Hormones are chemical messengers that are produced by glands in our body. They travel through our bloodstream to different organs and tissues, where they help make all the bodily functions carry on optimally! They’ll support and control pretty much everything, including  growth, metabolism, reproduction, mood, and more. 

Hormones are like the body’s communication system, making sure all the processes work together in harmony! So, if your hormones are imbalanced, you can feel its effects throughout your body. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is an endocrine condition, which means it’s all about the hormones! Cysters experience all sorts of hormonal imbalances that contribute to symptoms like irregular periods, hair loss, acne, weight gain, mood issues, fatigue, and a whole lot more. 

Thankfully, there are a lot of natural methods of balancing hormones that don’t have any side effects! A balanced diet, slow-weighted exercise, supplements, and a few lifestyle changes can make a HUGE difference and help you reverse your PCOS. Beyond that, there are a lot of things you can do to support that natural healing journey like meditating, eating certain herbs, spending time in nature, and drinking certain teas! The last one is what I am talking about today!  

There are quite a few teas that can help balance hormones and relieve PCOS symptoms. They’ll help you get the most out of your PCOS reversal efforts! So, I’ll give you some of my top tea recommendations and break down the different types of tea you’ll see out there. 

Here’s the tea: 

8 Hormone Balancing Teas

Spearmint Tea

Spearmint tea has been shown to have anti-androgenic effects. That means it can help balance high levels of testosterone and other male sex hormones in a Cyster’s body. This is beneficial to support women’s health because high androgens can trigger a lot of symptoms Cysters deal with like hair loss, excessive body hair growth, infertility, irregular menstrual cycles, acne, weight gain, mood problems, and more. It is recommended to drink 3 cups of spearmint tea per day to see the anti-androgenic effects!

Nettle Tea

Research suggests that nettle tea may help regulate blood sugar levels, which could be beneficial for managing PCOS symptoms. Nettle tea contains compounds that may have anti-inflammatory effects, which could help alleviate inflammatory symptoms like cystic acne, bloating and fatigue.

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory effects that can help reduce stress in women with PCOS. You may find that you’re constantly feeling anxious, fatigued and just drained. Try a cup of chamomile tea at night before you go to bed to help you wind down and get a good night’s rest. Reducing your cortisol, stress hormone, at night will help you get better quality sleep and wake up feeling energized.

Milk Thistle Tea 

Milk thistle tea is another great tea option to promote liver functioning! Remember, when your liver is healthy, your body can more effectively flush out toxins and expel excess hormones. The active ingredient silymarin is what’s responsible for milk thistle tea’s liver supporting benefits. It’s also anti-inflammatory, which further supports hormone balance! 

Lemon Balm Tea

Lemon balm herbal tea has a more indirect impact on hormones, but it can still help support your PCOS health goals! Studies show that lemon balm tea can have a calming and stress-reducing effect. 

Stress produces a hormone called cortisol that can send lots of hormones out of whack! High cortisol can also worsen inflammation and insulin resistance, worsening other PCOS symptoms. Stress management is super important for your healing journey and it seems lemon balm tea can help! 

Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is another tea that can indirectly improve hormone levels by reducing inflammation. Inflammation puts your whole body in fight-or-flight as your immune system attacks your healthy cells. High insulin resistance can disrupt hormones, causing symptoms like lowered immunity, fatigue, digestive issues, skin problems, and mood swings. So, keeping inflammation down is key for symptom reversal and hormone balance!  

Matcha

Matcha is a type of green tea that can help with hormone balance in lots of ways! First of all, it can relieve inflammation and high insulin levels, just like ginger. It also helps reduce stress hormone levels and boosts your overall liver health! Since the liver is essential for hormone production and management, a healthy liver is essentials to keep hormones levels on track. Lastly, matcha has a high antioxidant content to improve the health of endocrine glands, which are also essential for hormone production and regulation! Here’s more on matcha for PCOS.

Red Raspberry Leaf

Red raspberry leaf tea is a favorite for women looking to support reproductive health. It can help relieve menstrual cramps and ease heavy bleeding, which is especially helpful for Cysters who struggle with difficult periods. This tea also tones the uterus, supporting menstrual health and preparing the body for labor.

While it doesn’t directly balance hormones, it can indirectly support hormonal balance. Many PCOS hormonal imbalances stem from irregular menstrual cycles. By helping to regulate periods, red raspberry leaf tea can contribute to overall reproductive hormone balance.

Additionally, this tea is rich in nutrients like vitamins A, C, E, B-complex, magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium. The vitamins and minerals support overall health with these nutrients helps your body properly maintain hormone production and regulation.

Testosterone Relief Tea

This is THE best tea for hormone balance with PCOS. As you can see, there are a lot of teas that could benefit your PCOS body. However, you’re not going to be drinking 12 different teas a day, probably! So, a tea blend can work wonders to get your hormones regulated and relieve your PCOS symptoms. My Testosterone Relief Tea from my Ovafit supplement line has been specifically curated to help Cysters reduce their androgen levels through its intelligent blend of beneficial teas.

This blend includes spearmint tea, lemon balm tea, orange peel tea, chamomile tea, rosehip tea, peppermint tea, cinnamon tea, nettle tea, lavender tea, and calendula tea. And, yes, it’s still tasty! The Testosterone Relief Tea comes in plastic-free tea bags that are sustainable and totally healthy to use (no microplastics here.) Additionally, this tea is free of caffeine, refined-sugar, additives, or preservatives. Again, that means it only supports your PCOS healing journey! No detractors! Try it out for 30 days and see if you feel a difference in your PCOS symptoms stemming from high androgens.

4 Ways to Drink Tea

Pre-Bagged Tea

Pre-bagged tea is the easiest way to make sure you are getting your tea in your daily routine. Just throw it in your purse and whip it out next time you’re at a coffee shop, instead of ordering more caffeine you can choose tea to help improve your hormone health. However, make sure that the tea bags are not made of micro plastics! Be sure that you are choosing plant based bags, the last thing we need is more BPA and endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Instant Tea

Instant tea is brewed, concentrated, dried, and powdered, allowing it to be stirred directly into hot water without brewing. It’s definitely one of the easiest ways to drink tea, but the tea can lose a lot of nutritional value and flavor through the extensive processing. 

Loose-Leaf Tea

Loose-leaf tea is one of the best ways to get full-benefit from your tea while also getting some great flavor! It comes in bags or tins of loose tea leaves that you have to portion and brew on your own. This requires some basic tea-making tools like an infuser, thermometer, measuring spoons, etc. Loose-leaf tea tends to be more expensive and not everyone likes the lengthy brewing process, but it is one of the best ways to absorb the health benefits.  

Crystalized Tea 

Crystallized tea is similar to the process of drinking instant tea. You get the tea in biodegradable bags and you measure out the amount you need and mix it right into your water, cold or hot.

Tea is a great way to support your symptom-free PCOS goals! 

PCOS can be difficult to manage, but with a few lifestyle changes and the support of healthy teas, you can start seeing symptom relief. For more on how to see a full reversal of your PCOS, check out the blog, listen to the podcast, and download The Cysterhood app! I’m a Registered Dietitian with PCOS myself and I’m here with my community to help you find healing and happiness with polycystic ovarian syndrome. You can do this!