Not too long ago, scientists and doctors believed what happened in your gut, stayed in your gut...

But in the past 10-15 years their has been a dramatic shift in understanding the gut microbiome and how it influences just about every everything in our entire body and especially our hormones.

Poor gut health is linked to estrogen issues

The estrogen in your body is processed by bacteria in the gut, which we call the estrobolome. This estrobolome includes the enzymes responsible for breaking down hormones and healthy bacteria in your gut.

The estrobolome controls how your body breaks down and eliminates excess estrogen hormones after they’ve done their job. This is a process known as estrogen metabolism.

Dysbiosis in the gut can lead either to a deficiency or excess of estrogen, which can also result in imbalances in other hormones as well.

Diet, lifestyle, and certain medications can affect the healthy function of your estrobolome and estrogen levels. Excess estrogen can cause irregular periods, mood changes, weight struggles, headaches, bloating, and other digestive ailments. These symptoms are common with estrogen dominance.

PCOS

Among women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome; PCOS), there is a higher rate of gut dysbiosis than among women who do not have PCOS. Thus, it is likely that patients who have PCOS have a higher prevalence of the disorder than women who do not have PCOS.

Other symptoms of PCOS due to this hormonal imbalance is missed periods, weight gain, excess hair growth, and acne, which is also one of the main causes of infertility.

There is evidence to suggest that re-balancing gut bacteria might assist with symptoms of PCOS, such as high levels of androgens and inconsistent periods.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a painful condition where the tissue lining the uterus (endometrium) starts to grow outside of it. Symptoms are worsened when estrogen levels get elevated. An imbalance in the estrogen-progesterone balance can be the cause of the failure of stromal cells to express progesterone receptors, predisposing.

Poor estrobolome function (estrogen metabolism) in the gut is common with endometriosis, and may also be linked to an unhealthy vaginal microbiome as well

Thyroid problems

The gut-thyroid connection may be the most sensitive out of all hormone-related issues that start in the gut.

Gut dysbiosis is extremely common among people with autoimmune thyroid diseases like Hashimoto's, as well as some types of thyroid cancer.

Certain intestinal bacteria also help break down nutrients necessary for the conversion of T4 to T3. Two o of these that help the process are Selenium and zinc.

An Imbalance of gut bacteria may result in symptoms of low thyroid like fatigue and weight gain. Insufficient production of thyroid hormones by the body may also be associated with a higher concentration of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration. If you have too much TSH, your body may also produce lower levels of both T3 and T4

Thyroid hormones affect every tissue in your body and perform several essential functions. Your metabolism could be unstable if your thyroid isn't functioning correctly and be a huge reason why you may struggle to lose weight

Estrogen and diabetes

There is a strong link between gut dysbiosis, estrogen issues, and type II diabetes. Gut dysbiosis has been linked to insulin resistance, which is a major precursor for developing type II diabetes . In fact, researchers have found significant differences in the amount and type of bacteria present in the microbiome of those with type II diabetes versus those who don’t have diabetes.

Type II diabetes is a condition that’s characterized by high blood sugar levels and chronic, low grade inflammation. It’s often caused by diet and lifestyle factors, such as a poor diet and being sedentary