Beta Glucuronidase High

An enzyme is a protein in the body that helps speed up important chemical reactions. Beta-glucuronidase is a crucial enzyme for detoxification of hormones, environmental toxins, and medications. However, high beta-glucuronidase levels can cause unwanted symptoms and hormone imbalances.

In this article, we’ll explain the role of beta-glucuronidase, what high levels of this enzyme could mean for hormone and gut health, and potential functional medicine treatments.

What is Beta Glucuronidase?

Beta-glucuronidase is a very important enzyme produced naturally by certain intestinal bacteria and cells in your liver, intestines, and kidneys. This enzyme plays a crucial role in helping your liver detoxify excess hormones, environmental toxins, and certain medications. However, beta-glucuronidase is best known for its role in estrogen balance.

In women, the body is constantly producing estrogen, although the levels should fluctuate throughout your menstrual cycle. Once estrogen has served its purpose, your liver uses beta-glucuronidase to bind glucuronic acid to estrogen so the body can eliminate it in the stool. In the intestines, beta-glucuronidase enzymes break the bond between estrogen and glucuronic acid, and the estrogen that was meant to be excreted is then reabsorbed into the bloodstream. However, under normal circumstances, the body will eliminate more estrogen than it reabsorbs.

However, if you have high beta-glucuronidase levels, your intestines may reabsorb too much estrogen back into the bloodstream. This can lead to symptoms of estrogen dominance.

Figure 1: Gut Health and Hormones (Estrogen Metabolism)

infographic of estrogen metabolism - liver and gut

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:

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.

picture of elevated beta glucuronidase levels on gi map test

How to Lower Beta-Glucuronidase

Because beta-glucuronidase is highly affected by gut health and the balance of gut bacteria, the primary intervention for reducing high levels of this enzyme is to treat the root causes of gut imbalance.

Feed Healthy Gut Bacteria

High-meat, high-fat, and low-fiber diets are linked to higher beta-glucuronidase levels (1). However, a high-fiber diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains feeds the healthy bacteria in your gut and subsequently starves the bacteria that tend to cause high beta- glucuronidase. You should aim to eat at least 25-35 grams of fiber per day, spread out throughout each meal and snack.

Here are a few high-fiber food choices to consider:

½ medium avocado - 4 grams
½ cup raspberries - 4 grams
½ cup beans - 6 grams
1 tablespoon chia seeds - 5 grams
¼ cup almonds - 4 grams
1 cup Brussels sprouts - 3 grams

Make sure to also increase your water intake, as too much fiber without enough water can cause constipation. Besides feeding the right gut bacteria, the goal of increasing fiber intake is to also encourage daily bowel movements for adequate estrogen elimination.

Treat Gut Imbalances

Dysbiosis and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) are common causes of high beta-glucuronidase. We can use the GI MAP stool test in our membership program to identify gut imbalances and develop a personalized gut healing protocol. In these scenarios, we may reduce bacterial overgrowth and dysbiosis with gentle (but effective) antimicrobial supplements like Microbiome Balance.

Microbiome Balance

Gently Rebalance Your Gut

$54.00

Inflammation is a natural response by your body to protect you from harm. When you get a cut or an infection, inflammation helps fight off harmful invaders and kick-starts the healing process. However, chronic inflammation can be harmful and is linked to various diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, and even cancer. Functional medicine offers a holistic approach to reducing inflammation by targeting its root cause. Let's explore how this approach works.

Understanding Functional Medicine

Functional medicine is a branch of medicine that focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of diseases rather than just treating the symptoms. It involves a personalized and holistic approach, taking into account your lifestyle, genetics, environmental factors, gut health and the microbiome. Functional medicine practitioners aim to understand the complex interactions in your body and how they contribute to health and disease.

Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation can present with a variety of symptoms, including:

Joint pain or stiffness
Digestive issues
Skin problems, like acne or eczema
Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
Chronic fatigue
Mood disorders
Frequent infections

And many more!

Testing for Inflammation

Our functional medicine doctors at Root have extensive training and experience in identifying and treating inflammation within the body.

Blood Labs

We may use several blood lab tests to test for inflammation such as:

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HS-CRP): the most common and sensitive marker for widespread inflammation
Lipid panel: elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels are linked to inflammation
Ferritin: also known at the iron storage marker, high levels of this lab may indicate inflammation or oxidative stress
Omega-3 Index: low levels of omega-3s often correlate with higher inflammation
Insulin: elevated levels of this hormone can be a sign of insulin resistance, which is associated with increased inflammation and weight gain or difficulty losing weight
Vitamin D: this vitamin plays a crucial role in regulating the immune system, and deficiencies are often associated with increased inflammation

Most of these labs are part of the Root Cause Panel that you can self-order via the Root Access Membership.

Key Takeaways

Beta-glucuronidase is a necessary enzyme for detoxification in our body. However, when high beta-glucuronidase levels occur, many women notice symptoms similar to estrogen dominance, like mood swings, PMS, and decreased libido. You can lower beta-glucuronidase levels by eating a fiber-rich diet, balancing gut bacteria, limiting exposure to toxins, and supporting liver detoxification.

If you suffer from symptoms you think may be related to high beta-glucuronidase levels, our functional medicine team of doctors and registered dietitians are ready to help. Learn more about our functional medicine program.

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