Hormone Balance - The Livers Role | The Tastes of Life Holistic Cooking and Living

Learn what role the liver plays in hormonal balance in women.

How the Liver Impacts Balanced Hormones

When we think of the liver, detoxification often comes to mind. But did you know your liver plays a crucial role in maintaining hormonal balance? This second-largest organ works tirelessly to regulate hormone levels, filter toxic substances, and ensure your body stays in harmony. Let’s delve into how the liver supports hormonal health and why caring for this organ is essential for women’s health.

Everything we eat, breathe, or absorb through the skin gets into the bloodstream and eventually passes through the liver. The liver is the body’s primary detoxifier; keeping it healthy, including healthy hormones and proper metabolism, is critical to our health.

Liver Function

Our liver is the body’s largest organ and the main detoxification organ. It is on the right side at the end of your right rib cage, just below the diaphragm. The liver’s primary role is detoxifying drugs, cholesterol, hormones, food additives, and chemicals in cosmetics, blood, and protein. The liver also helps produce bile.

Think about a sewage treatment plan. The liver filters everything we put in our bodies and separates the nutrients that the body needs for energy and from what the body doesn’t need, like toxins and metabolic waste. Because of what we eat (fried food, processed food) and what is in the environment, like pollutants, pesticides, polluted water, and chemicals, we can’t detoxify properly, and our liver is overloaded and overworked. When our liver is overworked, we can’t efficiently and adequately detoxify.

The Liver and Hormones

The liver serves as the body’s natural detoxifier, processing and eliminating excess hormones such as estrogen, cortisol, and insulin. It also plays a significant role in metabolizing sex hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. This process, known as hormone metabolism, helps regulate hormone production and prevent imbalances like estrogen dominance or thyroid dysfunction.

An underperforming or sluggish liver can result in too much estrogen circulating in the body, contributing to symptoms such as breast tenderness, irregular periods, and weight gain. Moreover, conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome are often linked to poor liver function and hormone dysregulation.

Liver Functions Include

Converts proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to nutrients and energy
Removes toxic chemicals and bacteria
Metabolize drugs
Breaks down alcohol
Creates bile to break down fats and eliminate fat-soluble toxins and excess hormones
Stores vitamins and minerals
Regulates sex hormone levels
Stores sugar as fuel (glycogen)
It helps maintain fluid and electrolyte balance
Filters blood and regulates blood clotting
Creates serum proteins, which act as hormone carriers
Stores extra blood for quick-release

If your liver is not working efficiently, you can experience digestive problems, hormonal imbalances, skin-related allergies, blood sugar fluctuation, intolerance to coffee and alcohol, and more. Proper liver function is crucial for optimal health.

When we don’t take care of ourselves and eat processed food, drink too much alcohol or coffee, eat non-organic food full of pesticides, or use commercial skincare full of toxins, health problems can arise.

Hormone Metabolism and Liver

The liver is vital in our hormonal balance. It helps process hormones, manufactures and regulates hormone levels, and directs hormones to perform their proper function in the body. If we experience a hormone excess (whether produced by the body or introduced by hormone therapy like conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT), typically consisting of synthetic hormones or a bio-identical hormone therapy (BHT), and any women on ‘the pill’), the liver is not able to process the hormone(s) as quickly or efficiently, and this process might cause a hormone imbalance.

Estrogen

One of the primary roles of the liver is regulating the sex hormones, primarily the estrogen hormones.

Researchers are finding new information about estrogen and how it is metabolized. Estrogen breaks down into estrogen metabolites that have different levels of estrogenic activities. Some of those metabolites have a stronger estrogenic effect than others and have a higher risk of developing estrogen-related cancer.

What do We Know About Liver Detoxification Pathways?

The liver has two primary phases of detoxification known as the Phase I and Phase II pathways.

During Phase I (cytochrome P450), the liver breaks down toxins, harmful substances, and some hormones. It converts them into intermediate forms, which must be further metabolized in Phase II and excreted through bile and urine.

Each pathway needs a large number of specific nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids. Estrogen is metabolized in Phases I and II.

In women, ovaries produce estrogen, primarily estradiol, which is then converted to estrone and eventually to estriol. The liver has to metabolize the remaining estradiol and the converted estrone and then excrete the excess from the body.

It is believed that the liver’s ability to metabolize estrone is the key to understanding estrogen-related cancer risk.

Estrone is converted into various metabolites, including 2-hydroxyestrone, a very weak estrogen, and 16-alphahydroxyestrone, a potent estrogen, during Phase I liver detoxification. During this conversion process, the more potent form of estrogen rather than the weaker form can be favored by the tissue and have too many estrogen receptors. This happens with breasts and uterus tissue, which can be more vulnerable to excessive estrogen activity and might lead to the formation of fibroids or the stimulation of estrogen-sensitive cancers.

Phase I can be affected by many factors, such as caffeine, alcohol, drugs, lack of nutrients, or interference from other substances (such as grapefruit juice, which slows down the enzymes in Phase I). Those different substances can slow down hormone metabolism. Suppose we provide the liver with necessary nutrients in Phase I, such as Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a phytonutrient derived from cruciferous vegetables (e.g., cabbage, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts). In that case, it will help the liver do its job, metabolize hormones properly, and reduce the risk of estrogen-dependent cancers.

In Phase I, free radicals are produced, which can damage the body. They need to be quickly neutralized by antioxidants; otherwise, they will damage the cells and the tissues of the body. The body needs proper nutrients for that to happen, such as minerals like selenium, vitamins C and E, and other substances such as glutathione and lipoic acid, which help protect against free radicals. Those intermediate forms – free radicals produced in Phase I are highly reactive until they are fully converted in Phase II.

