7 Keys to Balance Hormones & Manage Menopause

Hey, guys. Dr. Josh Axe and Jordan Rubin here. Welcome to Ancient Medicine Today. We've got a great episode. We're going to be talking about how How to balance hormones naturally, especially for women. We may touch on men as well, Jordan, but I know we're going to be getting into helping menopause, hot flashes, help balance out progesterone, estrogen levels. And we know that this is something that a lot of people are struggling with, especially women as they start to age, Jordan. Talk to us about the epidemic of hormone issues today, especially issues like menopause and some of those conditions.

Well, there's definitely an epidemic of menopause, pretty much every woman who's in her 50s. Honestly, I can't go anywhere without hearing from women that are mid-30s, 40s, and certainly 50s. They're wanting to know about bioidentical hormones.

I know.

They're interested in improving sleep, reproductive health. They want to get rid of hot flashes. Baby boomers and older Gen Xers are all affected. So whether you're a late teenage girl or you're a woman who is aging but wants to age gracefully, Support bone health, this program is for you. Now, first of all, understand this, that every woman who is living in today's environment, and I have 3 daughters, they deal with a bombardment of environmental toxins that are driving hormones crazy. Think about this, the average first menses has gone down every decade over the last 3.

Oh, yeah.

There are now young girls that are developing and starting menstruation at the age of 9. Years ago, researchers believe it was 16. And that signals reproductive age, which is really, really scary for fathers. Now, if you combine that with the fact that first pregnancy for women is now at a later age, researchers believe that's one of the greatest links to breast cancer.

Wow.

The length of time between first menstruation and first child is creating a greater risk of developing breast cancer.

Wow.

So if you're somebody who has a history of breast cancer in your family, particularly the hormone-related type, you're going to learn some powerful information. Also, if you want to sleep better, if you want to boost your immune system, your blood sugar, remember, every time you understand a natural treatment and how it works, you're going to have all kinds of side benefits. And if you're someone who's on conventional therapy, bioidentical therapy, or some type of combination, we're going to share with you foundational principles that you can do along with it.

Yeah.

We're not replacing what you're using, we are boosting your body and your overall health. So we're very excited. You know, menstruation starts early now, the average age is 11. Menopause is starting now about mid-40s and it is defined as 1 year after a woman has her last period. And we— I think recently they said more women will turn 50 years of age, about a year ago, than ever in history. And so if you're watching and you're someone who is a baby boomer or an older Gen Xer, this program is going to give you powerful information that will transform your health and your life.

Yeah, absolutely, Jordan. I know that when I was in my clinic here in Nashville, I was shocked by how many young girls were coming into the clinic. Moms bringing in their daughters who were doing just what you said, they were 9, 10, 11 years old already hitting menstruation. It was really, really, just really shocking to see how many hormone imbalances there are in women today from young ages like PCOS, fibroids, infertility leading into severe hot flashes and menopausal symptoms later on in life. So we're going to go through today's episode. The top vitamins, supplements, foods, and essential oils to help naturally balance out your hormones. And this is great for women of all ages, but especially those who are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s right now. We're going to jump in and dive in and start talking about the best foods to use as medicine to help heal your hormones. And I'm going to be filling in some of the blanks here as Jordan talks about some of these. What are your top foods? So, these are the top foods for overcoming menopause and hormonal issues.

