There are bacteria in your gut that can enhance re-absorption of estrogens.
If you have too many of them you may feel…
- gas
- bloating
- agitated or with mood swings
- total body puffiness
- fatigue
- moodiness
- nausea or decreased appetite
- skin issues
- weight gain
B-glucuronidase is the enzyme that they produce and the higher this enzyme goes the more estrogen that is re-absorbed.
For many women this is a main source of estrogen exposure that can increase risk for cancer.
This is why taking care of you gut and microbiome is crucial as you get older.
How do you know if you are re-absorbing estrogens from your gut?
There are two ways to tell, stool testing (ex: GI Map) and the urine hormone test called the DUTCH test.
In a stool test like the GI Map the b-glucuronidase levels are tested directly.
The DUTCH test assesses liver and gut hormone metabolism pathways and the gut pathway related to the excess estrogen re-absorption, the CYP 1B1 pathway.
This is a significant pathway in that the more the body is preferring to use this pathway for hormone detox the higher the risk for cancer.
Quinolinic acid is produced when hormones are detoxed through the CYP 1B1 pathway.
This acid has the potential to damage DNA and cause nerve inflammation.
It’s known as the 4-OH pathway and has been studied for it’s connection to breast cancer as well as increased symptoms of PMS and even PMDD.
You can decrease your body’s desire to go down this pathway by working on…
- Eating more fiber, broccoli sprouts and cruciferous vegetables
- Balancing your gut microbiome by doing a microbiome cleanse every so often
- Avoiding xenoestrogens in the air, water, food and products that you use daily.
- Taking Calcium D Glucarate (CDG) – a molecule that binds excessive estrogen
#1 Fiber –
Fiber is a known tool to help flush the gut but it’s also crucial for “moping” up toxins and feeding beneficial bacteria.
Sprouts and the cabbage family of foods have specific molecules, indole 3 caribinol and di-indole methane, that are helpful in detoxing excessive inflammatory estrogens in the liver.
These two components help the body to keep the hormones recycling and work to prevent overload of hormones in the system.
#2 – Gut Microbiome –
It’s not uncommon for women with chronic constipation to have more b-glucuronidase in their gut.
To keep b-glucuronidase in check you can supplement with Calcium -D-Glucarate (CDG) as it helps to bind excessive estrogens while you’re working on regulating the microbiome.
I use a combination of essential oils to regulate the gut microbiome (Candibactin-AR by Metagenics) or the Biocidin Botanicals protocol.
(See my protocols HERE).
I pair them with binders like zeolite, chlorella or even charcoal and bentonite clay to mop up the die off materials when you’re cleaning out the bacteria.
When performed 1-2x a year for a month many will report feeling less puffy, bloated, belly fat decreases and levels of inflammatory proteins decrease as well.
Gut microbiome balancing not only helps microbiome internally it also help the body to detox external estrogens more effectively.
#3 External estrogens in the environment, food, air, water and daily use products
You likely know the risks of plastic estrogens showing up in your food when you microwave or heat food but did you know the same thing happens when you eat out?
Many restaurants are microwaving items in plastic before serving them to you.
The more you eat out the more you’ll want to work on gut detoxing.
The good news is you can decrease external hormone exposure by filtering the air you breathe, water you drink and opting for foods closest to nature.
You can also significantly decrease external hormone exposure by avoiding topical hygiene, make up, soaps and detergents that contain parabens, phthalates and other hormone disruptors like BPA.
If you’re worried about exposure while dining out or traveling there are supplements like “BioToxin” binder from Cell Core that has the ability to bind up toxins on the go.
Pairing a binder with Calcium -D-Glucarate goes a long way to optimize hormone detox.
My optimizing gut hormone detox protocol: 100-500 mg twice a day of the Calcium -D-Glucarate, 2 capsules of a binder after food and 1-2 cups of cabbage family foods or 1/4 cup of broccoli sprouts.
Hormone detox support is crucial as the environment isn’t getting any cleaner.
And if you do eat out every so often it goes a long way to help keep you from building up hormones from your habits.
What are signs you’re detoxing hormones more effectively?
- less puffiness in the entire body
- flatter belly or decreased belly fat
- increased energy
- less mood concerns
- less desire for processed junk foods and sugar
- decreased or elimination of nausea
- weight will come down
If you’re curious to see if you’re detoxing hormones effectively the DUTCH is an eye opening test to get to the bottom of your puzzle.
Doctor’s like myself can order it for a little over $350 and some insurances will reimburse you for your testing.
Be proactive and see what’s going on internally to help relieve the annoying gas and bloating to get your flat belly back!
Here’s to your health,
Dr. J
