How to balance hormones naturally
Here’s another tip in learning to balance your hormones naturally, by Dr Josh Axe:
“Balance your intake of omega-3 to omega-6 fats
Since the early 20th century, the use of refined vegetable oils and intake of omega-6 fatty acids in our diets have skyrocketed. Because people didn’t also boost their intake of omega-3 foods during this time period, the result has been drastically elevated omega-6 levels. I’ve seen an onslaught of chronic diseases caused by inflammatory processes literally taking over our society – in large part because of disproportionate fatty acids in the Western modern diet.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a large component of brain-cell membranes and are important for cell-to-cell communication in the brain. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids help protect against hippocampal neuronal loss and reduce pro-inflammatory responses. (1) Research from Pennsylvania State University suggests that jumping from a ratio of one to one omega-3’s to omega-6s – the ratio our hunter-gather ancestors mostly enjoyed – to the astronomical ratio between 10 to one and 20 to one omega-3 to omega-6s – is one of the primary dietary factors causing many diseases in America. (2)
Here’s a rule of thumb: be sure to steer clear of oils high in omega-6 fats (safflower, sunflower, corn, cottonseed, canola, soybean and peanut), and load up on rich sources of natural omega-3s instead (wild fish, flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts and grass-fed animal products). You should also try to get a type of omega-6 fat in your diet called GLA (gamma-linoleic acid). GLA can be taken in supplement form by using evening primrose oil or borage oil, and it’s also found in hemp seeds.”
Refs: (1): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23801244
(2): https://extension.psu.edu/omega-fatty-acids