And keep in mind, these are wonderful if you're a young woman or if you're a woman who's aging and wants to age gracefully. So don't think that this is strictly menopause or hot flashes, and we'll point out when foods are more appropriate for one age group or another. But I'm going to start with flaxseed. Flaxseeds contain phytoestrogens or plant-based estrogens or phytoestrogens. Weak estrogens, and what they do is they bind to something called receptor sites for xenobiotics or xenoestrogens. You know that there are dozens of estrogen mimickers out there, there's really hundreds in the environment, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, waste material, those will bind to your receptor sites and cause an imbalance. Flaxseed is great as an oil. I love ground flaxseed or you can consume flaxseed as part of a supplement. The added bonus, it gives bulk and lubrication to the gut and provides omega-3s. So flax is a key food for women's health and it's got lignans which are great for breast health. So many women want to make sure that they maintain a healthy hormonal balance but also healthy breast tissue, etc., with all the risks out there. Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely agree. So flax is huge as Jordan's talking about. You know, another superfood here that's great for hormone health, I'm going to write up a couple here, Jordan, and then I'll have you fill in the blanks here as well. Another one I love, of course, is bone broth. You know, bone broth is great. You know, one of the things that I noticed a lot when taking care of older women is there's a lot of conditions like organ prolapse. I mean, it was something that was very, very common.

Oh, absolutely.

And really shockingly common, and then other issues start to develop such as skin issues, and really just weak connective tissue very, very early on. And this is another reason why you'll hear us almost every week talk about you've got to be getting bone broth in your diet at all ages. Again, for athletes, it's important for, you know, your joints, but for people as they age, it's important for, again, not just athletes, but more important for people as they age for your joint health. If you want to have better feeling knees—

Absolutely.

And, you know, in low backs and necks, it's important, but also for your very organs. We're talking about your connective tissue here, the things that hold your organs in place, hold your tissues in place. You've got to be getting collagen on a regular basis in bone broth. Jordan, why don't you talk a little bit about fermented foods and one that I think people might be surprised by in sprouts?

Absolutely. So there's going to be about 4 foods that you must have in your diet. Let's just say this regarding bone broth, if you're a woman, Who wants to look young as you age, which is every single woman watching or listening to my voice, bone broth helps support healthy skin, hair, nails, and bones. So it's critical along with joints, etc. It is a beauty food, but so is fermented food. I'm talking about fermented dairy products, yogurt or kefir. I went to the local farmers market here, saw some of our team.

Oh, yeah.

And was very excited to get some raw yogurt and kefir from goat's milk. We talked about amasi which we make on our farm. Fermented foods are amazing. They even say Cleopatra bathed in yogurt.

Oh, yeah.

So fermented dairy is great. Fermented veggies are amazing. Now, not only are fermented veggies such as sauerkraut and kimchi good for the probiotics and enzymes, cruciferous vegetables are great for balancing hormones. So last night I had an amazing combination, get this. It was a sauerkraut that had horseradish and carrots and then the pickles, the ones that we absolutely love. It was awesome and we had some broths with it. It was really a nice evening, so to speak. Oh, wow, delicious. But fermented veggies are great. You know what else is amazing? Fermented soy, miso or natto, even tempeh in small amounts is amazing. So if you consume as a woman, whether you're young or aging, bone broth, tempeh, miso, Raw sauerkraut, cultured dairy, and fermented soy products, we could just close up shop today and they would be so much better.

Yeah. One other fermented food, Jordan, I'd love for you just to mention here, I guess I can mention that. But a lot of times people don't think of certain types of cheeses as being fermented foods. But if you find a good raw long-aged sheep cheese or goat cheese, those can be great as well. This weekend, Chelsea and I made some homemade pizza and we got some 12-year-aged raw Manchego at the store.

I had some too.

Absolutely.

Not 12-year-aged. I'm not quite to that level of sophistication there, Dr. Axe.

In fact, actually, I saw they actually had their first certified organic Manchego I'd ever seen. They just got in, which is pretty awesome. So anyways, raw cheeses as well can definitely be a great form of fermented food, not to mention—

A good source of calcium.

Yeah, as we're going to talk about some of the nutrients later on that can be found in there as well. So let's talk about some of these herbs and let me actually just say to the community—

Hold on, we missed this.

Oh, you're right. Talk about sprouts here.

