Hormone imbalance can result in a variety of different symptoms from food cravings and weight gain to difficulty sleeping and headaches. From a macronutritional standpoint, consuming protein is incredibly important to support a healthy endocrine system. The amino acids are used to produce a long list of hormones in the body such as estrogen, insulin, and thyroid hormone.
Also Read: Common Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
It’s not just the amino acids that impact the health of hormones, though. Many animals that are used as livestock and for dairy are treated with hormones and antibiotics. Beef, for example, are often given heavy doses of natural steroids (estradiol, testosterone and progesterone) and growth hormones in order to promote growth and milk production of the animal. Synthetic versions of sex hormones are also often used. Hormones that are administered to animals are called “exogenous hormones” or hormones that are external
More growth = more meat production per animal = more profits.
It makes sense to me that if the foods I’m consuming are full of exogenous hormones, whether they are natural or synthetic, then that’s going to throw off my own hormone balance within my body.
