Is A Hormone Imbalance Causing Your Gut Issues? Here's How Estrogen Is Linked To Constipation

GI issues are an extremely common concern in my practice. We evaluate patients for candida, celiac disease, food sensitivities, and even small intestinal bacterial overgrowth on an almost daily basis. Through this process, I always try to educate my patients on what factors could be affecting their gut health, and what many of them don't realize is that your hormones can negatively affect1 bowel movements, too. This is true of thyroid and stress hormones but also relevant to female hormones, like estrogen.

Women tend to be more constipated than men for numerous reasons, one being the simple fact that women have larger colons than men. But there is also a big hormonal link to constipation. Patients who are pregnant or going through menopause also suffer from more frequent constipation because of the hormonal fluctuations occurring in their bodies.

Estrogen is a main culprit in constipation, especially when it comes to the decline in estrogen levels during menopause. It was previously thought that progesterone was the culprit in constipation during pregnancy, but new research is showing that it probably has more to do with estrogen1. Studies have shown that estrogen actually delays gastric emptying2, prolonging transit timing and causing constipation. Estrogen also weakens the pelvic floor, making it harder to have a bowel movement.

The good news is that you can find out if your hormones are out of whack and improve them if they are. This is a good time to consult a health care professional because you may need to get blood or saliva tests or go on thyroid medication or maybe even bioidentical hormones if you don't have any contraindicating risk factors. In addition, you'll want to make sure you rule out other issues that could be contributing to constipation. Besides increasing water and fiber in your diet, and learning how to de-stress, there are other things you can do to balance estrogen and keep your digestion moving right along:

We are also constantly exposed to chemicals that affect estrogen levels like plastics, BPA, sulfates, phthalates, and more. Make sure your personal care products are as clean as they can be by buying products that are free from these chemicals.

Studies show that taking a daily probiotic helps improve constipation by improving consistency, transit time, and stool caliber. Probiotics also help improve estrogen levels by helping you stay regular, eliminating any estrogen or thyroid disturbers. You can also get probiotics through fermented foods in your diet like miso soup, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and coconut kefir.

This is my favorite adaptogen for numerous reasons, but it's great for people with hormone imbalances because it can help reduce stress. Learning to de-stress or handle and manage stress appropriately will also help your bowels eliminate more efficiently. When your cortisol levels are high, you're prone to weight gain because you crave unhealthy foods and your blood sugar spikes, causing you to have malabsorption so you are not always absorbing any nutrients in your food. Stress also decreases gastric emptying as well as transit time, making it harder to have a bowel movement.

This powerful root from Peru improves nutrient absorption in your gut. It's known for helping balance hormone levels as well as improving your overall endurance and energy. My athlete patients love this herb. This adaptogen also helps stress levels, so it can help with constipation in more ways than one. You can add maca powder to smoothies, juices, and pretty much whatever you're cooking.

I'm a huge fan of this superfood seed! Chia seeds improve constipation directly because they are full of soluble fiber. In fact, they are my personal secret weapon when I feel backed up. I usually throw a big tablespoon in water and drink that throughout the day. It forces me to stay hydrated and get additional fiber. You can also make chia pudding, which is delicious and great for kids to take!

In the future, we'll learn more about how estrogen affects our bowel movements. For now, follow these tips to support healthy digestion and hormone balance to keep you regular and avoid the discomfort of constipation.