Absolutely. There are 2 sprouts that if you're a woman, and men can benefit too, but women who are interested in balancing hormones, particularly as you're nearing perimenopause or menopause, broccoli sprouts and clover sprouts. Clover has an amazing source of phytoestrogens, particularly red clover, and broccoli sprouts are great for the immune system and they help block Environmental estrogen mimickers. So again, these are amazing foods and they will help you look and feel your best and can contribute to reducing, I don't know if side effects of menopause, let's just say undo byproducts of menopause. Let's call it that. Herbs are a big one, so for those of you who are estrogen dominant, you're going to enjoy some of these.

Start off here with black ashwagandha.

Now, black cohosh is a go-to herb for women who want to balance hormones, particularly who are in menopause, but it's really good for so many things. So black cohosh is a great herb. You can get it in an infusion form or a tea form or consume it in supplement form. But I think in Europe, the number one prescribed nutraceutical for hot flashes and Yeah, black cohosh is incredible, as Jordan's mentioning, for balancing hormones.

It is actually, I was reading up on it this morning, and it's used throughout Europe, throughout Asia for balancing hormones. In fact, there was a great study on it where they found it was actually more effective than the pharmaceuticals at actually helping balance hormones during times of menopause. So it's pretty incredible in terms of some of its benefits. Dong quai is another herb that's used in Chinese medicine. In fact, it's referenced as being a hormone balancer.

Absolutely.

And so, there are a lot of times we throw out different adaptogenic herbs such as astragalus and ginseng and ashwagandha and rhodiola and holy basil, but dong quai can work in a similar way to where it's actually been shown to help balance out those levels of estrogen and progesterone, which is so key in what we're talking about. So again, dong quai, sort of that female ginseng, it's been shown to be. a big driver of libido. So if sex drive is low, that's another sort of warning sign that you have some hormone imbalance. This really helps in increasing the libido and energizing the body in using dong quai. And Jordan, hold on.

I think I'm going to turn this into a trivia question, but these are 3 powerful ones. Wild yam is also really, really good. Clover is really good. But for those of you, vitex is a powerful botanical for women of all ages, particularly As you age and get towards menopause—

But Vitex has been shown, I mean, directly, probably as much or more than any of these herbs to raise those progesterone levels. And we know that's a key thing that's going on, Jordan.

Absolutely.

Low progesterone will cause other hormone imbalances in the body. And so we really want to work on raising up those progesterone levels. All of these foods we're talking about do this, these herbs, especially Vitex is great for that. And Jordan, we know we love herbs. But a lot of times we love spices even more. Let's jump in and talk about spices.

Licorice, which is a great herb for female health, also slightly phytoestrogenic, so it's got weak estrogens. Consume a small amount. You know, licorice is used in a lot of traditional Chinese herbal formulas to catalyze the formula or harmonize it. So licorice is slightly sweet, really, really good. We call it a spice. And we're going to throw out a spice that's sort of an herb as well, and it is sage. Sage is underutilized in my opinion, but sage is pretty amazing.

We're going to talk about essential oils here. Jordan, why don't you kick us off and talk about the first one here, clary sage, number 1? Absolutely.

Now, there are so many essential oils that are good for women's hormones and play some role whether it's helping you sleep, whether it's helping you become more energized. Clary sage is one of the top essential oils for women. It is a sage. And it's great for balancing estrogen and progesterone. You're going to hear this a lot because most women who have that term someone mentioned earlier, estrogen dominance, they've got too many environmental factors coming in. They're dealing with all kinds of issues, dry skin, irritability. They're dealing with low libido. They're dealing with hair issues, skin issues. All of that is due to an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone, and clary sage topically Lavender is one of the best essential oils to bring balance to your hormones along with this entire list. You see how low we're going on the board. Chamomile is really great and thyme and oregano and to a small extent rosemary, those leafy herbs are wonderful for menopause and for women who are in the peak or toward the end of their reproductive years. So my goodness, how many essential oils do we have?

I know, I'm going crazy here, there's a lot.

