Women’s Hormones and Their Benefits ~GnRH
“Hormonal, hormonal mess, out-of-whack hormones, hormonal rollercoaster.”
Our hormones have gotten a bit of a bad rep. But did you know that, for example, healthy estrogen levels actually improve your skin, support heart health, and help keep your bones strong?
Though menstruation and (peri)menopause come with their challenges, often the real issue is not that our hormones are out of whack, but that our lifestyle, diet, or level of stress are out of balance. This creates imbalance in different areas of our lives—like our health and hormone levels—causing or exacerbating so-called “hormonal symptoms.”
In this series about hormones I’d love to take you on a journey that will help you see that our hormones aren’t bad. They can do amazing things for us! And by giving your hormones the support they need to remain balanced, you can enjoy their benefits.
Keep in mind that science has only recently started to seriously consider that a woman’s body functions differently from a man’s body. Proper research into women’s health is still relatively new, and a lot more cool stuff will be discovered in the years to come.
But read on to find out what we know already!
Do you first want a little refresh on the natural flow of your cycle? Then go here first.
What Is GnRH Hormone and Why Is It Important
GnRH, gonadotropin-releasing hormone, is one of the big players shaping your menstrual cycle. When its release is dysregulated, things like long cycles or no period at all can happen. But GnRH isn’t just a female hormone—men generate it too.
It is made by specific nerve cells in your hypothalamus. Another hormone, kisspeptin, stimulates GnRH release. For both women and men it’s involved in sexual development and the onset of puberty.
In our teenage years the hypothalamus begins releasing GnRH in pulses. For boys, this pulsing release occurs about every 1.5–2 hours. It stimulates the pituitary to secrete LH and FSH, hormones that support the physical and hormonal journey into manhood—including testosterone production and sperm development.
How GnRH Hormone Affects Your Menstrual Cycle
For girls, the GnRH pulse frequency is more dynamic and plays a vital role in shaping our menstrual cycle:
- Slower GnRH pulses favor the release of FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone), which supports follicle development in the ovaries.
- Faster pulses favor the release of LH (Luteinising Hormone), which leads to ovulation and progesterone production.
This pulse frequency is influenced by the levels of other reproductive hormones like estrogen or prolactin, but also by inflammation, stress, metabolism, your diet, and certain medicines. For example, if you’re not eating enough calories or are deficient in specific nutrients, the hypothalamus can shut down GnRH production.
This is your body’s beautiful inner intelligence at work. By shutting down your hormone production, you are temporarily not fertile. The hypothalamus does this because creating a baby requires a huge amount of calories and nutrients. If you don’t have enough, it is not wise to get pregnant, as it can impact your baby’s development in your belly.
So, in short: GnRH, stimulated by kisspeptin, regulates your cycle—your fertility—by signaling the pituitary gland what amounts of FSH and LH need to be made.
But what happens with GnRH when we reach menopause?
For a long time it was thought that women simply run out of eggs on their way to postmenopause and that, because of this, estrogen slowly declines. As we saw in my previous article, these ideas are now being revised.
Estrogen does not necessarily decline—it often goes up during perimenopause. It can also cary a lot, going from extremely high to very low.
Researchers now think that the ovaries’ functioning declines, and that the communication in the hypothalamus–pituitary–ovary (HPO) axis changes.1
Regarding GnRH: during perimenopause the hypothalamus can quicken its pulse and send out more GnRH. Because ovulation doesn’t always happen anymore in this phase of life, some say that the hypothalamus is sending out more GnRH to try and kickstart ovulation. In postmenopause, however, the pulse decreases, but the amount of GnRH remains high.2
More research is needed before we fully understand what our bodies do during perimenopause and beyond. Luckily, women’s health is finally getting more attention worldwide, and I am excited to see what we will discover.
Non-Reproductive Functions of GnRH
GnRH receptors have been found in other parts of the brain than just the hypothalamus. This has led to the idea that the hormone may be involved in motor functions, learning and memory, that it influences aging, and can potentially even be neuroprotective. This means that it might minimize, for example, the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease.3
Though more studies need to be done to make these findings conclusive, it is clear that GnRH is super important for us. Without it, the sexual development that happens in the womb would be disturbed, puberty would not start, or—when it falters later in life—it would dysregulate your menstrual cycle, aka your fertility.
How to Support Healthy Hormone Balance Naturally
In the previous article, in which I discussed the hormone kisspeptin (which stimulates GnRH release), I highlighted ways you can support your overall wellbeing and your hypothalamus. I mainly discussed a simple healthy diet that provides the calories and nutrients you need.
This diet is of course also valid for GnRH. But besides getting enough proteins, healthy carbs, fats, and fiber, you also need minerals and vitamins. There are a few that are known to be crucial for your hypothalamus and your cycle:
Zinc and Hormone Balance
Zinc is used by more than 300 enzymes in your body! It supports your genes, neurons, and the secretion of GnRH, so yes, you need it.
Magnesium for GnRH production
Magnesium, also used by a large number of enzymes, is essential for protein production—and therefore also GnRH creation (which is a protein). Besides that, it is vital for energy generation, without which nothing gets done in your body.
Iodine for Hormone Balance
Iodine is crucial for thyroid function, which influences the pulse at which GnRH is released. Since this pulse determines whether more LH or more FSH is produced, a deficiency in iodine can disturb this balance, and thus your cycle.
Iron Supports your Hypothalamus
Iron is crucial for oxygen transport in the body and for the functioning of your hypothalamus. It also influences the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine, which modulate GnRH.
B Vitamins Vital for your Genes
Especially B12 and folate (also called B9) are vital for gene functioning in all your body, including in the neurons generating GnRH. Low B12 has been linked to menstrual irregularities in a few studies.
Vitamin D and Fertility
This vitamin can switch certain genes on or off inside the neurons that create GnRH, influencing GnRH production and how well it functions. A deficiency in this vitamin is directly linked to reproductive issues.
Omega-3 for Brain Support
Omega-3 is not a mineral nor a vitamin. It is actually not even one substance. It is the name for a group of essential fatty acids. ‘Essential’ means that we need to get them from our diet, because the body cannot make them from scratch.
These fatty acids are essential for all our cells, and they are particularly good for our brain. Our brain consists mainly of fat and needs a lot of maintenance. So omega-3s also support your hypothalamus.
Conclusion: Supporting Your GnRH and Hormone Health
GnRH is a crucial hormone for women’s health, fertility, and even brain function. From puberty to menopause, it guides your cycle and reproductive wellbeing. The good news is: by eating a nutrient-rich diet and supporting your hypothalamus with the right vitamins and minerals, you can help your hormones stay in balance.
Do you want to know how to easily incorporate the abovementioned nutrients into your daily diet? Book a ‘Bite-size Session‘ today and receive some quick tips to fix your eating habits. Want to go a step further? Let’s schedule a ‘Deep Dive Session‘ in which we uncover the root cause of your health concerns and create a plan to address them
Cover Image: Florida Memory on Unsplash
Woman with Apple: Freepik
Woman with Twig: Yara Amaral on Unsplash
Medical Disclaimer