Phase II is known as conjugation phase. A process where nutrients such as amino acids, hormones, and other substances are being combined (conjugated), so they can be converted to water-soluble compounds and excreted efficiently in the urine or stool.

One of the conjugation pathways is methylation, where small parts of molecules, called methyl groups, are passed from one molecule to another. During that process, estrogens are methylated so that they can be readily excreted. The liver needs an adequate supply of vitamin B6, folic acid, and vitamin B12 for a proper amount of methyl groups.

A supplement is known as SAMe (s-adenosylmethionine) can also be helpful because it is a rich source of methyl groups and sulfur.

Another conjugation pathway is sulfation, where sulfur groups are added to estrogen and other molecules to prepare them for elimination. That is why we need to supply the liver with adequate amounts of foods containing sulfur, such as egg yolks, onion, garlic, Brussels sprouts, and animal protein.

Glucuronidation is another process that involves drug metabolism, pollutants, and by which estrogens and androgens can be conjugated. It can be affected by the health of your gut. When the gut is healthy and has more good bacteria than bad, this process works without problems. When you have an overgrowth of harmful bacteria

in your gut, an enzyme produced by those bacteria, such as beta-glucuronidase, may inhibit the conjugated part from the estrogen. Instead, estrogen is excreted from the body and reabsorbed back, allowing buildup to excessive levels. Calcium D glucarate (found in fruits and vegetables) might help render the enzyme inactive and prevent this buildup.

Glutathione conjugation is the process in which xenobiotics and carcinogens (heavy metals) are removed from the body and a sulfur-containing molecule is added to estrogen for easy excretion.

We need glutathione for detoxification of alcohol, which is crucial for healthy hormones. Even a small amount of alcohol impacts estrogen levels because alcohol competes for glutathione and prevents estrogen exertion. Foods such as walnuts and avocado are rich in glutathione and vitamin C. Those fruits and vegetables also help stimulate the body to produce more vitamin C and glutathione.

Glutathione is one of the most critical detoxifiers in the body because it is an antioxidant in Phase I. Glutathione helps neutralize the free radicals produced in Phase I, and combines with them to produce water-soluble compounds that can be excreted.

Special Note on Liver Bile

Bile is a fluid secreted by the liver to absorb and digest fats and fat-soluble substances. It is stored in the gall bladder, where it then flows through the bile duct to the small intestine and is eventually eliminated via the stool.

Fat-soluble toxins, such as excess estrogen hormones, are eliminated from the body through the intestines with the aid of bile. However, women who are on birth control pills can have difficulty eliminating excess estrogens, which may be linked to inhibited bile flow. Methionine is an essential amino acid that can improve bile flow and help reduce excess estrogen levels.

How to Maintain a Healthy Liver?

Maintaining a healthy liver is critical to maintaining hormone balance and overall health.

Without a healthy liver, there are no healthy hormones because they are intimately connected. The liver has a critical effect on hormones and, it is also affected by hormones (external such as hormones replacement therapy). The liver can be protected by providing it with adequate nutrients, reducing exposure to toxins and chemicals that compete for liver function.

Supporting Your Liver: Foods and Supplements

The good news is that you can take proactive steps to support your liver health and promote hormone balance. Here are some key strategies:

Incorporate Liver-Friendly Foods

Cruciferous vegetables: Foods like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli are rich in methyl groups, which aid in liver detoxification and reduce oestrogen levels.
Dark leafy greens: Spinach, kale, and collard greens contain vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants to combat free radicals.
Dandelion greens and dandelion root: Known for their cleansing properties, they stimulate bile production and improve the liver’s ability to process excess estrogen.
Green tea: Contains catechins and alpha-lipoic acid to protect liver cells from damage.
Amino acids: Found in protein-rich foods, they are essential for repairing liver enzymes and maintaining liver function.

Adopt Lifestyle Changes

Minimize exposure to endocrine disruptors and toxic substances by using clean beauty products and reducing plastic use.
Avoid alcohol consumption to prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and protect vital organs.
Manage chronic stress to lower cortisol levels, which can burden the liver.
Do coffee enemas: they help remove excess estrogen from the liver.
Use infrared or full spectrum sauna for detoxification.
Use castor oil packs: they help with detoxification.

Use Liver-Supporting Supplements

Milk thistle: Known for its liver-protective properties, it supports hormone regulation and detoxification.
B vitamins: Essential for processing methyl groups and supporting overall liver function.
Vitamin C: Helps combat oxidative stress and boosts the liver’s ability to process excess hormones.

Love your liver; be kind to it. Reduce alcohol consumption and coffee consumption, eat more organic food, use clean cosmetic and cleaning supplies, and eliminate processed and fried foods and those with preservatives or other additives from your diet. Drink plenty of water to facilitate the elimination of toxic and excess substances. Reduce exposure to toxic chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides in your yard.

Caring for your liver isn’t just about detoxification—it’s about empowering your body to thrive and maintain harmony in your hormone levels. With the right approach, you can ensure your liver stays strong and capable of handling the demands of modern life, leading to improved hormonal health.

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More About Hormones

Alcohol Effects on Female Hormones During Perimenopause

Estrogen Dominance In Perimenopause

How To Optimize Your Adrenals: Adrenal Fatigue Diet

Nine Superfoods For Hormone Balance

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6313798

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29224098

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31244779

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1749210