females with the irregular menstrual cycle. It also balances the levels of hormones secreted by various other endocrine glands and also helps cure depression.
How to use these essential oils for hormonal imbalance
- Topical Application: – Take a few drops of the essential oil of your choice and mix it with a carrier oil like coconut oil. Now massage this oil on to your entire body gently.
- Ingestion: – Mix a few drops of the essential oil in a glass of warm water and drink every day in the morning. Do consult an expert before ingesting the oil to know its exact quantity.
- Diffuser: – Add a few drops of the essential oil to the diffuser and breathe in the aroma for its beneficial effects.
Risk and side effects associated with essential oils for hormonal imbalance
Essential oils are very effective and natural ways to treat many health problems. But if not used correctly with utmost care and under the guidance of health care expert, they may have adverse effects on health. They are very concentrated and should be used only according to the directions. The various risks are as follows:
- Use of concentrated oils for massages can lead to penetration of oil and entering the bloodstream.
- These oils being citrus in nature can make the skin sensitive to the sun.
- Their usage can be harmful in case of pregnancy.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Essential oils should be diluted using coconut or some other oil.
- These oils should not be ingested as they are highly concentrated.
- Pregnant women should avoid use as even through the skin they enter the placenta and affects the baby.
Other home remedies
Various other methods can be used for holistic hormone balance:
- Improved diet: Taking proteins in adequate amounts with all meals can regulate hormone levels. It also helps in metabolism and reduces fat which is one of the symptoms of hormonal imbalance.
- Exercise: Exercise helps reduce insulin levels. It also increases metabolism and regulates the growth hormones.
- Having a healthy sleep schedule, drinking green tea and avoiding sugary beverages can be some other home remedies for hormone balance.
Essential oils are very beneficial in various health cures including hormone balance. They can have some risks and side effects when not used with proper directions and care. But if used with advice and directions of health care experts, they can be very beneficial with their sweet aroma and anti-depressant properties. They have fewer side effects than various hormonal therapies.
