Can Supplement Help Balance Hormones (Part II)

Welcome back to the next entry in our series of supplements that can help balance hormone levels.

First things first. If you missed our first entry, click here.

Second, remember that these are supplements, not hormone replacement therapy. What that very important caveat means is that what we’re about to discuss is NOT a replacement for eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, managing stress, or getting quality sleep each night. Without these fundamental things in place, these supplements will only offer a fraction of their potential benefits.

With that said, let’s get to the good stuff!

Iodine

If you’ve ever reached for the shaker of salt at a restaurant, then chances are high you’ve already experienced the benefits of iodine as iodized salt is usually what’s included in those salt shakers.

The reason iodized salt was created was to combat iodine deficiency.

Iodine is a very important trace mineral found in seafood as well as dairy and some plants (including seaweed). It’s essential for healthy thyroid function[1], which impacts your metabolism, heart rate, and body temperature[2]

Low levels of iodine (iodine deficiency) can lead to low thyroid hormone levels and negatively metabolism as well as fat-loss. Individuals on low-salt or plant-based diets may be at a heightened risk for iodine deficiency.[3] If you don’t use iodized salt and/or eat seafood frequently, then you may want to consider supplementing with iodine.

Our men’s and women’s multi-vitamins (Multi-Go Men and Multi-Go Women) both include 100% Daily Value (DV) of iodine in every serving.

Maca

Maca is an energizing Peruvian herb that has been used for centuries to enhance fertility, sexual desire, and climax. It is commonly available in dietary supplements as either a powder or capsule.

Some research indicates that supplementing with maca may lower follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in postmenopausal women.[4,5] Studies in men find that it helps boost libido.[6]

Rhodiola rosea

High stress (cortisol) levels can lower mood, impair sleep, decrease productivity, limit muscle recovery/growth, and negatively impact your overall quality of life. Rhodiola is a renowned adaptogen -- plants that improve the body’s ability to perceive, interact, and recover from various types of stress. Most often, rhodiola is taken as a capsule, but it may also be found in certain powder supplements, such as pre workouts due to rhodiola’s ability to improve exercise performance and stamina.[7]

Research suggests that rhodiola helps improve stress response by acting on the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis. This can help to lower cortisol levels during times of physical, psychological or emotional stress.[7,8,9]

Rhodiola is generally well-tolerated and is commonly used by individuals seeking to improve stress management, boost energy, and support athletic performance.

Fenugreek

Traditionally used in Ayurveda to support cardiometabolic health, fenugreek has gained attention for its ability to support sexual health and libido. The seeds of fenugreek are rich in glycosides and saponins including diosgenin, which serves as an important precursor for the synthesis of a number of sex hormones.[10]  Human studies find that supplementing with fenugreek may help to increase free testosterone as well as boost athletic performance and reduce body fat without losing strength.[10,11] These are some of the fundamental reasons we included fenugreek in our men’s testosterone support product Pro Test Max.

As an added bonus, other recent studies indicate it may also provide a boost in athletic performance as well as lean muscle and strength.[12,13,14]

Chasteberry

Also known as vitex, chasteberry is a medicinal plant with a long history of use for supporting female reproductive health. Presently, chasteberry is commonly supplemented to help with PMS and irregular cycles.

Studies suggest that chasteberry may help raise progesterone and lower prolactin, both of which impact menstrual cycles and fertility. Research suggest it may support fertility when used alongside other treatments.[15,16]

Other studies indicate it may also bind to estrogen receptors and help support healthy estrogen levels.[17]

1UP Hormone Support Plus supplies 250mg chasteberry extract alongside a comprehensive blend of hand-picked ingredients, including Myo-Inositol, Vitamin D, KSM-66 Ashwagandha and L-Theanine to support menstrual regulation, mood, stress and fertility.

Stay tuned for the next entry in our series to find out what other supplements can help support healthy hormone levels and help you accelerate your results!

