[Study] How oestrogen play a critical role in gastrointestinal dysfunction

The medical bodies and national libraries are doing a tremendous amount of research on women’s health currently (and for the last two years).

IBS, gastrointestinal symptoms, and reproductive dysfunction are often connected, and medical doctors have been asking for more resources on how to effectively treat women suffering with these symptoms.

In many cases where these issues present, options are fairly limited and in some cases, the pharmaceutical options can be ineffective.

We’ve been talking through the different systems in the body, and how to understand whether your challenge may be connected to a specific system, or combination of systems.

Today, I go much deeper, as this study has become available, into connecting the bridge between oestrogen and gastrointestinal inflammation, specifically.

 

We’re constantly looking deeper into why reproductive hormones are connected to inflammation – especially why does pain, bloating, digestive pain, bowel movements, and gastrointestinal disturbances also coincide with hormone imbalances… (Hence my excitement from this study)

So let’s jump in.

Why would a change in reproductive hormones trigger the gastrointestinal dysfunction?
This is what all these papers are working to find the answers to.

In April 2022, the National Library of Medicine specifically compiled the paper titled, “Estrogens Play a Critical Role in Stress-Related Gastrointestinal Dysfunction in a Spontaneous Model of Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction”.

So let’s unpack three key pathways here:

• Stress and Adrenal impact with oestrogrens
• Gastrointestinal Dysfunction with oestrogens
• The Gut-Brain Interaction

Adrenal impact with oestrogrens
A few weeks ago, we talked extensively about the stress and adrenal impact. So let’s do a brief refresh of how it’s related to this.

Stress creates adrenal challenges. The most common adrenal hormone that increases with a stress related incident is cortisol; however there are other adrenal hormones. I’m just focusing on this one today. (Let me know if you want the other email – I can resend if you want more on the adrenal system.)

 

 

 

Paying attention to stress, especially between 35 and 55 years of age, is important because it can increase cortisol, at a time when oestrogen is changing quite dramatically, which can create this inflammatory response in the gut or metabolic function.

Gastrointestinal Dysfunction
IBS is only medically diagnosed in up to 20% of people using the “process of elimination” strategy.

More than 20% of people have IBS symptoms, but go without a diagnosis.

IBS is most commonly known for it’s toilet discomfort, but it has much further implications on the gastrointestinal lining that are important to note including:

• visceral hypersensitivity,
• nerve pain,
• crawling skin, or,
• the presence of eosinophils, which can act as either
  - a histamine activator, or,
  - a suppression of the immune system.

Oestrogen dominance or excess oestrogen, according to this study, can create stress on the gut microbiome and increase the susceptibility of inflammatory symptoms often associated with the points above.

The gut has a very extensive ‘enteric’ nervous system – almost as big as the brain itself.

Now eosinophil markers, just as a very quick side note, typically manifests in patients with a history of prolonged use of antibiotics, infections, or parasites. This is especially fascinating to watch how patients either with conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, adenomyosis, or menorrhagia - as well as women that are going through peri-menopause.

In the clinic, we see histamine intolerance activation in women from the age of 45 years. This is the most common window when the oestrogen roller coaster starts with either shorter luteal phases or anovulatory cycles (basically less or no progesterone being made).

So let’s just pause and break things down, because you may be thinking, I wasn’t ever diagnosed with IBS.

Evaluate whether or not this is something that could be effecting you.

Are you having any of the following symptoms that may indicate that you are experiencing an IBS-related form of inflammation:

• constipation (or need for laxative, coffee, or similar to go to the toilet)?
• loose stools?
• going to the toilet multiple times a day?
• rotating from constipation to diarrhoea?
• not feeling finished when you go to the toilet?

If so, then there is a real possibility that there is a sensitivity in the gut lining.

Now, with the presence of IBS, according to this study, women are most likely to see an increase in inflammatory symptoms, like

• joint pain,
• muscle aches,
• constipation,
• diarrhoea,
• bloating,
• breast tenderness,
• migraines,
• headaches,
• skin rashes or eczema,
• psoriasis,
• hay-fever, or
• catching colds or viruses easily.

We have many patients that never had issues with IBS before. They went to the toilet just fine. Until after they turned 40.

Many patients struggle with bloating, gas, constipation, or not feeling finished when they use the toilet, even though they never had these kinds of problems before.

 

 

The Gut-Brain Interaction
There are 3 important components of the gut-brain connection.

• Stress (the adrenal system)
• Reproductive Hormones
• Gut Microbiome

The HPA Axis ReCalibration ties is like the on/off switch to the myriad of metabolic and gut symptoms women suffer from. Largely because it’s where adrenal-metabolic dysregulation kicks off and continues to intensity symptoms that roll up and down with menstrual cycles.

I want to go deeper into this because moodiness is a lot more than just feeling sad, depressed, or anxious. And a change in mood is important to pay attention to. It’s not just all about PMS!

The adrenal response is destabilising event triggers other hormones and/or inflammatory events in the digestive system, especially if you have underlying IBS or gut dysbiosis.

This study, as hopefully explained here, really concludes that the waves of too much oestrogen or poor elimination of oestrogen, create the stress response that kicks off the inflammation related to IBS. We would go so far to add, bacteria related or associated with IBS or gut dysbiosis.

So if you are feeling confused why all of the sudden you may have constipation, mood changes, aches and/or pains, or the symptoms we listed just above, then there’s a good reason to believe that there could be a destabilisation of the gut created by changes in oestrogen.

Treatment is actually very smooth and easy for us.

We look deeper at the bacteria overgrowth, hormone ranges, and adrenal function to identify what the body is responding to.

We naturally support your gut bacteria to restore healthy bacteria ranges.
We support the adrenal system.
And we restore the natural elimination of hormones so that you don’t re-create this event.

When we see bacteria and gut sensitivity, it tells us a lot about the permeability, challenges and needs of your gut microbiome.

Once we are able to restore healthy levels, we work with you to create a healthy nutrition plan and nutrients intake to maintain healthy gut flora, balanced hormone levels, and sooth the adrenal system all at the same time..

I hope you find this helpful.

If you have any questions, or would like support, feel free to reach out or organise a Free introductory consultation with us here: https://calendly.com/nz-naturopathy/intro-consult

Looking forward to connecting with you again soon.

Warmly,
Tiaan