woman bodies, menstruation woman touching her stomach, Image: Pexels
The saying goes “happy wife, happy life” and while this phrase might be outdated, keeping a woman’s hormones happy will certainly have a big impact- for her quality of life, and yours.
“Not every woman’s body is going to look, work or respond the same to diet and medication - contraceptives are no different ” says Giada Bertola, founder of award winning women’s hormonal healthcare startup Honest Hormones.
Birth control is something she is doing for both of you - but it may negatively affect her, in both the short and long-term. If not not balanced correctly, side effects can be detrimental.
Why? Contraceptives have been shown to strip vitamins, increase inflammation and trick the body into thinking it’s pregnant, confusing a woman’s natural hormones.
Without complimentary care, birth control can affect a woman’s weight, mood and libido. It can also drive stress up and increase fatigue.
So if she is on birth control, she may need support- from you and from a supplement. If she is taking other medications, like SSRIs, ensure that any natural supplements containing natural vitamins and herbs are compatible with them.
“In the healthcare realm, women have been gaslit for generations. As a result, they still gaslight themselves” - says Bertola.
“This results in women silently suffering every month from unbearable period pains, which more often than not, are a clear symptom of endometriosis.”
Endometriosis is a hormonal inflammatory condition affecting 10% of women, which is commonly misdiagnosed. It is more common than diabetes (and yet there is only one supplement made for its long term management and reversal) but the pill and surgery are often alternative treatment options.
If she has heavy or painful periods, her mood is particularly sensitive or she regularly experiences a loss of libido, particularly around ovulation, encourage her to visit her gynaecologist for a full check-up.
The clinical evidence is now clear - there is a strong link between inflammation (related to chronic medication and disease) and mental health disorders, says Bertola.
There is increasing evidence to show that hormonal imbalance or/and endometriosis could be linked to aggravating and sometimes, even causal factors for depression, anxiety, ADHD and even bipolar disorder.
According to the USA’s National Institute for Health: “After adjustment for birth characteristics and education, women with endometriosis had an increased risk of being later diagnosed with depressive-, anxiety and stress-related disorders, alcohol/drug dependence, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder compared with the general population”
So hormonal balance for her, truly is important.
“There are a disturbing number of supplements that are marketed for hormonal balance. But what hormones are they balancing?” Bertola asks.
Generic hormonal balance supplements tend to perhaps work for healthy individuals, but women who take contraceptive or suffer from any type of endocrine disorder - like PCOS, fibroids, uterine cancer, breast cancer, endometriosis and more - should not be taking generic, hormonal balancing supplements pumped with herbs.
Natural doesn’t mean good - and supplements with many herbs in them are often untested and bad for her.
For instance, if the woman in your life has endometriosis, you want to stay away from supplements that have herbs with strong phytoestrogens, like chasteberry, dong quai and black cohosh, as it may only aggravate her condition.
Not all supplements are created equal, so showing an interest in her health means educating yourself on what supplements she may be taking.
“Without periods, no one would be alive. Women’s health is everybody’s health,” says Bertola.
PMS and menstruation happen every month, somewhat like clockwork. Periods are painful and annoying but often very costly as well.
On top of the cost of pads and tampons, many women have to buy supplements and pain killers to manage their period pain, the fatigue, and all the other side effects that come along with the drop of progesterone in the body.
Support her during this time by bringing her chocolate (great for magnesium and glucose), hot water bottles, natural supplements, pads and things that can make this time of the month a bit easier, and less lonely.
Organisations like the MENstruation Foundation, founded by Siv Ngesi and Marius Basson are doing important work in breaking down the stigma associated with periods and ensuring access to period products.
“You’d be surprised, but at the foundation, men are actually our biggest supporters - it is thanks to men that we help ensure hundreds of thousands of school girls every month with their menstrual care needs.
That’s why I believe that if men treated women’s hormonal health, like their issue, which it is, then we would see a huge change- relationally between men and women and at a bigger health care level,” Bertola says.
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