If I’ve learned anything in my years as a Naturopathic Doctor, working with over 20K patients it’s that there’s A LOT of bad information out there. Whether it’s something you saw on social media, or outdated info you heard from your primary care physician, women are often misled (albeit oftentimes unintentionally) about their hormone health…

So, let’s set the record straight shall we?

I’ll walk you through the top 10 most common hormone myths I hear, and what’s actually true:

You can’t test hormones
You shouldn't take hormones with a history of breast cancer
You don't need to worry about hormones until menopause
You don't need hormone support if you're in menopause or have had a hysterectomy
Women don't need testosterone
Estrogen therapy causes cancer
There's nothing you can do about your hormones (or libido) declining - it's just a normal part of aging
Men don't suffer from hormone imbalances
Since cortisol is the "stress" hormone, it's good to have low levels
PMS is normal

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Myth #1:

You can't test hormone levels

Sigh. This is one of the most common myths that women are used to hearing from their healthcare providers.

Do women’s hormones fluctuate throughout the month? Yes! Can a blood test catch these fluctuations? Absolutely?

…how in the heck were we able to find out about these fluctuations in the first place?

In a 15 minutes-per-visit healthcare model it’s easy to say “no, we can’t test your hormones.” It’s much easier to just prescribe birth control and move on…

But the fact is, there are many different ways that we can test hormones at all stages of life.

If you don’t have a cycle, had a hysterectomy (full or partial) or you’re in menopause or postmenopause—you can still test your hormones and find out if they’re within the optimal range!

Myth #2:

You shouldn't take hormones with a history of breast cancer

To all women who have been failed by oncologists and the conventional medical system—I’m sorry.

You’ve been told that you need to be on estrogen blockers and you can’t take any hormones, ever. You live with hot flashes, and higher risk of cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases.

But, the truth is that a few years post breast cancer, we can safely introduce hormones back into the body.

It starts with testing and coming up with a plan to keep hormones in balance using supplements and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

Something important to consider is that optimizing hormones actually reduces risk of cancer and the risk of cancer relapse.

No need to live in fear or deprive yourself off essential hormones that can improve your quality of life and longevity!

Myth #3:

You don't need to worry about hormones until menopause

Hormone imbalances can happen at any stage of life. You don’t need to wait until major fluctuations happen to test and do something about it.

Nowadays, younger and younger women are starting to understand how important it is to test hormones and get ahead of it.

Waiting until menopause is almost too late. If you’re experiencing anything from brain fog to sleepless nights and menstrual cycle issues, testing hormones is one of the best, first steps.

Whether due to stress, environmental causes, or birth control, women experience higher levels of anxiety, mood disorders, skin issues, sleep disturbances and weight fluctuations (to name just a few symptoms) which correlate directly to hormone imbalances.

Myth #4:

You don't need hormone support if you're in menopause or have had a hysterectomy

The unfortunate answer that many women face—“you don’t need hormones, you’re in menopause.”

Your hormones may be lower during menopause or with a full or partial hysterectomy, but it doesn’t mean they need to be nonexistent especially for women going through menopause prematurely or having a hysterectomy at a younger age.

Women need to optimize their hormone health in all stages of life. Don’t let any healthcare provider tell you otherwise!

Declining hormone levels increase the likelihood of cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases including dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Myth #5:

Women don't need testosterone

Feeling unmotivated? Not interested in your partner? Can’t build muscle for the life of you? Your testosterone levels might be suboptimal…

Women have more testosterone in proportion to estrogen. Yep, you read that right!

Testosterone is extremely important for feeling confident, building lean muscle, healthy libido and even sleep!

Unfortunately, what most providers consider as “high” testosterone is actually not high at all!

Most women can benefit from their testosterone being as high as 150-250 ng/dl.

There are of course exceptions to this and some women need their levels only tweaked a little bit to notice a difference. But, a good healthcare provider will think twice about trying to lower your testosterone and will work on optimizing your levels because they should know how important it is for women.

