Hormonal imbalance is necessary to have optimal brain function. A deficiency of certain hormones can cause significant changes in mental focus and processing.
Is This You?
• Difficulty focusing at work or home
• Forgetting people’s names
• Snapping at co-workers or loved ones quickly
• Feeling like you’ve lost parts of your memory
• Mental fog
• Decreased mental sharpness
• Unable to focus
• Short term memory loss
• Feeling depressed
Hormone imbalance can cause a wide range of symptoms. Unfortunately, many women chalk it up to poor sleep, getting run down, or just getting older. That may be the case, but in most instances, hormone deficiency can be the underlying cause.
Estrogen and brain circuitry
Estrogen and progesterone balance is also crucial for proper brain functioning and healthy neurotransmitter levels. Any woman who has experienced sugar cravings, bouts of fatigue or extreme mood swings as part of PMS, knows instinctively that estrogen and progesterone influence how you feel and think.
The effects of hormones on cognitive processes are being scrutinized more closely by the medical research community as recent studies show correlations between estrogen levels and the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Estradiol in particular appears to have a potent neuroprotective, antioxidant effect, preventing our neurons from oxidative damage and early death. Studies are showing that estrogen in general profoundly impacts mental agility by helping the brain strengthen and expand the nerve endings — dendrites — that complete the final, crucial steps in cognitive functions. Estrogens help connect the little wires in our brains to make processes like memory, reasoning, and mood run smoothly.
So, it makes perfect sense that as estrogen levels shift during perimenopause and menopause, memory and attention may wax and wane. Managing those extreme swings in estrogen in the 40-‘s and early 50’s can keep you mentally on your game more consistently.
3 Common Deficiencies that Decrease Mental Focus:
Along with the fact that many women were either told it is in their head or are on anti-depressants, the next most common deficiencies we see are:
1. Hypothyroidism – Low Thyroid in many cases causes mental fog, depression, concentration issues and short term memory loss.
2. Testosterone – Testosterone, especially free testosterone, has a direct impact on brain activity and cognition
3. Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone Imbalance – All three of these hormones act directly on nerve cells in the brain, facilitating neurotransmission, protecting those cells from attack by neurotoxins and free radicals, and enhancing blood flow of the brain. When there is an imbalance, there is a measurable drop in cognition, mental focus, and ability to sustain concentration.
Chill Out . . . Progesterone to the Rescue
Progesterone calms the brain. By connecting with the brains GABA receptors, the feel-good, calming neurotransmitters are released which helps bring on a state of calm.
It is NOT in Your Head.
Whether you feel you have lost a step mentally or feel like you are losing your mind . . . never ignore those symptoms. Your body is telling you there is something wrong. Don’t stop until you find the answer.
We hope to be a resource of information to empower you to have conversations with your doctor. Download our free eBook, available instantly, and begin a better understanding of the hormone balance and how to detect those subtle imbalances early on.
You are right there . . . that point in your life when you know the most and can make things happen . . . ReVitalize your body so you do it all.