This naturopath's hormone 'fixes' need more evidence

What did @natural.dr.stephanie actually say?

The creator, identifying as a naturopathic doctor, laid out a two-part protocol for "fixing hormonal imbalances naturally." For estrogen, she recommended magnesium, B6, methylated B vitamins, DIM (diindolylmethane), and calcium d-glucarate to support what she called "phase one and phase two detoxification." For progesterone, she pointed to inositol (calling it "phytex or an acetol") to strengthen the brain-ovary connection and a list of adaptogens, including passion flower, holy basil, licorice, ginseng, and eleuthero, to manage cortisol and support ovulation. Her framing is that estrogen dominance and poor progesterone production are the root causes of PMS, and that these supplements can smooth hormonal fluctuations across the cycle.

The protocol sounds organized and clinical. It borrows real biochemistry language. But borrowing the vocabulary of evidence-based medicine is not the same as having the evidence.

Does the science back this up?

Partially, and with meaningful caveats. Inositol has the strongest evidence here. DIM and calcium d-glucarate have some plausible mechanisms but thin human trial data. The adaptogen list is where things get shaky fast.

On inositol: a 2019 meta-analysis by Unfer et al. in Frontiers in Endocrinology found myo-inositol improved ovulation rates and hormonal markers in women with PCOS. That is real data. But it applies specifically to PCOS, not to all women experiencing PMS or general "hormone imbalance." The creator's framing generalizes this benefit to a much broader population without flagging that distinction.

On DIM: it does influence estrogen metabolism in lab and animal studies, shifting 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone toward 2-hydroxyestrone, a pathway considered more favorable. But human randomized controlled trial data is limited. A 2014 study by Thomson et al. in Nutrition and Cancer showed some urinary estrogen metabolite changes in postmenopausal women, but clinical outcomes like PMS reduction were not measured.

Calcium d-glucarate supports glucuronidation, a real phase-two liver pathway. The evidence in humans is mostly preclinical. Claiming this "should take care of a lot of PMS symptoms" is an overreach the data does not support.

The adaptogens are a mixed bag. Ashwagandha has better cortisol data than anything on her list. Holy basil and passion flower have small, often industry-funded studies. Licorice root raises blood pressure with regular use and interacts with several medications. Presenting this stack without those safety caveats is a real omission.

What did they get wrong (or right)?

She got the basic physiology right: chronic stress does suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, and cortisol dysregulation can blunt progesterone production. That mechanism is well-established. The connection between ovulation and progesterone production is also accurate. Giving credit where it is due, the framing around stress and ovulation is one of the more evidence-adjacent things a wellness creator has said on this topic.

What she got wrong: the phrase "fix hormone imbalances" sets an expectation no supplement stack has been shown to meet. "Estrogen dominance" is used clinically but is not a standardized diagnosis with agreed-upon lab criteria. Presenting it as a common, clearly defined condition glosses over real diagnostic complexity.

The adaptogen list is presented as interchangeable stress support, but licorice root (glycyrrhiza) has documented risks. Regular use can cause hypokalemia and hypertension through mineralocorticoid effects. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements flags this explicitly. Dropping licorice into a casual supplement list with no warning is not responsible clinical communication.

Also worth flagging: the creator mispronounced or garbled "inositol" as "an acetol" and referenced "phytex" without clarification. If patients search those terms, they may not find what she intended.

What should you actually know?

Hormonal symptoms like PMS, cycle irregularity, and fatigue have real, testable causes. Before building a supplement protocol, you should know your actual hormone levels, ideally tested at the right phase of your cycle, not just assume "estrogen dominance" is the problem.

Inositol is the most defensible supplement here for women with PCOS-related ovulatory dysfunction. The evidence is reasonably solid for that specific population. For everyone else, the benefit is much less clear.

DIM and calcium d-glucarate are low-risk for most healthy adults, but calling them a fix for PMS is ahead of the evidence. They may influence estrogen metabolism markers without meaningfully changing symptoms.

Licorice root should not be used casually or long-term without medical supervision. Full stop. Anyone with blood pressure concerns or taking antihypertensives, diuretics, or corticosteroids should avoid it.

If you have a real hormonal imbalance, meaning documented by lab work, a naturopathic or conventional provider should be working with you on that specifically. TikTok supplement stacks are not a substitute for a diagnosis.