How Eating More Leafy Greens Can Support Your Hormones

You’ve likely heard that leafy greens provide lots of vitamins, minerals and gut-friendly fiber, but there is a lesser-known benefit that can come with regularly eating cruciferous veggies: hormonal support.

But how much can it really help? And is it worth it to have a side of broccoli or a salad with every meal? 

How leafy greens influence hormone health

If you’re in or approaching perimenopause, you and your doctor have probably discussed how your estrogen and progesterone levels will decrease as you approach menopause. You might have some symptoms like vaginal dryness, changes in your mood or sleep, or the dreaded hot flashes.

But if you’re not too thrilled about the idea of taking hormones, your doctor might suggest other options to try, first, like more exercise and strength training, getting enough sleep or making some changes to your diet.

One of those suggested dietary changes? Adding more yummy leafy greens to your plate (because yes, they can be yummy).  

Judy Simon, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian at the Nutrition Clinic at UW Medical Center – Roosevelt, explains that cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and cabbage, contain a natural plant compound called glucosinolates. After these glucosinolates are metabolized, they can gently influence how your body processes estrogen.

To break that down a little more (no pun intended), the glucosinolates in cruciferous veggies are metabolized in your gut and are absorbed into your body, which then causes your liver to convert the estrogen in your body into a less active form.  

And when eaten regularly, the metabolized glucosinolates from these vegetables may have a mild effect on hormone-related symptoms — particularly before and around menopause — when your body’s natural estrogen levels fluctuate, says Simon.

Cruciferous vegetables that can support hormone health

Wondering which greens to add to cart the next time you make a grocery run? Try adding these sides to your dinner menu:

• Kale
• Collard greens
• Bok choy
• Arugula
• Watercress
• Mustard greens  
• Cabbage
• Broccoli or broccoli rabe  
• Turnip leaves

One thing to keep in mind when adding more greens to your diet: Not everyone will receive the same hormonal benefit from eating cruciferous vegetables, and you can blame that on your gut bacteria.

“Some people have specific bacteria in their digestive system that convert these plant compounds into more active forms, while others don’t,” says Simon. “This explains why some women notice benefits from eating these foods while others experience little effect.”

How much it actually affects you also depends on how many greens you eat in a day or week, your metabolism and where you are in life.

But whether or not you notice a mild improvement in some of your perimenopause symptoms after adding more cruciferous vegetables to your dinner menu, it’s still safe and healthy to do.

Eating more leafy greens vs. hormone therapy

When you’re going through perimenopause and menopause, your estrogen and progesterone levels significantly drop. With traditional hormone therapy, you’re typically given a pill, patch or cream to replace these hormones, helping you maintain a healthy hormone balance.  

While your leafy greens can provide some hormonal benefits, the effects are nothing like hormone therapy, says Simon. However, that doesn’t mean you should avoid adding more greens to your diet if you’re already on hormone therapy.

“It’s completely fine, and in some cases, encouraged, to add green leafy vegetables to your diet,” says Simon. “It won’t influence your hormones so much that it’ll leave you out of balance if you’re doing both.”

In addition to the gentle benefits you get from these leafy greens, these plants also add fiber to your diet, which helps with your hormone health, too.

“Fiber from plant food helps reduce excess estrogen and testosterone in women,” says Simon. “Eating more fiber can support gut health, reduce inflammation — especially with those who have endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome — and reduce elevated estrogen levels.”

This is because fiber acts as a binding agent in your digestive tract, helping your body get rid of excess hormones that can contribute to some of the not-so-fun symptoms you experience during perimenopause.

A side of greens, please

Ultimately, adding cruciferous veggies alone to your diet isn’t a cure-all for your perimenopausal symptoms, but the goal is to add what you can into your daily routine to help your symptoms feel more manageable.  

Try making about half your dinner plate leafy and green to get as much nutritional value as possible. Lightly sautéing, roasting or steaming them can make it easier for your body to digest, plus you can experiment with some tasty recipes this way.

Finally, make sure you’re talking with your doctor about any perimenopausal symptoms you’re having and what the best treatment plan looks like for you.

And in the meantime, it won’t hurt to add some extra green veggies to your cart during your next grocery run. Because even if your hormones need more help than just leafy greens, your body will thank you for the nutrients anyway.