Liver + Gut Health = estrogen balance.
If you’ve ended up on this page from the Estrogen Dominance & Deficiency Post, then well done. 👏🏽That was a juicy read, I know!!
So, following on from that…
The liver plays a crucial role in detoxifying and processing estrogen in the body.
Why healthy liver function is essential for estrogen balance
〰️
Why healthy liver function is essential for estrogen balance 〰️
Estrogen Metabolism: The liver metabolizes estrogen through a series of enzymatic reactions. One pathway involves the conversion of estradiol, the primary form of estrogen, into estrone, a weaker form of estrogen, and then into estriol, a relatively inactive form. This process helps regulate estrogen levels and prevent estrogen dominance.
Detoxification: The liver is responsible for detoxifying harmful substances, including excess estrogen, from the body. It does this by breaking down estrogen molecules into smaller, water-soluble compounds that can be easily excreted through urine or bile. This prevents estrogen from accumulating in the bloodstream and tissues, reducing the risk of estrogen-related health issues.
Bile Production: Bile, produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder, plays a critical role in the elimination of estrogen metabolites from the body. Bile helps emulsify fats and fat-soluble compounds, including estrogen metabolites, allowing them to be transported to the intestines for excretion.
Gut Health: The health of the gut microbiota, the community of microorganisms living in the digestive tract, also influences estrogen metabolism. The liver interacts with the gut microbiota to metabolise estrogen and facilitate its elimination. Disruption of gut microbiota balance, such as dysbiosis or intestinal permeability (leaky gut), can impair estrogen metabolism and lead to estrogen dominance.
Hormone Balance: Healthy liver function helps maintain overall hormone balance by regulating the metabolism and clearance of not only estrogen but also other hormones like progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol. Imbalances in these hormones can affect estrogen levels and contribute to estrogen dominance.
Lifestyle changes for a healthier liver
〰️
Lifestyle changes for a healthier liver 〰️
Excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, medication use, environmental toxins, and certain medical conditions can impair liver function and compromise its ability to detoxify and process estrogen effectively.
Supporting liver health through lifestyle modifications such as eating a balanced diet rich in antioxidants and fiber, staying hydrated, limiting alcohol intake, managing stress, and avoiding exposure to toxins can help optimize estrogen metabolism and promote hormone balance.
Additionally, incorporating liver-supportive nutrients and herbs, like Milk Thistle, Turmeric, Dandelion Root, and Cruciferous vegetables, can further support liver function and estrogen detoxification.
In regards to the importance of Gut health and regulating hormones, one way is through something called the estrobolome.
The estrobolome is a group of helpful bacteria that are particularly good at breaking down toxic/excess estrogen and also activating helpful estrogen.
Research is finding that an imbalanced estrobolome can lead to either detoxifying estrogen too quickly (resulting in too little) or not detoxifying enough (resulting in too much.)