10 Foods and Drinks That Cause Hormonal Imbalance in Females

Though it is not well known, some common foods and drinks can cause hormonal imbalance in females of all ages. Even though these items may taste great and feel like a treat, overeating can lead to various health issues. 

Many women do not even realize what they are consuming can impact their bodies, including producing certain hormones like estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol. Remain aware of the ten foods and beverages that can cause hormonal imbalance in women.

1) Processed foods

Avoiding processed foods can help you lose weight and reduce your risk of breast cancer. Processed foods are typically loaded with sodium, fat, sugar, white flour, additives, and preservatives, leading to hormonal imbalance. Food additives act as endocrine disruptors by mimicking naturally occurring hormones in our bodies.

When food additive estrogen is absorbed into your bloodstream instead of estrogen produced by your body, it leads to a hormonal imbalance. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been linked to health problems such as the increased risk of infertility, PCOS, breast cancer, and hormone-related developmental disorders like ADHD. To avoid food additives, try to eat fresh whole foods as much as possible.

2) Artificial sweeteners

Did you know that artificial sweeteners are linked to everything from weight gain to cancer? Aspartame, for example, is found in over 6,000 products—including diet sodas and many protein shakes. It’s also listed on multiple countries’ lists of substances hazardous to health. There’s also evidence that shows how consuming aspartame may increase your risk of cancers like breast cancer.

Saccharin (Sweet N Low) can trigger insulin production, too; studies have shown that it may interfere with glucose absorption by cells. While these substances are naturally low-calorie, they mess with our hormonal balance, making it harder to lose weight long-term than good ol’ fashioned sugar.

3) Dairy products

In case you didn’t know, dairy products are not strictly foods. Dairy is produced via cruel methods, including taking pregnant cows from their babies and artificially inseminating them to produce milk.

Consumption of dairy can lead to leaky gut syndrome, also known as intestinal permeability, which allows undigested foods to enter your bloodstream—where they then cause inflammation, allergies, and weight gain. Some dairy products can even result in acne breakouts due to their high sugar content. For all these reasons (and more), it’s best for people with hormonal imbalances to cut out dairy entirely.

4) Caffeine

Caffeine can contribute to hormone imbalance. Studies have found that caffeine stimulates estrogen production, increasing premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms like breast tenderness and bloating. Caffeine has also been linked to low birth weight babies, heart problems, and blood pressure issues during pregnancy.

Other studies suggest coffee reduces fertility by decreasing blood flow to your ovaries—the same thing could happen if you consume caffeinated soda. To avoid a hormonal imbalance caused by caffeine, drink no more than two servings of coffee or caffeinated tea per day, limit caffeinated sodas (try adding fresh juice for flavor), and look for natural sources of caffeine such as green tea or dark chocolate. 

5) Alcohol

A few drinks once in a while isn’t going to hurt, but alcohol can cause low estrogen levels. This may cause your body to hold abdominal fat. Excessive drinking is linked to irregular periods, fertility issues, breast cancer, insomnia, depression, and heart disease.

The main culprits are beer, wine, and spirits like vodka or whiskey. They contain higher amounts of testosterone-like compounds called phytoestrogens that may disrupt your hormones’ normal functions. Chronic alcoholism has been shown to significantly decrease estrogen levels because of the increased metabolism of these phytoestrogen compounds.

6) Saturated fat

Saturated fat is solid at room temperature, but unsaturated fats are more likely to be liquid than saturated fat. Vegetable oils such as canola oil or safflower oil contain polyunsaturated fats. These are considered healthy because they help lower cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats include olives, avocados, and peanut butter.

7) Aspartame

Although it is commonly marketed as a sugar substitute, aspartame is a chemical compound manufactured by combining two amino acids. While some evidence suggests consumption of aspartame can lead to metabolic syndrome, there are no conclusive studies that prove its adverse effects on health.

Women should be cautious of consuming aspartame during pregnancy since animal studies have shown it could cause brain damage in their children. Diet sodas may also increase your risk for kidney disease since they contain high levels of phosphoric acid. As with most food items, moderation is essential for beverages like diet soda.

8) Trans fats

Trans fats raise harmful cholesterol levels, increasing your heart disease risk. Over time, trans fats also cause inflammation, leading to weight gain around your belly and elsewhere. Luckily, many fast-food restaurants have reduced or removed trans fats from their menu items.

Suppose you eat at restaurants that don’t provide nutritional information or a list of ingredients online. In that case, it’s best to avoid these foods until they start providing that information. Also, look for partially hydrogenated oils on ingredient lists—this indicates trans fat is present. If any ingredients end with -oleate or -ate, they contain some amount of trans fat.

Lastly, make sure to read nutrition labels carefully; even if something says 0 grams of trans fat per serving (which is supposed to be less than 0.5 grams), you could still be getting up to 2 grams per serving due to rounding rules on libel laws (2/3 g = 0 g). In other words: Check your food labels for partially hydrogenated oils!

9) GMO

It might be hard to believe, but more than 70 percent of foods on grocery store shelves contain GMOs. With that high percentage, it’s clear that genetically modified ingredients are far from a healthy alternative.

Several studies have found that GMO foods can wreak havoc on our digestion, causing severe conditions such as vomiting, diarrhea, and painful bloating. To avoid these unpleasant side effects, it’s essential to know which foods contain GMO ingredients to eliminate them from your diet.

10) Stress

Female estrogen imbalance is most often caused by stress. When a woman is under a lot of pressure, her body can start to produce more cortisol and adrenaline, which can cause the normal hormonal levels to spike and give her the feeling of being out of control. Stress and anxiety also cause the adrenal glands to produce more androgens, which are male hormones and can provide women with acne and unwanted facial hair.

Conclusion

These days, it’s not uncommon for many women to suffer from hormonal imbalances. And although there are many symptoms associated with this imbalance, one of the most common is weight gain. A hormonal imbalance can lead to a lack of energy, making it difficult to exercise regularly. This can make it harder to maintain a healthy weight. As a result, many women turn to unhealthy weight loss alternatives like diet pills or other liposuction methods to fix the problem.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the article on ten foods and drinks that cause hormonal imbalance in females. As you can see, there are a lot of different factors that will influence the way your body produces hormones. Hormonal balance is essential to stay healthy, and these foods and drinks can help create a more nutritional balance. However, there are other things you can do to improve your hormonal balance.