I like ylang-ylang because of how it just sounds. I love the sound. It sounds like one of those old '50s songs, you know.

Absolutely. And, you know, a lot of these oils affect the body in different ways, but let me mention this as well. When you look at Chinese medicine and really the herbs they believe are the most supportive and tonifying for the reproductive organs, you know, thyme and sage are 2 that are always at the very top of the list. They're those dark, small, green leaves which are usually correlated along with marjoram and some others for really helping that area of the body, which is fantastic. We know some of these are important, Jordan, because they may not have a direct effect where these 2 herbs are, but herbs like ylang-ylang and lavender and chamomile, they really work because they reduce stress on the body, the mind, and emotions. I mean, I know you and I have talked about this at length about all of the moms out there. So you moms watching who are bringing kids to soccer and football and baseball practice every single week, some of them are working part-time or full-time jobs.

Yeah.

Taking care of the family, I mean, it is homeschooling kids, a lot of them. I mean, it is so much work, so much stress, and a lot of times you don't get enough you time during the week. And so that's one of the great things about some of these essential oils is that they can help work as adaptogens, they can help reduce stress and cortisol levels. It's key.

It is. Think about this, if you're a woman of reproductive age, and we mentioned that this can start in your preteen years, it often does, during your monthly cycle, PMS is a major issue. How many women does PMS affect? Every woman.

Oh, yeah.

Now, certainly other cultures have less issues than we do, but when you're dealing with PMS, look at how beneficial the peppermint, fennel, and chamomile would be for the gut, for the bloating, for just not feeling good. So if you're a woman of reproductive age, just because it says menopause here, Don't turn this off. The best time to start preparing for good health for your latter years is now. And you mentioned fertility. I heard recently from a medical doctor fertility specialist who, by the way, business is booming.

Yeah.

He said that if we creep up a few more points of infertility for couples, that we would be considered borderline an endangered species. Now, we know our population is booming, but here in America, The incidences of PCOS, of dealing with infertility, of having other issues that are related to it, it's just absolutely unbelievable. And so, if you're someone who is a woman, these recommendations are going to benefit you no matter what your age is.

Yeah, and this actually goes back and makes me think of this. I didn't mention this earlier with some of these herbs, but dong quai especially and certain other foods also really help build the blood. And I think that's another major issue here is circulation. in this, you know, in the female organ uterus area is really key, decreasing stagnation, increasing circulation in the area.

Absolutely.

And that's another great thing about a lot of these herbs. That's why there's others we could add here as well, but sage and thyme are especially good for that. Now, myrrh oil is even referenced in the Bible. We know Queen Esther used that for beauty. We know it also has hormone balancing benefits, so myrrh. is one of our favorites. We know fennel is great actually for hormones. This is not one you want to take if you're— a lot of these you don't want to take if you're pregnant, but fennel is actually great for breast milk production.

Absolutely.

The seed especially is good. Geranium, rose, lavender, great for reducing stress. So there's a lot of essential oils here that benefit the body, but they really benefit hormones in various ways. Jordan, let's jump right in and talk about the powerful benefits of medicinal mushrooms. When we tend to talk about hormonal issues, if you're reading up online about how to naturally treat menopause, Jordan, rarely will I see articles that really cover medicinal mushrooms, which is surprising, but they're incredible.

They are, and they are not herbs, they're not spices, they're not even animal foods, and they're not vegetables, which I thought they were growing up. Medicinal mushrooms or fungi are a different kingdom, and they're one you're missing out on. Now, I told you earlier, if you stayed tuned, you would learn the secret to rejuvenation and boosting a hormone that makes you feel and look younger. That hormone is testosterone. And I know a lot of women realize that as they age, testosterone levels decrease. There are so many women who are on bioidentical hormones that are taking testosterone. We know that from the Suzanne Somers work.

Oh, yeah.

