EP.258/ Three Types Of Foods to Eat to Support the Liver and Improve Oestrogen Metabolism
So, if you’ve been listening to my podcast for a while now, you’ll know that the proper balance of oestrogen and progesterone can significantly help manage endometriosis symptoms. Not only is endo an oestrogen dependent disease, but the symptoms of oestrogen dominance can look a lot like what we associate with endo symptoms, such as heavy bleeding, clots, cramps and bloating.
Oestrogen excess put very simply, is when we have too much oestrogen circulating in our body, whereas oestrogen dominance is when the oestrogen to progesterone ratio is off, and oestrogen is dominating over progesterone in the second half of our cycle, when it should be the other way round.
The other issue that can occur is when our liver isn’t properly clearing out oestrogen. This can result in oestrogen building up, creating excess levels, but the liver can also convert oestrogen into an unhealthier metabolite, which can cause more exaggerated oestrogenic effects.
To put it another way, when the liver breaks down oestrogen, it breaks it down into what’s called metabolites, which are like the end products of used up hormones, nutrients, etc. The liver can convert oestrogen into a healthier metabolite, which is what we want, but if the liver is struggling, it can convert oestrogen into unhealthier metabolites, which can cause these more oestrogen dominant related problems.
Now, this is another one of those bitesize episodes, so I won’t break all of that down in detail here, but I’ve linked to a few of my podcast episodes and a few other articles for you to have a read.
The liver needs A LOT of nutrients to do its job properly, and whilst there are other things we can do to support the liver, eating for good liver health is one of the most important. So, here are three types of foods that can help you do that.
Colourful fruits and veggies
Number one is colourful fruits and veggies. The liver requires antioxidants like vit C, A and vitamin E, minerals like magnesium and plant compounds like quercetin to name just a few.
When it comes to fruits and veggies, the more colour, the more antioxidants and nutrients you’ll be consuming. Leafy greens are rich in B vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and zinc, avocados are a great source of vit E; peppers, oranges, cabbages and strawberries are rich in vit C whilst carrots and sweet potatoes are high in vit A. Quercetin is found in foods like red onions, cherries and apples.
Don’t worry about trying to focus on each nutrient – as I said, there are lots of nutrients that the liver requires, this is just some of them! If you focus on a diet rich in colourful fruits and veggies, you’ll be getting a broad range of them in.
Sulphur containing foods
Glutathione is one of the most important antioxidants for liver health and our overall health full stop, we could do a whole episode on glutathione, but one of its key roles is to prevent inflammatory damage which can be caused by the livers detoxication process, when it’s converting chemicals, hormones, etc. into metabolites. One of the main we can support glutathione production is through eating foods rich in sulphur. Sulphur containing foods are foods like broccoli, sprouts, rocket, cabbage, eggs, chicken and meat in general, onions and garlic.
Herbs and spices
Once the liver does its job of breaking down and packing up oestrogen, it needs to make its way to the gut to be removed in our bowel movements. This is done through our bile, a substance that is stored in our gallbladder and helps to remove toxins from the liver, but also plays a big role in digestion, like breaking down fats.
Bile production can be stimulated by bitter foods like rocket, chicory and dandelion greens, and herbs and spices like turmeric, coriander, mint and ginger. Many of these foods also support liver health directly and have been shown to improve liver health in populations struggling with liver damage. The bonus is, these foods also help to boost digestive enzymes, which are necessary for proper nutrient absorption and break down of foods, and many people who suffer from chronic stress, SIBO and/or fatigue, like the endo community, can be low in digestive enzymes.
As I said, these are just some of the most powerful foods and nutrients to boost liver health, but by eating a healthy diet that is rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients, healthy fats and protein and is blood sugar balancing, you’ll be giving your liver what you need. If you’re totally new to eating for endo, don’t worry about all of that, a first great step is incorporating some of these foods into your daily diet.
Show Notes
https://nicolejardim.com/hormone-balance-your-liver-function/
https://www.womensinternational.com/blog/portfolio-items/liver/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7569285/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28789631/
https://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/19/glutathione-the-mother-of-all-antioxidants/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8200071/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21559038/
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