How Gut Health Affects Hormones

Playing the hormone balancing act? 👀 Read This ⬇️

Your hormones need nutrients for optimal function, and those nutrients need to be properly absorbed from the gut. Not only that, but gut health affects hormone balance in another important way.

The other link between gut health and hormones is specific to estrogen 🌸

When things are working right, estrogen binds to proteins in the liver and then moves to the gut for elimination.

But there’s a sneaky enzyme in the intestines that can break up this union between estrogen and the protein, allowing estrogen to be absorbed right back into the body again.

Ever heard of estrogen dominance?

It’s the driving force of many hormonal conditions and can be rooted in gut health!

I’m sharing a series of posts this month all about tips for improving gut health. Like this post ❤️ and follow 🚶‍♀️ to catch my upcoming posts!

References

He S, Li H, Yu Z, et al. The Gut Microbiome and Sex Hormone-Related Diseases. Front Microbiol. 2021;12:711137. Published 2021 Sep 28. [link]

Hu S, Ding Q, Zhang W, Kang M, Ma J, Zhao L. Gut microbial beta-glucuronidase: a vital regulator in female estrogen metabolism. Gut Microbes. 2023;15(1):2236749. [link]

Feel Like Your Metabolism is Broken? Open Up!

👋 Pause the scroll and take a minute with me here if you are trying to get answers to what you feel like is a broken metabolism!

While a lot of factors play into metabolic health, research shows that one important factor is GUT health.

Here’s how:

1️⃣ Energy Absorption

Gut microbes produce short-chain fatty acids (SFCAs), which are generally beneficial but when produced in excess can provide extra energy (like calories) absorbed from the gut.

2️⃣ Appetite

Gut microbes regulate gut hormone levels, like peptide YY and GLP-1, which communicate with the brain and affect appetite and fullness.

3️⃣ Fat Storage

Some gut microbes increase the absorption of glucose (sugar) from the intestines and promote fat deposition in the liver.

4️⃣ Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of metabolic dysfunction and can be driven by inflammation in the gut.

You don’t actually have to know all of this to heal (that’s my job). Point is—when we heal the gut, it makes it easier to heal the metabolism too.

Follow along to learn more about how gut health impacts your body!

Reference

Liu BN, Liu XT, Liang ZH, Wang JH. Gut microbiota in obesity. World J Gastroenterol. 2021;27(25):3837-3850. [link]

Why Are You Bloated?

💥 Causes of bloating you didn’t know ⬇️⬇️

First, let’s be clear. Bloating is NOT normal when it is painful, extreme, or happens every day ❌

If you’ve tried the usual things (like eating slowly, chewing thoroughly, drinking beverages at room temperature, and walking after meals) but STILL can’t seem to find a solution for bloating…

It’s time to look deeper for a cause.

Some of the potential issues underneath could be:

▪️ Parasites

▪️ Low stomach acid

▪️ Gut motility issues

▪️ H.pylori overgrowth

▪️ Low digestive enzymes

▪️ Dysbiosis (disrupted gut microbiome)

▪️ Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

▪️ Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIFO)

▪️ Leaky gut (increased permeability)

This is not an exhaustive list! These are only the issues that are specific to the gut, but bloating can also be caused by 🌸hormones, 😩stress, or 🍷alcohol consumption.

The only way to solve a problem is to first find out what the problem actually is. This is something we excel at in naturopathic & functional medicine.

Want to get to the root cause of bloating or other health issues?

Schedule an initial visit with Dr. Cantrell to get started!

🔗 https://www.elementsnatmed.com/naturopathic-visits

Surprising Benefits of Healing Your Gut

You might be pleasantly surprised 🤩

Gut health is the first place I start with many of my clients because research has shown that it’s linked to hormonal balance, immune function, inflammation, mental health, and more!

Benefits of better gut health include:

▪️ Less Bloating

▪️ Easier Bowel Movements

▪️ Reduced Food Cravings

▪️ Clearer Skin

▪️ Mental Clarity

▪️ More Energy

While every person is unique and on their own healing path, optimizing gut health can have a powerful effect on many of the most common health issues.

If you’re curious about taking a root-cause approach to healing, schedule an initial visit to get started! ⬇️

💻 https://www.elementsnatmed.com/naturopathic-visits

Is Your Gut Calling for Help?

Most people don’t realize this 👉

It’s a common misconception that the only signs of poor gut health are digestive problems, like gas, bloating, heartburn, constipation, or diarrhea.

Problems in the gut can also cause or aggravate:

▪️ Food Sensitivities

▪️ Skin Irritations

▪️ Food Cravings

▪️ Mood Changes

▪️ Brain Fog

While there can also be other factors contributing to these issues, it’s worth considering the domino effect that gut health has on nearly everything else in the body.

Want tips on improving your gut health? Be sure to follow for my upcoming posts.