Did you know that there is a link between the health of your gut microbiome and hormones? It’s true! When gut health isn’t optimal, your hormones become imbalanced. Research shows that the microbiome plays an important role in oestrogen regulation. This connection is so significant that scientists have named a special part of the gut microbiome the “oestrobolome.”
What is the Oestrobolome?
This collection of bacteria inside your gut is capable of metabolising and modulating the body’s circulating oestrogen, affecting oestrogen levels. When your microbiome is in balance, gut bacteria produce just the right amount of a certain enzymes, which helps to maintain the balance of circulating oestrogen. This can in turn can impact your weight, libido and mood.1https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28778332/
How is oestrogen regulated?
‘Deactivated’ oestrogen makes its way from your liver to your digestive system. Along the digestive tract, different types of bacteria produce beta-glucuronidase which acts on oestrogen, regulating how much active oestrogen is available for your body to use. 2https://www.jbc.org/article/S0021-9258(20)30413-0/fulltext
Why does balance matter?
Different types of bacteria are involved in the Oestrobolome: Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are some examples but overall, it is a diverse and balanced microbiome that maintains the correct levels of oestrogen in your body.3https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3344403/ An imbalance in gut bacteria (dysbiosis) can lead to a disturbance in the regulation of oestrogen.
What’s the key to improving hormone balance?
The key to maintaining balance is to increase microbiome diversity. Low levels of good bacteria, reduced diversity and/or an increase in bad bacteria can upset homeostasis. As a result, too little or too much oestrogen circulates around the body, causing unwanted symptoms such as joint pain, hot flushes, mood changes, and memory issues.4https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5017946/
Read about how diet and lifestyle can help balance hormones in our article on Menopause.
To help support hormonal balance, read more about our Organic Shatavari tincture here.
Before starting any supplement, always check with your GP or pharmacist for contraindications with your current medication or health conditions.
If you would like to find out more about your gut microbiome, consider taking a microbiome test and discuss what you can do to improve your gut health with one of our Nutritional Therapists.
Contact a Chuckling Goat Nutritional Therapist via live chat, from 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays, for bespoke advice on gut wellness.
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