She blasted it out there with her books, The Sexy Years, etc., talking about Balancing testosterone levels. Now, there's a fungi that actually does that and it's called truffle, more particular, black diamond truffle or Tuber melanosporum. Now, this is pretty interesting. Truffle has been known as an aphrodisiac, it's been known to bring arousal, and it does it through olfaction similar to essential oils.

Wow.

So real truffle, I'm not talking about synthetic or A little bit of truffle oil, but real truffle inhaled in an oil form or if you eat truffle, it's rare and expensive but you can find it, can naturally boost testosterone levels within the normal range and can virtually shut down menopause challenges.

Wow, that's incredible.

In a small study I read about, hot flashes were reduced massively, energy, skin, libido all improved. So think truffle, we talk about caviar, we're just telling you all to be sophisticated out there. You're eating your 10-year. aged cheese. I mean, it's just amazing here on the Dr. Axe Food Is Medicine program. So make sure to try to get some truffle. You will really love it and it tastes amazing. I've got some truffle-infused ghee right now. I mean, truffle just makes you feel good.

Yeah. You know, one of my favorite Italian restaurants, they make this great risotto and they just use that, some grass-fed butter, a little bit of truffle.

It's great.

So truffle, reishi is also an incredible herb in Chinese medicine. Called the mushroom or the fungus of immortality because of how it helps with anti-aging benefits, which of course is great as well. So some reishi mushroom. And then Jordan, there's another mushroom that's great. Was it cordyceps on here as well?

Cordyceps and reishi are powerful. And what they say in traditional Chinese medicine, they boost your qi, which is your internal energy. Reishi is something every woman should consume every day. You can't eat it like Culinary, it doesn't taste very good, it's bitter, but you can make it in broths, a decoction, a tea, or take it in supplement form. But reishi is absolutely amazing. Cordyceps is a great energizer, it's a great adaptogen, and it boosts your overall vitality. Herbs are amazing, essential oils are amazing, but these medicinal mushrooms according to Chinese herbalism, Asian culture, can boost you in ways that nothing else can.

Yeah, you know, it's pretty incredible, Jordan. One of the things that tends to happen if we're struggling with the health Yeah. And the other thing I want to mention about this health condition is a lot of women out there who are watching this, whether you have an issue like you're having severe menopausal symptoms or maybe you're younger and you're having PCOS or infertility issues or just severe PMS-like symptoms, any of those issues, you know, a lot of times we tend to think, well, that direct cause is all because my reproductive organs are not functioning properly. A lot of times it can be started or rooted somewhere else. It could start in the brain emotionally. It can start with not getting enough sleep. It could start with stress and your adrenal glands being worn out. It can start in your digestive tract with conditions like leaky gut syndrome. So it's so important that all of these things we're talking about, that, you know, you just incorporate all of them you can. You work on reducing stress, you work on getting the right foods in your diet. And I wanted to mention this as well, one of the reasons why medicinal mushrooms are so powerful along with some of the herbs we mentioned earlier.

Yeah.

Some of them work directly on the kidney, and Jordan just mentioned this. Qi within Chinese medicine is really what actually a lot of your body's energy flows from, believe in Chinese medicine, from the kidneys and the adrenal region. It sort of flows downward and upward. And so these mushrooms specifically, I mean, they are fantastic for hormones, but also if you're somebody struggling with adrenal fatigue or you just feel like you're overwhelmed, You just lack energy, you just never feel like, man, I could go out and take the world on. These mushrooms are especially good for helping energize your body at the same time. So Jordan, another big thing, we know that nutrient deficiencies are huge today and there's a few nutrients, I know at least one nutrient that some people, maybe a few people have not even heard of, but can really be big at balancing hormones. Yeah.

