The Unexpected Nutrient that Supports your Hormone Health
There’s a lot of focus these days on gut health and with good reason!
It’s not always the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to hormone health.
But there’s a growing body of research showing that our gut microbiome plays a really important role in estrogen-related symptoms and diseases such as PCOS, and endometriosis.
There’s even a part of your gut microbiome called the estrobolome that helps to move excess estrogen out of the body.
ALL ABOUT THE ESTROBOLOME
Funny word, but super important!
ESTROBOLOME (= estrogen + microbiome squished together).
If your estobolome is out of balance due to things like
👉🏼 Poor diet
👉🏼 Low fiber
👉🏼 Alcohol
👉🏼 Stress
👉🏼 Toxins, endocrine disrupters
👉🏼 Infections
👉🏼 Inflammation
👉🏼 Antibiotics
👉🏼 Constipation
An enzyme called beta-glucuronidase increases. Beta what? Ok let’s back up a little.
Estrogen moves through 3 phases of detoxification in your body. We’ll do a deep dive into this another day, but for now what you need to know is this: Phase 3 is the final phase of estrogen detox, and is where excess estrogen moves OUT of the body! Yep through your poop.
So if you’re not having regular bowel movements, beta-glucuronidase increases, and allows estrogen to be reabsorbed into your body.
Not cool, because this is when you get symptoms of estrogen excess like weight gain, bloating, fatigue, PMS, and mood changes.
So getting your bowels moving regularly can be a simple way to decrease symptoms of hormone imbalances.
Which is where fiber comes in!
HOW FIBER HELPS
Fiber is essential for good gut health and it helps to support insulin sensitivity and the hormones that control hunger and fullness.
When fiber gets fermented in your colon, the healthy bacteria in your gut get to work producing short chain fatty acids, like butyrate, which helps support a healthy gut microbiome. And as you’ve hears, it’s ALL about your microbiome!
More and more research is emerging all the time, but the root cause of a lot of symptoms can be traced back to what’s going on in our gut. Even hippocrates said, “All disease starts in the gut.”
HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?
So exactly how much fiber do you need to be eating?
In the United States, the recommended dietary fiber intake is 14g/1,000kcal. The recommended daily intake for fiber is around 25-35 grams a day for women but there’s research to suggest we should probably be aiming higher (and the average daily intake for American women is only around 13 grams)!
But Fiber One bars and Metamucil powders aren’t really the answer.
Let’s look at what what fiber is and what foods you do want to be eating more of.
There are 2 main types of fiber:
Soluble
Soluble fiber dissolved in water and forms a gel-like substance in the colon. It lowers cholesterol, regulates blood sugar, encourages healthy elimination of hormones and acts as food for your gut microbes. It’s found in fruits, veggies, beans, seeds, nuts, and most whole grains.
Insoluble
Insoluble fiber can’t be digested, but it does help to move things through your GI tract and promotes good bowel health. It’s primarily found in foods like wheat bran, whole grains, potatoes, and lot’s of different vegetables.
Eating a variety of different plant foods, fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes helps to ensure you’re getting both types and drinking enough water keeps things moving smoothly.
Here are 5 simple ways to get more fiber in your diet:
Eat more nuts and seeds!
Flax, chia, and hemp are a few of my favorites, but all seeds are good seed IMO! Not only are they incredible sources of fiber, but also omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients. You can eat them whole or ground by sprinkling them on salads or tossing them in smoothies. Nuts make a pretty great snack too! Walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, and macadamias are my go-to’s.
Eat legumes.
Thanks to things like the paleo and keto diets, misinformation about lectins and diet culture in general, beans and legumes get a bad rap but they are a serious superfood! And one of my all-time favorites. If you’re someone who struggles with blood sugar imbalances, you may need to pay extra attention to how they impact your blood sugar. But for most people they’re an excellent source of fiber, protein, prebiotics and are one of the foods that the longest living cultures across the globe include daily in their diets.
Don’t peel your veggies.
I’ve never peeled my fruits and veggies, partially because I don't have the patience for it. But also because the peel has lot’s of insoluble fiber. Just make sure you rinse them well. And remember the more variety, the better.
Don’t fear fruit, but try to eat it whole.
I don’t know how fruit became such a bad guy, but I promise bananas are not the problem! Fruit juice is missing the fiber, so it can really spike your blood sugar, but a little on occasion really isn’t a big deal for most people. Lower sugar fruits like berries and melon are full of vitamins, antioxidants, and gut loving fiber, so eat up!
Pay attention to how your body reacts to oats and other whole grains.
I love oats and eat some form of them most days. They’re an excellent source of fiber and antioxidants, but for some people they can really spike blood sugar, especially more processed forms like oat milk or grain flours. Although a creamy oat milk latte is pretty darn delicious on occasion, it’s probably not the best option as far as alt milks go. And with all whole grains and starchy veggies, you want to pair them with healthy fats and proteins to get all the benefits without the blood sugar spikes.
THE TAKEAWAY
The key with fiber is to start low and go slow! If you haven’t been eating much and increase too quickly it can cause a lot of gas and bloating and just be generally uncomfortable.
Overall increasing the amount of fiber you consume is an easy way to improve your gut health, decrease your risk of chronic disease and optimize your hormones!
And the best part is, it doesn’t require any expensive supplements or eating foods you can’t pronounce, except maybe quinoa, you should definitely eat more quinoa.