Hormones play a powerful role in how we feel, move, think, and heal. Today we’re starting a discussion over Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) — what it is, when it’s commonly used, potential long-term considerations, and how you can support your body’s natural hormone balance.

Hormone Replacement Therapy involves supplementing hormones the body produces less of over time. In women, this most often includes estrogen and progesterone during perimenopause and menopause. In men, HRT commonly involves testosterone replacement when levels are clinically low.

HRT is frequently used to help reduce hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, vaginal dryness, bone loss, fatigue, low libido, and mood changes.

While HRT can be helpful, it’s important to understand how hormones function in the body. Hormones operate through feedback loops between the brain, nervous system, and endocrine organs. When hormones are supplied from outside the body, the brain may reduce its own signaling to produce them naturally.

For many individuals, this suppression is reversible. However, longer-term use can make it harder for the body to restart natural hormone production because of its effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-endocrine axis, which is why some people feel worse when attempting to stop therapy. HRT may relieve symptoms but does not address the root causes such as chronic stress, poor sleep, inflammation, blood sugar imbalance, or nervous system overload.

Research has shown that timing, dose, and type of HRT matter greatly Potential risks include:

• Increased risk of blood clot

• Stroke

• Elevated blood pressure

• Changes in cholesterol profiles

These risks appear higher when:

• HRT is started later in life

• Synthetic hormones are used

• Higher doses are prescribed

• There is a history of cardiovascular disease, smoking, or obesity

Testosterone therapy in men can also:

• Increase red blood cell count (polycythemia), which

• Thickens the blood and

• Increases cardiovascular strain or heart function if not monitored carefully

Then there’s the topic of cancer risk — and this is where nuance matters.

• Combined estrogen–progestin therapy has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer with long-term use.

• Estrogen-only therapy (in women without a uterus) carries a different risk profile.

• Testosterone therapy may stimulate prostate tissue, especially in predisposed individuals.

It’s important to clarify:

HRT does not “cause cancer out of nowhere,” but it can accelerate growth of hormone-sensitive tissues if abnormal cells are already present.

Metabolism is another area that doesn’t get talked about enough. Hormones influence how we store fat, regulate blood sugar, and even how our thyroid functions. Many patients are surprised to learn that HRT can sometimes:

• Increase insulin resistance

• Promote fat storage

• Cause water retention and bloating

• Alter thyroid hormone conversion

While some people lose weight initially due to improved energy, others experience:

• Central fat gain

• Increased cravings

• Difficulty maintaining metabolic balance

If diet, stress, and movement are not optimized, HRT can unintentionally worsen metabolic dysfunction rather than fix them. Hormones do not work in isolation. They are deeply influenced by the nervous system. Chronic stress, poor sleep, and unresolved tension can disrupt hormone signaling long before lab values change.

Long-term reliance on external hormones may bypass normal neuro-endocrine communication, reducing the body’s adaptability and resilience over time. Supporting nervous system health is key to long-term hormonal balance. Your daily habits have a powerful impact on hormone health.

Nutrition

• Prioritize healthy fats (omega-3s, nuts, seeds) as hormone building blocks

• Include protein at every meal to support metabolism and muscle

• Support stable blood sugar to reduce hormonal disruption

Lifestyle

• Quality sleep helps regulate cortisol, insulin, and sex hormones

• Stress management is essential for hormonal signaling

• Resistance training supports testosterone and growth hormone

• Cardiovascular exercise improves insulin sensitivity

Chiropractic care doesn’t replace hormones — it supports the systems that regulate them. By improving spinal alignment and nervous system function, chiropractic care helps reduce chronic stress, improve adaptability, and create an internal environment where the body can better regulate itself.

HRT is not one-size-fits-all. Whether someone chooses hormone therapy or not, lifestyle, nutrition, sleep, and nervous system care are powerful tools for supporting long-term hormone health.

God designed the body with an incredible capacity to heal and adapt. When we support the systems He created, we often discover just how resilient the body was meant to be.

Dr. Allison