Myth #6:

Estrogen therapy causes cancer

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about hormone health out there! It’s not estrogen that causes cancer, but the following:

estrogen that’s left unchecked
higher ratio of certain estrogen metabolites that are not properly excreted
improper prescription of estradiol hormone replacement therapy (such as when it is prescribed on it’s own or with progestin)
and overall hormonal imbalances

…that cause increased risk of cancer.

Fear mongering regarding estrogen causing cancer is real. In reality, previous studies were based on Premarin, synthetic estrogens paired with progestins which increased risk of cancer. Thanks to poorly conducted studies, estrogen became an arch nemesis.

As a medical community back then we didn’t know any better but now we do and the conversation needs to change.

Estrogen doesn’t cause cancer and it is important to look into liver health, gut health, other hormones including balancing progesterone which keeps estrogen in check, and addressing overall inflammation in the body.

Myth #7:

There's nothing you can do about your hormones (or libido) declining - it's just a normal part of aging

Yikes! I always tell women to ask their healthcare provider–what are they doing to maintain optimal health? Would they be ok with a low libido and problems in intimacy or declining hormones and poor quality of life?

I don’t think so, or at least I would be concerned about that.

My approach is: get out ahead of it. Use signs of a hormonal imbalance as clues that something is off.

Yes, inevitably after the age of 24 our hormones start to tank. And as we are living longer, having babies later, demanding more from our minds and bodies and so on, we need to have adequate hormone levels to help us keep up with the pace of life.

It is a normal part of aging, but it doesn’t mean that it has to be.

The goal with balancing hormones is not to make you 24 years old again (sadly many 24 year olds are feeling older these days!), but to help you sleep better, have better intimacy with your partner, look better, feel more confident, have the energy to do things you love, reduce risk of disease and be a well functioning individual who is enjoying life.

Don’t write yourself off due to age!

Myth #8:

Men don't suffer from hormone imbalances

Men have hormones too, you know!

Sometimes they also feel like they are getting left in the dust with all of this talk about women’s hormones. Men, just like women, can experience anxiety, depression, low libido, hair loss, acne and other skin issues, metabolic disease, trouble gaining muscle mass and so on with potential hormone imbalances.

Men should also consider testing their hormone levels and understand what levels are considered optimal for them.

Myth #9:

Since cortisol is the "stress" hormone, it's good to have low levels

Hormones are all about balance.

Although cortisol is known as a “stress” hormone, which has a negative connotation to it, cortisol also has positives and does important work in our bodies, including: regulating our circadian rhythm, blood sugar and immune system or inflammation.

Too low and you can feel fatigued, craving sugar, and have an increased likelihood of autoimmune symptoms, or too high and you can’t sleep, you’re irritable, you store fat in the midsection and you get sick frequently. It really comes down to knowing your levels and making sure you’re taking the right supplements to either bring your levels down, up or keep them where they are.

Myth #10:

PMS is normal

Is it normal to feel crappy? No! Having PMS symptoms is no different.

PMS is a sign that something is off. Yes, your period is coming. No, you don’t have to be a raging diva.

Major contributors to PMS: high estrogen, low progesterone, inflammatory diet and poor gut health.

Many times when we simply correct the imbalance between estrogen and progesterone (meaning we lower estrogen or improve it’s metabolism and increase progesterone) voila! PMS disappears or becomes much more manageable.

Many women report that their period comes as a surprise, because they no longer experience the hormonal fluctuations. I wish I knew that decades ago!

PMDD is also not normal. This is PMS on steroids and usually has a neurochemical component as well, meaning we also need to look at neurotransmitters.

But, did you know that hormones like pregnenolone and progesterone are actual neurosteroids? Meaning, as hormones, they go in the brain and actually stimulate GABA receptors which has a soothing effect on women.

This is why women feel irritable or anxious before their cycle–they don’t have enough progesterone.

PMS is not normal, and you can live a life not feeling miserable two weeks out of the month!

Believe me, there are even more myths about hormone health out there!

If you’re ready to really deep dive and take back control of your health, I hope you’ll join me in my signature course, Hormone Potential Foundations.

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Top 10 Hormone Myths, Busted!