Thinking of taking herbs that raise or lower hormones?

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23 Feb Thinking of taking herbs that raise or lower hormones?

Posted at 11:13h in General, health, natural remedies by
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BY GABRIELLE LICHTERMAN

 

FEBRARY 23, 2021—If I had one bit of advice for women with menstrual cycles right now: Stop taking herbs that alter your hormone levels. Or that claim to. Especially if some stranger on the Internet or lady at the vitamin store recommended them. They are not helping you the way you think they are.

Lately, I have been getting deluged with emails and messages from women who are taking herbal supplements or applying topical herbal creams that impact their reproductive hormones (estrogen, testosterone, progesterone). They’re using them for all sorts of physical and emotional issues, such as anxiety, depression, menstrual cramps, pelvic pain during ovulation (a condition called mittelschmerz), insomnia, appetite, fertility, perimenopause and menopause.

In most cases, women using these herbs read about them online or they were recommended by someone who happens to coincidentally sell these herbs online or in a retail store.

Unfortunately, these herbs can be doing you more harm than good.

That’s because they can alter hormones in a negative way, leading to harm. In fact, they can worsen the health issue you’re trying to treat.

They can also mask symptoms of health conditions that require other types of treatment.

Or they can simply delay your seeking the correct treatment for a condition.

If you think an herb that impacts your hormones can help you with your health condition, please first consult with accredited healthcare professional who is well-educated about herbal remedies as well as other treatment approaches, for example, a registered dietitian or holistic medical doctor.

I understand that you may want to use a non-pharmacological approach toward your health. I personally prefer to exhaust all my non-pharmaceutical options before resorting to a medicine for my own health.

However, any time you tinker with your hormones, it’s time to bring in a professional to get correct information and to monitor the effects. Your health is worth it.

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