Have you ever wondered why you struggle with symptoms of hormonal imbalance—like cyclical acne, heavy or painful periods, stubborn PMS, or breast tenderness—even when you’re doing “all the right things”? As a Naturopathic Doctor, I often guide my patients to look at a surprising culprit: the health of their gut.
The connection between our digestive system and our hormones is incredibly powerful. In fact, there is a specific collection of bacteria in your gut with a dedicated job of managing estrogen. This is called the estrobolome, and understanding it can be a game-changer for your hormonal health.
This post will serve as your foundational guide to understanding what the estrobolome is, how it works, and why it might be the missing link in your journey to hormone balance.
How Your Body Should Handle Estrogen: A 2-Step Process
Before we can understand the problem, we need to know what a healthy process looks like. Think of estrogen as a powerful messenger that needs to be deactivated and cleared out once its job is done.
Step 1: The Liver "Packages" Estrogen
Your liver is the primary processing plant. It takes “used” estrogen from your bloodstream and chemically changes it through a process called conjugation. You can think of this as your liver neatly putting the estrogen into a package, marking it for disposal. This “packaged” estrogen is then sent to the gut via bile, ready to be excreted from the body.
Step 2: The Gut "Excretes" the Package
Once in the gut, this packaged estrogen is meant to travel through your digestive tract and leave your body with your stool. A healthy, balanced gut microbiome simply lets this package pass by.
The Problem: When "Bad" Gut Bacteria Hijack the Process
This is where the estrobolome comes in. The “estrobolome” is the specific set of gut bacteria that can metabolize estrogens [1]. Some bacteria in the gut produce an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase.
Here’s the problem:
- When your gut is balanced, you have low levels of this enzyme.
- When your gut is in a state of dysbiosis (an imbalance, with too many “unhelpful” bacteria), the levels of beta-glucuronidase can skyrocket [2].
This high level of beta-glucuronidase acts like a pair of scissors. It finds the “packaged” estrogen from your liver and “unpackages” it, releasing the estrogen back into your gut, where it is reabsorbed into your bloodstream.
The Result: Estrogen Recirculation & "Estrogen Dominance"
This process of “unpackaging and reabsorbing” means that estrogen that was supposed to be eliminated is now back in circulation, adding to your body’s total estrogen load.
This recirculation is a major root cause of what we call estrogen dominance, where your estrogen levels are too high relative to your progesterone. This imbalance can be a key driver for many common hormonal symptoms:
- Stubborn Hormonal Acne (especially along the jawline)
- Worsening PMS (mood swings, anxiety, irritability)
- Heavy, Painful, or Clotty Periods
- Tender or Fibrocystic Breasts
- Headaches or Migraines
If your gut is imbalanced, you could be doing all the right things for your hormones, but your body is simply re-toxifying itself by recycling the very estrogen it’s trying to get rid of.
A Naturopathic Approach: How Do We Support the Estrobolome?
The goal is not to eliminate this enzyme, but to rebalance the gut microbiome to keep its activity in a healthy, low range. We do this by:
1. Nourishing the Good Bacteria:
A diet high in diverse plant fibers (prebiotics) feeds the beneficial bacteria that help keep your gut lining strong and healthy.
2. Supporting Your Liver:
Ensure your liver (Step 1) has the nutrients it needs to package estrogen efficiently in the first time. Foods like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale are superstars for this.
3. Reducing Inflammatory Triggers:
Minimizing foods that feed unhelpful bacteria, such as processed foods and excess sugar, is key.
4. Assessing & Healing the Gut:
As a naturopath, I use functional testing (like comprehensive stool analysis) to assess the health of your microbiome and identify if dysbiosis or high beta-glucuronidase is a problem for you.
Your Gut is Your Hormone's Partner
Your hormonal health is directly tied to the health of your gut. If you are struggling with hormonal symptoms, it is essential that we look at your digestive wellness as a core part of the solution. By supporting your estrobolome, you are supporting your body’s natural ability to create balance.
Ready to Investigate Your Gut-Hormone Connection?
Dr. Jennifer Luis uses functional testing to assess your gut health and its direct impact on your hormones, creating a personalized plan to restore balance.
References:
- Baker, J. M., Al-Nakkash, L., & Herbst-Kralovetz, M. M. (2017). Estrogen-gut microbiome axis: Physiological and clinical implications. Maturitas, 103, 45–53.
- Kwa, M., Plottel, C. S., Blaser, M. J., & R-Flores, B. M. (2016). The Estrobolome: The Gut Microbiome and Estrogen. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 1(1), 1–19.
- Zeng, Q., Dong, J., Guo, Y., Liu, Y., & Li, M. (2023). The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Estrogen Metabolism and Risks of Estrogen-Related Diseases. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 71(35), 13038–13053.