Absolutely. And I'm going to name 4, but there are so many more. Number 1 is vitamin D. If you're a female out there and you are not getting or at optimal vitamin D levels, you need to be. That will change your reproductive health, support your colon health, your brain health, your immune system. So get your vitamin D levels checked and consume between 5,000 and 10,000 IUs a day of a fermented vitamin D. Vitamin K2, hand in hand. Vitamin K2, which is found in natto, it's found in organ meats, it's found in soft ripened cheeses, is essential for bone health, brain health, and any fat-soluble vitamin is critical for reproductive health. And then boron. Boron is a mineral that is deficient in our soil that is great for hormones and building bone. Now, one of the saddest things that we see from women who come out of menopause— now, hot flashes aren't good. Irritability, no fun. But none of those are going to kill you. But you know what happens? Women come out of menopause because of their lack of estrogen with bone loss. And that can cause illness and even death with the bone fractures leading to death often in a pretty quick period of time. Strong bones are built from, we know calcium, but I'm going to focus on vitamin D, vitamin K, Boron and magnesium. Magnesium, both orally and topically in a magnesium oil, can make all the difference in the world for female health in general, sleep, pain, you name it. Those 4 nutrients, if you are optimized, you're going to feel so much better.

Yeah, I completely agree, Jordan. We know magnesium deficiency is rampant in the U.S. and other countries, and so again, getting a good High-quality magnesium oil, rubbing that on your body is a great way to get magnesium. As we talked about, I love using magnesium oil with essential oils together, mixing those, rubbing that on the body. That is one of the best natural remedies that's out there today. All right, let's go ahead and jump into supplements here. What are some of the top supplements, Jordan, you have?

Collagen is a big one. We talked about bone broth, we talked about the importance of your skin, your hair, your nails, and your bones, but there is no nutrient that I know of That helps build that matrix better than collagen. So if you're on collagen, if you're consuming bone broth into menopause and outside of it, I believe you're going to have a stronger skeletal system, integumentary system, which is skin, hair, and nails. It is an amazing substance. And if you can also consume glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, you will be emanating youth as you age.

Absolutely. So collagen is important. Omega-3s or that omega-3 to 6 ratio balance is also crucial. And so a lot of people today, these conditions can start to accumulate in the body because of too much inflammation in the body. And we know, Jordan, there are so many foods out there today that are high in omega-6 fats. I mean, even you look at healthy chips out there today packed with sunflower oil, safflower oil, these things that we think are healthy just because it comes from a plant.

Yes, yes.

Just because it's a plant and sounds healthy doesn't mean it is. It's all about balance in the body. We need more omega-3s from things like fish roe, from cod liver, from fish, from flax, from chia. We need more of these omega-3s, especially EPA and DHA. So, you know, eating wild-caught salmon or fish on a regular basis is great, but also days you don't do that, you should be getting an omega-3 supplement. And so again, whether it's a fish oil or fish roe oil or something like that, Make sure you're getting plenty of omega-3s. And another thing you can look for is something like evening primrose oil or borage oil. These types of oils, they're actually omega-6s, but they're a different type of omega-6 which contains something called DGLA or GLA specifically, which is really good for hormones as well. So get more of those healthy fats that support hormones as well.

I would put that down. I would put EPO/borage, that's really, really good. Linoleic acid is made by the body but it's in small amounts. Hemp also has it and so does spirulina, but evening primrose oil has been the oil of choice for women. And then we want to talk a little bit about adaptogenic herbs. So it was mentioned just a moment ago, if you are not making a tea or a decoction, purchase a supplement with adaptogenic herbs, rhodiola, ashwagandha, which is amazing. Eleuthero. And some women who are colder that have some of those thyroid issues, cold and clammy, lower body temperature, Panax or Korean ginseng can be really, really good. Schisandra berry is so amazing for women. Amla berry or Indian gooseberry is also an adaptogen. Holy basil is great. So an adaptogenic herb is important. And last but certainly not least, not least and not yeast, a probiotic.

Absolutely.

