The connection between gut health and hormone balance
By now, you’ve probably heard that both gut health and hormone health are important, but the two are also inextricably linked.
In fact, many hormone imbalances begin in the gut, and the gut has a powerful impact on our hormones.
How gut health impacts our hormone health:
+ The gut houses 70-80% of our immune system, which if disrupted or inflamed can lead to autoimmune conditions and hormone imbalances
+ Contains a group of bacteria known as the estrobolome, which is responsible for metabolising and eliminating oestrogen from the body
+ Absorbs nutrients from our food/supplements in order to synthesise hormones
+ Supports the elimination of toxins and chemicals that can otherwise lead to hormone imbalances
+ Works to keep blood sugar in check, critical for hormone balance
+Healthy gut flora is required for thyroid hormone conversion (approximately 20% of it takes place in your gut)
How our hormone health affects our gut health:
+Both oestrogen and progesterone impact gut motility & peristalsis – the movement of the intestines that directs food from your stomach down through your intestines
+Because hormones control the release of bile, too much oestrogen can reduce bile flow. In turn, low bile flow leads to excess oestrogen, and the cycle starts again.
To make it simple:
Too much oestrogen → too little bile → increased risk of GI infections, acne, PMS symptoms, and constipation
Too much oestrogen → damaged bile salt export pump (BSEP) → too much bile inside liver → increased risk of fat indigestion, heartburn, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea
+Cortisol and adrenaline are well-known stress hormones. To help your body respond to stress, the amounts of these hormones get higher when you are more stressed. The high levels negatively affect not only digestion but also the absorption of nutrients
This is by no means a full list of connections however it give you an idea of the strong connection between our gut health and our hormone balance. It is why a holistic approach is so important because you can't address one without the other.
I am a registered Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist and specialist in Clinical Paediatric Nutrition. If you are interested in starting Nutritional Therapy for yourself, your family or your child then please contact me for more information/FREE discovery call or you can check out my services on my website.
