Can Healthy Fats Help Balance Your Hormones After 40?
Hormones often feel like an unsolvable mystery — especially in midlife. One minute you’re sleeping fine, the next you’re wide awake at 3am. Your skin’s suddenly dry. Moods feel unpredictable. Your appetite changes from day to day. Today’s focus? Healthy fats for hormone balance after 40.
Midlife Hormones: Why They Shift (and What You Can Do)
In your 40s, your hormones begin a natural — but sometimes turbulent — shift as your body transitions into perimenopause and eventually menopause:
- Levels of oestrogen and progesterone start to fluctuate and gradually decline, impacting everything from mood and memory to metabolism, sleep, skin and even joint health
- Cortisol (your stress hormone) can become more reactive
- Insulin sensitivity can drop and your overall inflammatory response may increase
These changes often explain the sudden appearance of symptoms like hot flushes, anxiety, stubborn weight gain and fatigue — even when your lifestyle hasn’t changed.
Here’s the good news: nutrition can play a powerful role in supporting these shifts. And one of the most effective — and underrated — tools in your nutritional toolkit is your intake of dietary fats and oils.
Let’s explore how, after the age of 40, prioritising dietary fats for hormone balance can help you feel more grounded, supported and in sync with your changing body.
Why Fat Is the Building Block of Hormonal Balance
Your hormones are made from cholesterol and fat. So when your diet lacks quality fats for hormone support, your body may struggle to produce and regulate key hormones — especially during the hormonal rollercoaster of your 40s and 50s.
Getting enough of the right fats can:
- Support the natural production of oestrogen and progesterone
- Help stabilise cortisol and reduce the impact of chronic stress
- Improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar balance
- Provide anti-inflammatory benefits that ease symptoms like PMS, cramps, hot flushes and mood swings
In other words, including good fats for hormone balance after 40 isn’t just helpful — it’s fundamental!
Your hormones aren’t broken — they’re just undernourished.
5 Everyday Fats for Hormone Balance After 40
There are many regular foods that contain the fats and oils that help support hormonal health naturally. We’ll break down some hormone-friendly favourites, and why they matter here.
Flaxseed: High in omega-3 fatty acids and fibre, flaxseed can support oestrogen balance and help reduce inflammation. Flaxseeds also contain lignans — plant compounds that have a gentle, natural effect on hormone metabolism.
Oily Fish: Salmon, sardines, mackerel and anchovies are rich in EPA and DHA — two powerful omega-3s that support brain health, calm inflammation, and help stabilise mood and hormones.
Avocado: Loaded with monounsaturated fats, avocados help support oestrogen production, while also nourishing skin and supporting cardiovascular health.
Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet. It’s rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, and can help protect against heart disease and support hormone function.
Walnuts: A plant-based source of omega-3s, walnuts also contain polyphenols that may help regulate oestrogen levels and protect the brain as hormones fluctuate.
5 Simple Ways to Add Hormone-Friendly Fats to Your Day
What do these everyday fats look like on your plate? Here are some easy ideas to incorporate them into your meals and snacks:
Stir a spoonful of flaxseed into your porridge, yogurt or even eggs at breakfast
Eat a palm-sized portion of oily fish like salmon or sardines 2-3 times a week
Add half an avocado to a salad, sandwich or smoothie, or simply eaten with a pinch of sea salt
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on roasted veggies, soups or fresh greens
Snack on a handful of walnuts paired with a piece of fruit or crunchy raw vegetable
These healthy fats are ideal for hormone balance after 40, but they also support your wellbeing from head to toe — from your brain to your skin to your sleep.
They can help calm your nervous system, sharpen focus, boost energy, and bring a sense of steadiness — especially when everything else feels like it’s shifting.
The Bottom Line
Your hormones aren’t broken — they’re just undernourished. Balancing them doesn’t start with expensive supplements or rigid food rules. It begins with what’s already on your plate.
Choosing quality fats for hormone support can help calm inflammation, lift your mood and give your body the steady fuel it needs to move through this chapter with strength and clarity.
Small shifts add up. One spoonful, drizzle or snack at a time.
Fats and oils to improve hormone balance. The foods you choose do have an impact on your hormone production and can help with the natural fluctuations that happen as you age, and how you feel as a result.
I’ve shared 5 simple ways to get more hormone-friendly fats into your diet on a daily basis… From flaxseeds at breakfast, to nuts and veg as a satisfying snack.
Which of these 5 will you try first?
Image credit: Towfiqu Barbhuiya, Unsplash