Having a broad-spectrum probiotic for your gut, your urinary tract, helping you absorb your foods and flush excess estrogen compounds out of your body is very, very critical. You know what's great about this whole list? I'm going to stand back and let you see it. There are 7 keys to balance hormones and manage menopause. If you embrace one of them, it will unlock your health potential. We're talking about PMS. Fertility health, PCOS and fibroids. We're talking about perimenopause, menopause, and having strong and healthy bones, skin, hair, and nails, and anti-aging. So you take one of these keys and it will unlock your health potential. But if you start eating some of these powerful foods, bone broth, sprouts, fermented foods, if you take and consume black cohosh, dong quai, vitex, wild yam, clover, spices, licorice, sage, chia, essential oils, too many to name, you're going to be on an amazing journey for health and you will look better, feel better. And guess what, folks? If you're sitting there saying, I'm only 23 years old, the best time to build strong bones, healthy reproductive system, you need to store it away like a bank account.

Yeah.

Store these reserves away because you will be a mom one day. And then you will age one day. And when you do, you're going to be so glad when you look back and say, I was investing in my health and now I'm going to live a long life and an abundant life as a result.

Yeah, Jordan, we got some great questions here and here are some of the ones we're going to answer. We got a question about taking birth control. We got a question about what to do on a tight budget, the best steps to take first. And a question we're going to start with here from Rebev on, How to treat abnormally high testosterone levels specifically? I'll start off, Jordan. We'd love to hear your thoughts. I think in general what we tend to do a lot of times is we try and do too much treatment. A lot of times if you put your body in the right position, give it the right things, it will bring itself back into balance. And what I would really focus on is really just doing what we have down here. I would say also really working on supporting those progesterone levels. I know that, Jordan, this might be a little different, but if you look at Yeah. Certain things that cause high testosterone levels. A lot of times it can be chemicals, a lot of times it can be certain types of emotions. But I would say as well, doing things like rosemary essential oil can be good at naturally balancing out testosterone levels, sandalwood. Also even, you know, now again, this typically is with DHT, but even things like saw palmetto, there are certain herbs. But I would say in general, if you've got high testosterone levels, Putting your body in a position where emotionally you're very relaxed, you're doing things like taking more time off, you're scheduling time into your week where you're building peace in your life. I think that's, you know, some of the most important things with getting that testosterone down if it's too high.

You need to balance your pituitary gland. So getting sleep at the right time is really, really critical. And these foods, fermented foods, flax, and particularly broccoli and clover sprouts, the herbs and the essential oils. Can all help naturally bring down the testosterone and increase estrogen and progesterone. The truth is most women watching are going to be low in testosterone, but if you're higher, a lot of these mild phytoestrogenic plants are great. Fermented soy is really great to lower testosterone if it's excessively high.

Yeah, actually I was reading an article this morning and 2 that actually mentioned that had a direct effect on the pituitary were dong quai and vitex together. So those are 2 that you may consider. getting your diet there as well. I've got another question here, Jordan. Somebody was asking about, and I'll give my thoughts on this, what about taking birth control pills? You know, the problem with— there are many problems with birth control, but one of the biggest things is when you get off of those, it typically causes major yeast overgrowth in the body.

Absolutely.

And I've seen this time and time again, and it will take the body a period of time to balance out. So birth control, taking a medication Typically, if it's not, you know, if there's obviously a medical condition you're working with your physician on, of course, you always need to follow or work with them on those recommendations. But in general, if it's just for the purpose of birth control or for an unnecessary reason, you know, I would say that it's definitely something that can have harmful effects on the body.

Absolutely. Make sure if you're on oral contraceptives that you double or triple your probiotic. We can't necessarily give medical advice in your situation, but we will say that for the purposes of planning a family, there are better ways to do it. Yes, it takes more work, it takes more tracking, but it's definitely not something that I would relish for my daughters or my family to be on. Oral contraceptives definitely have great side effects, and even what isn't considered a side effect, which is causing yeast overgrowth, etc., it'll trigger things when you do have a child. That your baby comes into the world with imbalanced flora due to the birth canal. It's really a lot of issues. But if you're on birth control, make sure to consume extra probiotics. You've got to get good fats. And these supplements, all of them from collagen to omega-3 to evening primrose oil, probiotics, and adaptogens are all good for balance. And you want to tackle the budgetary?

