Hormones & Your Gut
It’s not all in your head, there’s a very clear link between your hormones being out of whack and your gut.
A Healthy Gut
Let’s start from the beginning, scientists are still working out what exactly a healthy gut looks like, but we do know have a diverse gut microbiome is associated with good health, this is achieved by eating a variety of plant foods (fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes & wholegrains), these provide fibre, polyphenols and good (anti-inflammatory) fats. Goodbye boring chicken, rice & broccoli.
We should be aiming for at least 30 different types of plant foods each week. If your gut microbiome is functionally properly, it should be able to regulate your hormone levels efficiently. If you still feel your hormones are off balance, it might call for some exploration of other areas of how your body produces, regulates or removes hormones.
How your Gut keeps Hormone levels Normal
Meet the Estrobolome. This is the group of microbes responsible for regulating the last phase of estrogen metabolism in your gut. When estrogen leaves the liver, it has changed it’s molecular shape & therefore the body doesn’t recognise it as estrogen & it can not have its usual estrogen effect on the body & we excrete it out, keeping levels in balance.
Signs of High Estrogen Levels
The estrobolome also produces an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, which has the ability to change the shape of estrogen back to its original form and therefore the body recognises it & reabsorbs it, resulting in higher estrogen levels.
If a gut microbiome is not diverse, it may produce more beta-glucuronidase and therefore allow estrogen to be reabsorbed back into the body rather than excreted, leading to an imbalance in hormones.
Less diverse gut microbiome = more beta-glucuronidase = more estrogen being reabsorbed = estrogen dominance
The Gut, PCOS & Endo Relationship
Research shows women with PCOS have a less diverse gut microbiome than those without PCOS, also, Endometriosis is a condition of estrogen dominance & ~81% of women with Endometriosis have Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
The Big Take-away
Essentially, to get your gut keeping your hormone levels in check we need to be eating a variety of plant foods & making a visit to the bathroom everyday! See below for some easy swaps to get you to this goal!
How to support a Healthy Gut
Eat at least 30 different plant foods each week this includes wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds & legumes. An easy way to do this is to go for mixes (wholegrain mix, mixed fruit, mixed nuts, 4-bean mix beans, salad mix bag)
Drink enough water
Get at least 8 hours a night sleep - our gut bugs need some R&R too
Avoid antibiotics (within reason)
Manage your stress levels
Address food sensitivities
Swap inflammatory to anti-inflammatory foods in your diet (sorry the gut bugs don’t like fried, salty & ultra-processed foods)
Move your body, your gut is a muscle which needs feels good after a workout too, preferably outside amongst nature!
Majority of women I work with will ask if there’s a link, so I hope you found this helpful in understanding there’s a clear link & steps you can take today to help keep your hormone levels in check.
Sarah x
