Poor Gallbladder Function Affects Hormone Detoxification

    If you experience PMS or other symptoms of estrogen dominance, your gallbladder may need some attention for two key reasons:

1. Excess estrogen increases cholesterol synthesis and reduces bile acid production. This affects bile composition negatively and interferes with healthy gallbladder function.

2. The gallbladder itself plays an important role in estrogen detoxification in several ways.

    One key function is binding excess estrogen to bile acids for excretion. However, this estrogen detoxification is often badly disrupted by dysbiotic intestinal bacteria. Certain intestinal bacteria produce an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase. Beta-glucuronidase unbinds estrogen that is ready for excretion from bile acids. This allows estrogen to be reabsorbed back into the blood from the intestines. When beta-glucuronidase producing bacteria are allowed to overgrow it leads to elevated estrogen levels, contributing to estrogen dominance in both men and women.

    Additionally, bile acids released by the gallbladder activate receptors in the gut called ‘bile acid-activated nuclear receptors.’ When these receptors are activated by bile acids, they turn on metabolic pathways involved in reducing inflammation, metabolism, and detoxification, including the detoxification of estrogen to keep estrogen balanced. These bile acid sensitive receptors also suppress the overgrowth of the gut bacteria that produce the beta-glucuronidase enzyme. By doing this, estrogen doesn’t get reabsorbed and, thus, lowers estrogen.