References

1. National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements. Iodine.
2. Sorrenti S, Baldini E, Pironi D, et al. Iodine: Its role in thyroid hormone biosynthesis and beyond. Nutrients. 2021;13(12):4469. doi:10.3390/nu13124469
3. Nicol K, Nugent AP, Woodside JV, Hart KH, Bath SC. Iodine and plant-based diets: a narrative review and calculation of iodine content. Br J Nutr. 2023;131(2):265–275. doi:10.1017/S0007114523001873
4. Johnson A, Roberts L, Elkins G. Complementary and alternative medicine for menopause. J Evid Based Integr Med. 2019;24:2515690X19829380. doi:10.1177/2515690X19829380
5. Dording CM, Schettler PJ, Dalton ED, et al. A double-blind placebo-controlled trial of maca root as treatment for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction in women. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:949036. doi:10.1155/2015/949036
6. Gonzales GF, Córdova A, Vega K, Chung A, Villena A, Góñez C, Castillo S. Effect of Lepidium meyenii (MACA) on sexual desire and its absent relationship with serum testosterone levels in adult healthy men. Andrologia. 2002 Dec;34(6):367-72. doi: 10.1046/j.1439-0272.2002.00519.x. PMID: 12472620.
7. Lu Y, Deng B, Xu L, Liu H, Song Y, Lin F. Effects of Rhodiola Rosea Supplementation on Exercise and Sport: A Systematic Review. Front Nutr. 2022 Apr 7;9:856287. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.856287. Erratum in: Front Nutr. 2022 Jun 20;9:928909. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.928909. PMID: 35464040; PMCID: PMC9021834.
8. Xia N, Li J, Wang H, Wang J, Wang Y. Schisandra chinensis and Rhodiola rosea exert an anti-stress effect on the HPA axis and reduce hypothalamic c-Fos expression in rats subjected to repeated stress. Exp Ther Med. 2016;11(1):353-359. doi:10.3892/etm.2015.2882
9. Ivanova Stojcheva E, Quintela JC. The effectiveness of Rhodiola rosea L. preparations in alleviating various aspects of life-stress symptoms and stress-induced conditions-encouraging clinical evidence. Molecules. 2022;27(12):3902. doi:10.3390/molecules27123902
10. Wilborn C, Taylor L, Poole C, Foster C, Willoughby D, Kreider R. Effects of a purported aromatase and 5α-reductase inhibitor on hormone profiles in college-age men. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2010 Dec;20(6):457-65.
11. Sachin Wankhede, Vishwaraman Mohan, Prasad Thakurdesai, Beneficial effects of fenugreek glycoside supplementation in male subjects during resistance training: A randomized controlled pilot study, Journal of Sport and Health Science, Volume 5, Issue 2, 2016, Pages 176-182.
12. Albaker WI. Fenugreek and Its Effects on Muscle Performance: A Systematic Review. J Pers Med. 2023 Feb 27;13(3):427. doi: 10.3390/jpm13030427. PMID: 36983608; PMCID: PMC10054907
13. Mansoori, A., Hosseini, S., Zilaee, M., Hormoznejad, R., & Fathi, M. (2020). Effect of fenugreek extract supplement on testosterone levels in male: A meta‐analysis of clinical trials. Phytotherapy Research. doi:10.1002/ptr.6627
14. Rao A, Steels E, Inder WJ, Abraham S, Vitetta L. Testofen, a specialised Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract reduces age-related symptoms of androgen decrease, increases testosterone levels and improves sexual function in healthy aging males in a double-blind randomised clinical study. Aging Male. 2016 Jun;19(2):134-42. doi: 10.3109/13685538.2015.1135323. Epub 2016 Jan 20. PMID: 26791805.
15. Rafieian-Kopaei M, Movahedi M. Systematic review of premenstrual, postmenstrual and infertility disorders of Vitex Agnus Castus. Electron Physician. 2017;9(1):3685-3689. doi:10.19082/3685
16. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Chasteberry
17. https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0032-1327831