The gut is called the “mother of the body”, because of its role in feeding & nourishing every system and every cell. So as with every system, our gut’s connection to happy hormones really starts with the ability to break down and absorb the nutrients needed to make that system run smoothly.
When it comes to hormones, the essential nutrients for optimal function are cholesterol, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, B vitamins like folate, B6 and B12, as well as minerals like zinc and selenium. These different nutrient types - fats, minerals and B vitamins - rely on different aspects of digestion to actually use them.
Absorbing fats & fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K
We can only digest and absorb fats and all their nutrients into our bloodstream by breaking it down first with BILE. Bile is produced by our liver and stored in our gallbladder. So absorbing fats requires good liver function, and an active gallbladder to release plenty of bile when we eat healthy fats. Constipation, nausea or upset stomach when you’re eating fatty foods, or light colored stools can all be important signals that your liver and/or gallbladder need some extra support.
Gut lining health for mineral absorption
Additionally our gut lining needs to be healthy enough to absorb minerals and other key nutrients into our bloodstream. A damaged gut lining (aka “leaky gut”) can contribute to nutrient deficiencies due to the chronic inflammation response and dysfunction of the carrier proteins. An inflamed gut lining doesn’t readily absorb nutrients like iron, magnesium & B-vitamins. Without enough nutrients, our bodies are not ready for reproduction (aka sex hormone balance), proper immune function, or even restorative sleep.
Another important connection is inflammation & our hormones. Chronic inflammation contributes to insulin resistance (technically a hormone imbalance itself), which is a driving factor in many sex hormone & energy symptoms. Inflammation is tightly connected to the health of our gut & microbiome, so this is yet another reason we look to the gut first when we’re addressing hormones.
Stress, microbiome & hormone balance
A healthy gut and microbiome has the ability to help modulate and reduce stress on your bod, while an imbalanced microbiome is a stressor in and of itself. When I am talking about stress here I'm referring to the actual physical chemical response within our bodies.
When our GI is inflamed or stressed, it's taxing on our adrenals and can increase cortisol production. Cortisol itself is a “priority” hormone, which signals to the rest of the body that there is a threat. That threat (whether it’s an immediate physical danger, a pathogen in the gut lining, an urgent email from your boss, or yet another doomsday headline...) is going to be the highest priority for your body. More important than say, reproduction & sex hormones or sleep and circadian rhythm hormones.
Not only do our overactive adrenals produce more cortisol, but they’re kicking off testosterone and other androgenic hormones in higher amounts. For women with PCOS and other hormone imbalances, modulating testosterone levels is a big piece of the puzzle. Lowering stress & adrenal output on the body is one factor.
The final piece I'll talk about today when it comes to our gut health and hormones is the estrobolome. This is a subset of the microbiome which is specialized in breaking down and eliminating excess estrogen. Again, this is particularly pertinent for women with hormonal imbalances like PCOS and estrogen dominance. Optimizing our microbiome and curating beneficial bacterial strains to modulate our circulating estrogen is so key for our mood, PMS and period symptoms, and fertility.
Hormone imbalances are not just reserved for people with obvious gut issues like bloating, constipation or diarrhea (although they can certainly be a contributing factor!). But even without those frustrating digestive symptoms, optimizing gut health improves nutrient absorption and balances the microbiome, which are key to regulating our hormones!
Some things you can do you to support your gut AND hormones:
The LIVER is the first place to start. Liver congestion can be tied to both hormone imbalances and constipation, as well as many other stubborn symptoms
Support the liver & increase bile flow (aka toxin removal & hormone clearance) with bitter foods like endive, dandelion, radicchio or mustard greens, beets, AND healthy fatty foods like olive oil, pastured butter, coconut oil, and egg yolks.
Raw carrots are said to help bind & eliminate excess estrogen. Eating a grated raw carrot each day may support estrogen clearance.
Cruciferous vegetables also contain key fibers to bind & clear toxins, and they are high in sulfur which is a key nutrient for glutathione production and liver health.
Tips for supporting gut barrier health (for nutrient absorption) and microbiome balance (to get that estrobolome going!) are in my gut health guide book! Find out where you need some extra support & get some tips in healing with my Gut Type Quiz!
Do you have questions or need some support with hormones and gut health? Always here to chat!
Feel free to shoot me a message at Juliet@nutritionriot.com