Dr. Angela and I see many women for hormone imbalance problems. These range from thyroid disorders to PMS, severe menopausal symptoms, polycystic ovarian syndrome, breast cancer, endometriosis, infertility, and others. One of the areas we investigate for hormone imbalance is gut health.
You may be wondering what gut health has to do with hormone balance? Research continues to show that gut health is interconnected with all the systems of the body. For example, researchers in the Journal of Biological Chemistry report a connection between the gut microbiome and women’s hormonal disorders, including breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. The estrobolome refers to the gut bacteria genes which are involved in estrogen metabolism. The researched mechanism involves the gut microbiome influencing gut enzymes that reactivate certain estrogens to be recirculated in the body instead of being broken down and excreted. As a result, there is higher blood levels of active estrogens which may activate estrogen receptors with common female conditions.Another example of the gut-hormone link involves the most common cause of hypothyroidism (low thyroid), an autoimmune condition known as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (HT). HT is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks thyroid gland tissue and makes one susceptible to the underproduction of thyroid hormones. According to research published in Frontiers in Immunology, "There is a lot of evidence that the intestinal dysbiosis, bacterial overgrowth, and increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut) favor HT development, and a thyroid-gut axis has been proposed which seems to impact our entire metabolism."
This is why we measure the levels of various hormones in the body and look for imbalances. As well, specialized stool testing measures the microbiome so we can see if there is gut imbalance. All too often we find an imbalanced microbiome that can be helped through diet and supplementation. As a result, there is better hormone balance and long-term resolution of hormone imbalances.
Dr. Mark Stengler NMD, MS, is a bestselling author in private practice in Encinitas, California, at the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine. His newsletter, Dr. Stengler’s Health Breakthroughs, is available at www.markstengler.com and his product line at www.drstengler.com
Cayres, Leonardo César, Larissa Vedovato de Salis, Guilherme Siqueira Rodrigues, André van Lengert, Ana Paula Biondi, Larissa Donadel Sargentini, João Luiz Brisotti, Eleni Gomes, and Gislane Lelis de Oliveira. “Detection of Alterations in the Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Permeability in Patients with Hashimoto Thyroiditis.” Frontiers in Immunology 12 (March 5, 2021). https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.579140.
Ervin, Samantha M., Hao Li, Lauren Lim, Lee R. Roberts, Xue Liang, Sridhar Mani, and Matthew R. Redinbo. “Gut Microbial β-Glucuronidases Reactivate Estrogens as Components of the Estrobolome That Reactivate Estrogens.” Journal of Biological Chemistry 294, no. 49 (October 21, 2019): 18586–99. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.ra119.010950.