Yeah, yeah. I'll go ahead and start with this. So here are my thoughts. If you're shopping on a budget, it's all getting back to You know, the way your grandmother made food, I mean, if you think about it, let's start with food. Remember, supplements are for supplementing your diet. So starting off here, making at-home fermented foods. I mean, you get some cabbage, water, and salt. I mean, that's it.

That's it.

That's kind of it. Make your own fermented cabbage at home. I know my wife Chelsea and I have done that plenty in the past. You know, bone broth. Again, going to your farmer's market, getting those chicken bones and feet and necks and things, making your own broth at home is a great way to do it. So, you know, and flax really is not that expensive.

It's not. And either broccoli sprouts and clover, you can definitely afford them. Broccoli is a little more expensive. Clover, even alfalfa sprouts are mildly phytoestrogenic, fermented soy, etc. I would absolutely start with food on a budget. And we're talking about time, not money. And I mean T-I-M-E, not T-H-Y-M-E, although that could be good. But bone broth is affordable. Flax is affordable. Fermented foods that you make at home are 2 to 3 times less expensive. We buy them because time is something that we're short on, right?

Yeah, absolutely.

Not the herb thyme, but T-I-M-E. So start with food and then look at some of these herbs. You can buy bulk herbs very affordably, and again, it's about steeping them and it's time. So this half of the page, or at least these 3, are very, very affordable. Yes, essential oils can be premium priced. They're all, I believe, worth their weight in gold. Give these a try and I believe you're going to have amazing benefits on any budget.

You know, and I would say if you're trying to decide, okay, you want to get some essential oils, you want to know where to start, I mean, start with 2 of the lesser expensive oils, still incredibly powerful, in peppermint and lavender. I mean, just starting with those 2 oils, using those on a regular basis is going to have a powerful impact on your health. And then, you know, as we're talking about, throw some Thyme and sage and some of these herbs, throw it into your bone broth soup, do a tea out of it. There are lots of ways to do this on a budget and still see absolutely fantastic results. Let's see here. Is progesterone cream a good option for mood swings with a regular period? So she's wondering about, or he's wondering about progesterone cream.

Well, first of all, progesterone cream has been really popular as a over-the-counter, but I believe anything with hormones from progesterone to DHEA to testosterone should be incorporated or used under the guidance of a practitioner because if your progesterone level is already optimal and you're adding progesterone cream, it's an issue. So it used to be, oh, let's just get some progesterone cream.

Yeah.

It was available everywhere. I don't believe bioidentical hormones, which progesterone cream is, Whether it says it's from wild yam or not, it is. Bioidentical hormones should be administered under a functional medicine or anti-aging practitioner, in my opinion. All of what we talk about here, they're not hormones, they're not stimulants, they're not medicines. They are natural treatments to balance your body. They're really foundational. And I would try these before going that step further.

I absolutely agree. You know, one of the things, Jordan, that I saw frequently in practices, a lot of times when somebody is— and I'm not talking about for a short period of time, but if somebody is trying to do progesterone cream or DHEA is another great example or even melatonin pills for a long period of time, the body sort of— I would say that it really gets used to them.

It's a crutch.

Yeah, uses it as a crutch versus doing a lot of these herbs, you're actually Tonifying or strengthening the way the organ is functioning on a regular basis. So my preference, Jordan's preference is start here first. Hi, Dr. Axe here. I want to say thanks so much for checking out this YouTube video and also don't forget to subscribe if you want to get more great content on things like herbs, essential oils, natural remedies, and how to use food as medicine. Also, check out more of our content on my YouTube channel. Thanks for watching.