- April 4, 2025
Emerging research reveals that the bacteria in your gut have a more significant impact on your hormones than you might realize. Your gut microbiota regulate or influence nearly every hormone in your body, including thyroid hormones, estrogen, and melatonin. This article explores the gut-hormone connection and offers practical tips to restore balance to your gut.
Throughout the day, your hormones ebb and flow like the tides. Cortisol wakes you up in the morning, melatonin helps you sleep at night, leptin signals hunger, and ghrelin tells you when you’re full. The endocrine system, a collection of glands, is responsible for creating and releasing these hormones into the bloodstream to be carried to various organs.
However, growing research shows that your gut bacteria play a crucial role in this process. Your gut microbiome acts as a conductor, orchestrating the production and release of hormones. It not only produces hormones but also signals glands in your body, influencing how much of each hormone should be created and released.
Researchers are discovering that your gut microbiome may be the most critical player in the endocrine system. Your gut bacteria influence nearly every hormone in the body, including:
Low microbial diversity—when you lack a variety of gut bacteria—has been linked to high thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. Elevated TSH can lead to lower levels of thyroid hormones T3 and T4, sometimes resulting in hypothyroidism. An imbalanced gut microbiome is also associated with hypothyroidism, which can cause symptoms like weight gain, sensitivity to cold, dry skin, constipation, and poor memory.
Estrogen is essential for both men and women, albeit in different amounts. Your gut microbiota regulate circulating estrogen levels by producing an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, which converts estrogen into its active forms. An imbalanced microbiome can alter the amount of active estrogens in the body. A specific group of microbes, known as the ‘estrobolome,’ metabolizes estrogens, promoting tissue growth throughout the body.
Melatonin, often associated with sleep, is produced from serotonin, a hormone that regulates mood. Over 90% of your serotonin is produced by gut bacteria. Insufficient sleep can disrupt your gut microbiome, leading to increased inflammation and a higher risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type II diabetes. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule helps your body and gut maintain natural rhythms essential for health.
Cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine are stress hormones that put your body on high alert. While beneficial in emergencies, prolonged high levels can disrupt your gut microbiome. High stress hormone levels can trigger harmful gene expression in some microbes, potentially leading to infections.
If you’re looking to balance your hormones, start by focusing on your gut health. Here are three ways to begin:
Cutting out refined sugar is one of the most effective ways to heal your gut. Harmful bacteria thrive on sugar, so reducing your intake can help restore balance.
Eating a variety of organic vegetables is beneficial for your gut. Organic produce contains fewer pesticides, which can harm your gut microbes.
Understanding what’s happening in your gut can help you make necessary changes. Companies like Viome offer gut tests that analyze your microbiome, providing personalized recommendations on what foods to include or avoid.
An imbalanced gut microbiome can lead to high TSH levels, resulting in lower thyroid hormone production and potentially causing hypothyroidism.
The estrobolome is a group of gut microbes that metabolize estrogens, influencing estrogen balance in the body.
Melatonin is produced from serotonin, which is primarily made by gut bacteria. Disrupted sleep can negatively affect your gut microbiome and melatonin production.
Yes, prolonged high levels of stress hormones can disrupt the gut microbiome and trigger harmful gene expression in some microbes.
Eliminate refined sugar, eat organic foods, and consider taking a gut test to understand and improve your gut microbiome.
nataly@bioupgraded.com
@bioupgraded
Dallas, TX, USA
