You have probably already heard or read about the gut microbiome and its effect on our health. Perhaps you have learned that microbiome is the term we use to describe the population of bacteria that live in and on us, bacteria that evolved with us and we live in symbiosis. This collection of microbes has vast effects on our health, affecting many things including nutrient absorption, mood, metabolism, and immunity. A healthy and balanced microbiome is therefore essential for our physical and also mental health.

There is even a direct line between the gut microbiome and our hormones. This is important information especially for us women.

Oestrogen and its types

Oestrogen plays many life-important roles in the human body, for example in cardiovascular health, regulation of body fat and bone health, it affects reproductive functions in women and a lot more. Many people believe, however, that oestrogen is only important for women and testosterone only for men. This is not the case. Just as testosterone is important to female health, oestrogen is important to male health, particularly in relation to sperm maturation and libido level (1).

Did you know that the female body produces three major types of oestrogen? It is true. These three forms affect different functions in our smart female body.

Estrone (E1)

Estrone is produced mainly in the ovaries, adipose tissue, and adrenal glands before menopause and can be converted into estradiol in the body, which also works the other way around. Even though the overall oestrogen levels decrease after menopause, estorne then becomes the main of all three forms of oestrogen. Too much estrone is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer and endometriosis. However, the research of this hormone is still in its infancy (2).

Estradiol (E2)

Estradiol is produced in the ovaries in women before menopause, with the adrenal glands and placenta also contributing to its production. Although this hormone is important for both men and women, women produce it in much larger quantities. Estradiol is the primary form of oestrogen during reproductive years, as per its absolute values in blood serum. This hormone greatly affects development in women, for example breast development and distribution of body fat. Scientists suppose that this form of oestrogen plays a role in various diseases, such as endometriosis or uterine, ovarian, and breast cancer (2).

Estriol (E3)

Estriol is mainly produced by the placenta. That is why it is the predominant form of oestrogen during pregnancy. The level of estriol grows gradually higher during pregnancy, reaching the highest point shortly before birth. 

These different forms of oestrogen affect and interact with each other in our female body, so their mutual balance plays a key role in the risk of women’s health issues (2).

A group of bacteria called estrobolome

In the gut lives a group of bacteria known as the estrobolome. This community of bacteria metabolises and eliminates the female oestrogen hormone from the body. The microbes that make up the estrobolome produce an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase which converts oestrogen into its active form. It has been shown that the more of the enzyme this collection of microbes produces, the less oestrogen our body eliminates. Simply put, this means that the oestrogen stays in the body and needs to be recirculated. Then it binds to the receptors more and affects a whole series of physiological processes.

If there is dysbiosis, an imbalance, among our gut microbes, then the activity of this enzyme can influence the levels of oestrogen circulating in our body, and this can be linked to a number of chronic diseases. These include acne, low libido, headaches, hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings, polycystic ovaries syndrome (PCOS), breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer, and so on (3)

How to keep your estrobolome balanced

The composition of our estrobolome is affected by many factors, including our diet, genetics, the environment where we live, air that we breathe, stress levels, medicine that we take (now or in the past) and others (4).

Cleansing and a healthy diet are a great way to start supporting your body. Then you can add some supplements, designed specifically for the needs of your individual body. Generally speaking, we biohackers support the idea of experimenting, but it is important to do it gently, consciously, and slowly. It may be a good idea to find a guide or your own biohacker for the start of your journey. A modern woman’s estrobolome may be in dysbiosis because of the factors we mentioned earlier, and this leads to a slow detoxification system which does not sufficiently eliminate oestrogen from the body.

The gut microbiome and the group of bacteria called estrobolome in a balance help us reduce inflammation in the body, which - as we know - is essential for longevity and both physical and mental health. Unfortunately, the ways in which inflammation works and affects our body is still huge news for many people, and we are not just talking about the layman population here.

If you suffer from acne, PMS, irregular or very painful period, PCOS, ovarian cysts, mood swings, or low libido, it might be a great strategy to have a closer look at your gut microbiome and balance it. A healthy gut is related to healthy hormones.

How you can balance your gut microbiome and specifically estrobolome in practice is described here on our blog. You can also look forward to a series of articles on the vaginal microbiome which will reveal a lot about us women.

Bibliography:

1. https://www.maturitas.org/article/S0378-5122(17)30650-3/pdf
2. https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/hormones-and-endocrine-function/reproductive-hormones
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5017946/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5017933/