5 hidden causes of women's hormone imbalance

Ever feel like your body’s whispering secrets you can’t quite decode?

Painful, irregular periods. Early menopause. Fatigue that no amount of sleep can fix. Weight that won’t shift no matter how “clean” you eat. Trouble conceiving.

They’re not inevitable parts of womanhood. They’re intelligent signals from a body craving restoration.

Signs of hormonal imbalance that are often dismissed, misdiagnosed, or masked by conventional approaches, rather than truly understood. The good news is that our bodies have an innate tendency toward equilibrium when given the right support

Let's explore five often overlooked causes of female hormone imbalance and how to address them:

1. Chronic nutrient deficiencies

Did you know that all human sex hormones are derived from cholesterol?  And yet we are so often told to fear it.

While your body makes about 80% of its cholesterol needs, the rest must come from diet, and that 20% is crucial for hormonal resilience, especially during stress, perimenopause, and postpartum.

Ancestral diets were rich in cholesterol and fat-soluble vitamins from eggs, liver, seafood, bone marrow, and raw dairy. Today, many of us are unknowingly starved of key nutrients: vitamin A (as retinol), D, K2, magnesium, B6, B12, zinc, iodine, and choline. These are the nutrients that regulate the menstrual cycle, power ovulation, support the thyroid, and buffer against estrogen dominance.

Reintroduce traditional foods that nourish hormonal balance. Start with organ meats such as beef liver (rich in retinol, vitamin B12, and choline), pastured egg yolks daily, and slow-cooked bone broths rich in glycine and minerals. Load your plate with butter, sardines, shellfish, and full-fat dairy. Your endocrine system will thank you.

5. An overburdened liver

Often underestimated, the liver plays a pivotal role in hormone metabolism, acting as the main processing center. Every hormone circulating in your body, including estrogen, relies on the liver to safely break it down.

In today’s world, however, the liver is bombarded with alcohol, medications, synthetic chemicals (from pesticides to plastics), all of which can impair its function. A sluggish or overburdened liver might not efficiently metabolise hormones, leading to a buildup of estrogen or other byproducts in the body. 

This can manifest as estrogen dominance symptoms: think heavy periods, clotting, fibrocystic breasts, stubborn weight gain (especially around hips/thighs), and mood swings. In women approaching menopause, it might worsen hot flashes or make the transition bumpier than it needs to be. Essentially, if estrogen isn’t being properly deactivated and excreted, it continues “recycling” in the body and keeping tissues stimulated.

Additionally, gut dysbiosis, an imbalance of gut bacteria often caused by antibiotics, junk food, or chronic stress,  can lead to certain bacteria producing an enzyme (beta-glucuronidase) that re-activates estrogen in the colon, sending it back into circulation.

Reduce the influx of toxins that burden your liver and mimic hormones. Simple swaps make a big difference over time: use glass or stainless steel instead of plastic for food storage and water bottles (to avoid BPA, phthalates), choose natural cleaning and beauty products, and even be mindful with cookware (cast iron or stainless steel pans instead of Teflon non-stick coatings which can release endocrine disruptors when heated). And if you do need medications or hormonal contraceptives, work with your healthcare provider to use the lowest effective dose and support your body with extra nutrients (like a high-quality B-complex vitamin, magnesium, and liver-supportive herbs) during use. Support your liver gently and daily. Use castor oil packs over the abdomen to increase circulation and lymphatic flow. Incorporate bitters (dandelion, chicory, rocket), sulphur-rich foods (onions, garlic, eggs), and vitamin-rich organ meats. Dry brushing, saunas, and Epsom salt baths help the lymphatic system move waste. 

3. Disrupted circadian rhythm & EMFs

In our high-tech lives, women are exposed not only to physical and dietary stressors but also to electromagnetic ones. Constant connectivity means we’re bathing in artificial electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from Wi-Fi routers, cell phones, laptops, smart appliances, and more, an exposure level utterly foreign to our ancestors. Emerging research suggests that this 24/7 EMF exposure may subtly disrupt the body’s neuroendocrine system (the delicate dance between the nervous system and hormones). In essence, electromagnetic stress can trigger hormonal stress.

In women, just like chronic emotional stress, this digital stress can contribute to irregular cycles, worsened anxiety around periods, and increased risk of estrogen-progesterone imbalance. It’s telling that functional medicine doctors sometimes refer to EMFs and artificial light as “invisible endocrine disruptors.”

Treat EMF exposure as a form of pollution and minimize it where you can. Simple steps include turning off Wi-Fi routers at night, keeping cell phones away from your body (don’t carry your phone in a pocket directly against your body or sleep with it by your pillow), and using speakerphone or wired earbuds instead of holding the phone to your head. At home, unplug devices that emit constant EMFs when not in use. These small habits reduce the overall electromagnetic load on your body, giving your endocrine system a chance to operate in a calmer environment. Prioritise early morning sunlight and regularly practice grounding: walking barefoot on natural surfaces, which stabilises nervous system function and reduces stress-induced hormonal imbalances.

4. Seed oils

Our ancestors cooked with tallow, lard, butter. Fats that are stable, nourishing, and easily used by the body. Today, we’ve swapped these for industrial oils: rapeseed, canola, sunflower, soybean, extracted through high heat, chemical solvents, and deodorisation.

High in linoleic acid (an unstable omega-6 fat), seed oils integrate into your cell membranes and make them prone to oxidation. When that happens, hormone receptors on those cells become less responsive, and inflammation flares, disrupting everything from ovulation to insulin sensitivity to thyroid function.

In fact, diets overloaded with omega-6 and deficient in anti-inflammatory omega-3s have even been linked to issues like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and even infertility. 

Ditch the seed oils and return to the fats your grandmother used. Grass-fed butter, ghee, coconut oil, and beef tallow are metabolically stabilising. Pair with omega-3-rich foods like sardines and mackerel to rebalance your fatty acid ratios. Bonus? Orange juice can help neutralise the oxidative byproducts of linoleic acid. 

5. Chronic fight or flight

Physiologically, here’s what happens: under stress, the adrenal glands release cortisol and adrenaline. High cortisol over time steals “building blocks” (like pregnenolone) that would otherwise be used to produce progesterone, a phenomenon sometimes termed the “pregnenolone steal.” While the biochemistry is complex, the outcome is that a chronically stressed woman might have plenty of estrogen but not enough progesterone to balance it, leading to PMS, anxiety, breast tenderness, and heavy periods.

Moreover, cortisol communicates with the brain’s hormone control centre (the hypothalamus and pituitary), which can suppress signals to the ovaries and thyroid. This is why women under intense stress may develop hypothyroidism symptoms or lose their period (amenorrhea) even if they are not underweight. From an ancestral view, it makes sense – the body perceives a “famine or danger,” so it prioritises survival over reproduction, altering hormonal output accordingly.

Honour rest. Learn how to say no. Eat breakfast with protein and carbs within an hour of waking to stabilise cortisol. Before bed, try gelatin gummies made with honey, glycine and sea salt to support deep sleep and calm the adrenals. Bone broth, especially in the evening, helps soothe the nervous system and replenish depleted reserves. And for stored trauma? The hips hold it. Many women unconsciously store emotional tension in their pelvis. Try a hip-opening sequence paired with deep breathwork or somatic release. This is one of our favourites: Trauma-Informed Hip Opening Yoga for Emotional Release