Hormone Replacement Therapy & Diet

Hormones are chemicals in your body that communicate different functions between your brain and organs. For instance, hormones are involved in mood regulation, inducing sleep and signaling hunger. As you age, your hormone production changes and this is often complicated by different health conditions, use of medications and nutrition habits. Women going through menopause experience extreme changes in hormones, often requiring hormone replacement treatments. Men also experience hormonal changes, but intervention does not necessarily focus on synthetic hormone replacement. In some cases, women of childbearing age require hormone replacement to regulate menstruation in preparation for pregnancy.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the use of prescribed medications to replace the hormones your body no longer creates naturally. Menopausal women are the target group using HRT and initially, this intervention was considered harmless as a long-term treatment. MayoClinic.com notes that HRT is now a short-term treatment paired with healthy lifestyle changes. HRT may include taking an estrogen medication alone or a combination of estrogen and progestin, depending on your specific needs. In some women, HRT can protect against bone and heart disease; however, in others, HRT can increase your risk of these complications. Your need for HRT is best determined by you and your physician. Whether you take hormones or not, eating a healthy diet is imperative to maintaining your overall health.

Hormones, Mood and Food

Estrogen is abundant in females, but is also found in men, only in much lesser amounts. For women, this is the primary hormone responsible for the maintenance and development of sex characteristics and reproduction. Estrogen plays a role in mood regulation and impacts another hormone called serotonin, which is also significant in balancing your mood in addition to metabolism, sleep and body temperature. Several foods are natural estrogen boosters or inhibitors and may aid in decreasing symptoms associated with hormonal imbalance. Before consuming estrogen-inducing foods while taking HRT, talk to your physician to prevent excess hormone production. Estrogen boosting foods include soy, dairy and pomegranates. Estrogen inhibitors include white rice, green beans and citrus fruits.

Hormones, Bones and Diet

As men and women age, formation of new bone slows, resulting in bone loss. Women experience this faster because of estrogen decline during menopause. Although HRT can minimize this process, healthy nutrition habits may best protect you from degeneration in the form of osteoporosis. Calcium and vitamin D are essential for bone health. The daily calcium intake recommended for men and women ages 19 to 50 is 1,000 mg, but for women over age 50 this amount increases to 1,200 mg. Vitamin D is required to properly absorb calcium and the recommended intake for all adults is 400 to 600 IU. Foods containing calcium include dairy products, leafy green vegetables and fish. Dairy products often contain added vitamin D. Talk to your physician regarding calcium supplements as an adjunct to eating healthy foods.

Healthy and Balanced Diet

A balanced diet includes eating from the basic food groups, fruits/vegetables, meats/dairy and whole grains, so you get plenty of daily protein, healthy fats and vitamins. Protein is important for hormonal balance because it maintains muscular and cell health to facilitate normal hormone production. Fats in the form of high-density lipoproteins keep your "bad" cholesterol down and can help reduce hot flash symptoms. Vitamins A, C and E are essential antioxidants that protect your heart and vital organs from a compromised immune system and ingested toxic chemicals. Consume 5 to 8 servings daily of vibrantly colored vegetables like fresh greens or fruits, like apples and cherries, to obtain these vitamins. Choose two servings a week of low-fat meats like fish and chicken, which are healthy sources of protein, or opt for 2 to 3 servings daily of low-fat yogurt and milk. Consider eating soy beans as snacks or use tofu chunks in your salads instead of red meat as they are also good sources of protein.

Hormone Replacement Therapy & Diet