Anxiety and Hormone Balance
Estrogen Dominance
Estrogen dominance occurs when there is an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone levels in the body. These are two important sex hormones found primarily in women.
Symptoms of estrogen dominance may include:
Symptoms of estrogen dominance may include:
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
- Mood swings
- Weight gain, especially around the hips and thighs
- Fatigue
- Decreased libido
While there may be various causes of estrogen dominance, high beta-glucuronidase levels is a common one we see in our practice.
What Causes High Beta-Glucuronidase?
Several factors can contribute to high beta-glucuronidase levels. However, poor gut health is one of the biggest. The gut microbiome plays a pivotal role in maintaining a healthy balance of hormones, and an imbalance in gut bacteria can lead to increased beta-glucuronidase activity. Factors such as antibiotic use, a high-sugar diet, and chronic stress can negatively impact gut health and contribute to an overgrowth of harmful bacteria.
Common causes of high beta-glucuronidase include:
- Dysbiosis (an imbalance of gut bacteria in the colon)
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
- Frequent antibiotic usage
- Liver inflammation and/or issues with liver detoxification
- Overexposure to toxins or drugs
In our practice, we use GI MAP, a comprehensive stool analysis test, to identify gut infections, bacterial imbalances, and evaluate beta-glucuronidase activity. While we reviewed the impact of high beta-glucuronidase levels on estrogen, it’s also important to note that too much beta-glucuronidase in the gut causes the reabsorption of other unwanted toxins like pesticides, industrial pollutants, and mold mycotoxins.
Figure 2: An intestinal health snapshot from the GI Map test. This is one of many functional medicine tests we use to identify root causes.
Figure 2: An intestinal health snapshot from the GI Map test. This is one of many functional medicine tests we use to identify root causes.
Cortisol
Cortisol is a stress hormone produced in varying levels throughout the day. During a stressful event, the body raises your cortisol levels as part of the “fight-or-flight” response. Unfortunately, many individuals suffer from imbalanced cortisol levels due to chronic stress. Both high and low cortisol levels can lead to symptoms of anxiety.
What May Help
Stress is a natural part of life and it’s not always possible to remove the stressors we experience each day. This means we must find a productive way to reduce the effects of everyday stress on the body.
- Prioritize 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Avoid coffee, alcohol, and screens as much as possible before bedtime.
- Incorporate at least one stress reducing activity into your routine each day. Proven therapies to reduce cortisol include yoga or tai chi, breathing exercises, nature walks, and meditation.
- Consider taking an adaptogen, like Ashwagandha. Adaptogens are herbs that have cortisol balancing effects and may help reduce anxiety.
Vitamin D
You may be surprised to hear that vitamin D is actually considered a hormone. Vitamin D deficiency is fairly common, especially in people who live in colder climates with less sunlight during the winter. Research suggests that a vitamin D deficiency is associated with mental health disorders, like anxiety. Fortunately, increasing vitamin D levels may reduce symptoms of anxiety (1).
How to Treat
You can request a vitamin D blood test through your primary care doctor. Most conventional providers consider a vitamin D level greater than 30 ng/ml as normal. However, updated research and clinical practice suggests that an optimal vitamin D level is actually closer to 50-70 ng/ml. Most people require a vitamin D supplement, at least through the winter, in order to achieve this ideal range. Read more about optimal vitamin D levels.
Lifestyle Modifications
Your lifestyle plays a tremendous role in treating anxiety and hormone imbalances. Simply put, it is very difficult to effectively treat anxiety if you are living a stressed, sleep deprived, and inactive lifestyle. Changing your lifestyle may be simple, but it’s not necessarily easy! Start small and stay consistent even when setbacks occur.
Healthy lifestyle modifications to treat anxiety and support hormone balance may include:
- Daily physical activity/exercise
- Stress management
- Sleep hygiene to encourage 7-8 hours of sleep each night
- Avoid smoking
- Limit alcohol
- Spend time in nature
- Socialize with people who lift your mood
It’s important to add that lifestyle modifications can help anyone with anxiety, no matter which treatment protocol (including conventional medicines) you decide to pursue!
Anxiety and Hormone Balance: Takeaways
Imbalances in progesterone, thyroid hormones, cortisol, and vitamin D may all cause or worsen your anxiety. Treatment of these imbalances may include diet, lifestyle modifications, supplementation, and/or medication when needed.
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