As we all know by now, our body is a container for 38 trillion microorganisms living in our gut. These microbes metabolise 70% of the food we eat & play a very important role in regulating various hormones & neurotransmitters required for carrying out various biological processes inside our body.
One of such important hormones is Estrogen. It plays a vital role in regulating body fat, influencing female reproductive function, cardiovascular health & memory function. Estrogen is not just female hormone, but also plays an important role in men’s health such as maturation of sperm.
A woman’s body produces three types of Estrogen & influences different tissues & functions inside our body:
- Estrone: Estrone is made mainly in the ovaries before menopause and can be converted into estradiol in the body (and vice versa). Although, total estrogens decline overall with menopause, estrone becomes the dominant circulating estrogen post-menopause.
- Estradiol: Estradiol is the major form of estrogen produced in the ovaries in premenopausal women and is also produced by the adrenals and placenta. It is the most potent form of estrogen during the reproductive years in terms of absolute serum levels as well as estrogenic activity. Estradiol plays a key role in the development of female secondary sexual characteristics such as breasts and a feminine pattern of fat distribution. This form of estrogen is thought to play a role in diseases such as endometriosis, fibroids and cancers of the uterus, ovaries and breasts.
- Estriol: Estriol is the least potent form of estrogen. It is the dominant estrogen during pregnancy since it is manufactured in high quantities by the placenta.
Estrogens are produced by gut bacteria & can be taken from the environment as well. Some are produced by plants which are consumed as food, while others are found in common household products such as plastics & fragrances.
These different types of estrogen interact & influence each other in the body. Therefore, balance between these different forms & other metabolites as released by our gut bacteria when they metabolise estrogen plays a key role in modulating diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, PCOS & diabetes. An imbalance in estrogen level in either direction can play havoc on our body.
Our gut is the biggest source of excess estrogen. All estrogens are metabolized & detoxified through our gut bacteria. If your bacteria is not healthy or if your gut is imbalanced, it will reabsorb most of the estrogen, resulting in excess circulating estrogen in our body, whether you are male or female.
Our gut contains a collection of microbes known as estrobolome which is responsible for metabolising estrogens. Estrobolome produces an enzyme known as beta- glucuronidase that breaks down active estrogen that facilitates liver detox & filter used estrogen to maintain a proper hormonal balance inside our body. When our gut is balanced, everything works well & our hormones are balanced. When our gut microbiome is imbalanced or commonly referred to as guy dysbiosis, level of beta- glucuronidase enzyme levels either increase or decrease which can either lead to excess or deficient estrogen & everything goes haywire. This state of gut imbalance & associated imbalance in Estrogen levels can be starting point of various chronic diseases such as,
- Acne
- Weight Gain
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Digestive issues
- Stomach upset
- Irregular Periods
- Mood swings
- PCOS
- Osteoporosis
- Prostate Cancer
- Cancer of Breasts or Ovaries.
The most prevalent ones associated with excess Estrogen levels, when estrogens are reabsorbed in our body includes various forms of cancers such as Prostate, breast or ovaries. This altered balance of gut microbes leads to increased levels of circulating active estrogens, which promote cell proliferation in estrogen-sensitive tissues such as the breasts, endometrium, cervix, and ovaries.
While on the other hand, diseases associated with deficient estrogen levels due to low beta-glucuronidase enzyme levels include diabetes, obesity, weight gain & PCOS. Imbalance in gut bacteria (or gut dysbiosis) promotes increases androgen biosynthesis & reduces estrogen levels which leads to PCOS.
Another important function of Estrogen which we may not be aware of & which is relevant when it comes to our metabolic health is how Estrogen facilitates communication between our cells & insulin. For regulating blood sugar level & promoting insulin sensitivity, Estrogen helps cells hear what insulin is trying to tell. When we have deficient estrogen levels, it breaks this communication between cell & insulin, thereby leading to spike in sugar level, insulin resistance & type 2 diabetes.
Balancing our gut microbiome by feeding our gut microbes what they are hungry for can strike a balance & maintain an optimum level of estrobolome in our gut.
If you are suffering from spike in sugar level, bloating, mood swings or have been gaining weight (even after having a right kind of foods & proper exercise), your estrobolome level may have been impacted & your gut may be in an imbalanced state. Genefitletics gives you personalized dietary recommendations into your mobile app based on the predictive response of your gut microbiome to various foods to maintain a healthy gut. Discover which foods you should eat frequently & which ones you should enjoy, minimize & avoid to strike a balance in your estrobolome level. Sign up for a free discovery call here.
