Hormonal Alchemy: How Your Body Converts One Hormone Into Another (And Why It Matters)

If you’ve ever had lab work done and been told, “Your oestrogen is low,” or “Your testosterone is high,” you might have thought, Great, that means I just need to fix that one hormone, right?

Well… not exactly.

In my experience, so many people come to me hyper-focused on one hormone, trying to “fix” their oestrogen, testosterone, progesterone or thyroid levels in isolation. But the thing is, your hormones don’t operate in isolation. They’re constantly shifting and converting into one another in an internal process that’s happening around the clock.

Yes, testosterone can convert into oestrogen, progesterone can turn into cortisol, and your thyroid hormones shift in response to stress levels. So if you’ve ever wondered why hormone balance feels like a moving target, it’s because it is. And understanding how hormones convert into each other is the key to getting a big-picture view of your health, rather than chasing symptoms one hormone at a time.

🧬 Still trying to fix one hormone at a time?

Your body doesn’t work in isolation and neither should your hormone strategy.

📝 Grab The Hormone Disruptor Audit to uncover the 7 root patterns that silently sabotage your energy, sleep, and metabolism.👉 Get the Audit

Testosterone to Oestrogen: The Aromatase Effect

You might think of testosterone as the male hormone and oestrogen as the female one. In reality, both men and women have (and need) both. What matters is the balance between them.

The body naturally converts testosterone into oestrogen using an enzyme called aromatase. This process is necessary, but when aromatase activity becomes too high (from factors such as chronic stress, excess body fat, alcohol and sugar consumption, inflammation and insulin resistance), it can lead to hormone imbalances.

In women, excess aromatisation can contribute to oestrogen dominance, which often leads to symptoms such as:

💥 Heavy or painful periods

💧 Bloating and water retention

🫧 Breast tenderness

📉 Weight gain, especially around the hips and thighs

😠 Mood swings and irritability

In men, too much testosterone-to-oestrogen conversion can result in:

😴 Fatigue and low motivation

🏋️ Loss of muscle mass and increased body fat

💔 Low libido

🌪️ Mood changes, including increased irritability

(Backed by research in this clinical study on aromatase and oestrogen imbalance.)

Progesterone to Cortisol: When Stress Steals Your Hormones

Progesterone is known for its calming and balancing effects. It helps regulate the menstrual cycle, promotes relaxation, and counteracts excess oestrogen. But when the body is under chronic stress, it often redirects progesterone to make cortisol, your primary stress hormone.

This is called the "pregnenolone steal". Your body prioritises cortisol production over reproductive hormone balance. Over time, this leads to low progesterone levels and symptoms such as:

📉 Shortened or irregular cycles

🌙 Difficulty sleeping or frequent nighttime wake-ups

💭 Anxiety, mood swings and increased PMS

🏃‍♀️ Increased belly fat due to high cortisol levels

Because progesterone and cortisol share the same precursor hormone, stress always takes priority. The body sees survival as more important than reproduction, so it shifts hormone production accordingly.

This is why managing stress is essential for hormone balance. Without addressing cortisol, boosting progesterone (naturally or with supplements) will only go so far.

(As outlined in this study on stress and hormone conversion.)

📋 The Hormone Disruptor Audit helps you identify the stress patterns behind stubborn symptoms like fatigue, weight gain and anxiety.👉 Get the Audit

Thyroid Hormones and the Stress Response

Your thyroid regulates metabolism, energy, digestion and temperature. It produces T4 (inactive thyroid hormone), which must be converted into T3 (active thyroid hormone) for your body to use it efficiently.

When stress is high, cortisol can block this conversion. Instead of creating usable T3, the body may shift T4 into reverse T3, an inactive version that slows everything down to protect you.

You might notice:

🛌 Constant fatigue, even when you’re getting enough sleep

🧊 Cold hands and feet, feeling cold often

🍽️ Slow digestion, bloating

⚖️ Weight gain despite eating well

💇 Hair thinning or dry skin

This explains why so many thyroid symptoms are stress-related. Medication alone often doesn’t resolve the deeper issue.

📝 The Hormone Disruptor Audit helps reveal the hidden drivers behind slow thyroid and low energy, even when your tests look “normal”.👉 Get the Audit

How to Support Healthy Hormone Conversion

Rather than focusing on one hormone, the key is to support how your body naturally moves hormones along. These pathways are built to adapt, they just need the right conditions.

🌿 To reduce excess oestrogen from aromatase:

• Prioritise protein and fibre to support detox

• Eat zinc-rich foods like pumpkin seeds and grass-fed beef

• Limit sugar and alcohol• Build in regular strength training

😌 To protect progesterone during stress:

• Practice calming movement like yoga or walking

• Eat more healthy fats (avocados, nuts, olive oil)

• Ease off intense exercise if you feel depleted

• Consider magnesium and vitamin B6 to support natural levels

🔥 To protect thyroid function:

• Keep blood sugar steady with balanced meals

• Avoid under-eating or extreme fasting

• Eat foods rich in iodine and selenium (seaweed, Brazil nuts, wild fish)

• Prioritise sleep - your thyroid needs rhythm

You don’t need to chase one hormone or number. Hormones are constantly responding to your environment, the more you work with your body, the more it can respond with balance.

✨ If you're ready for a personalised plan to rebalance your hormones, book a free discovery call and let's talk about where to start.

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