Dr. Clinton Sexton  

Part #3 Hormones

(Part B)

Welcome to Part 3 of the Women’s Digestion Solutions health series. This is Part 3 of the 5-part series and I will discuss the importance of Hormones and digestive health. In Part 1 explained the importance of Diet and in Part 2 I explained the necessity of proper nutrient levels.

Estrogen

Estrogen is a hormone produced by your ovaries. There are 3 major forms of estrogen:

• Estrone (E1)

• Estradiol (E2)

• Estriol (E3)

I will simply discuss all estrogens as “estrogen” from now on. Estrogen and progesterone must remain balanced, otherwise digestive problems begin to appear. Just as progesterone had influence over a nerve chemical (neurotransmitter) called GABA. Estrogen powerfully influences the activity of 2 very important digestive tract neurotransmitters called serotonin and dopamine. I will be discussing serotonin and dopamine in much greater detail later in this health series. If you would like more information about serotonin and dopamine right now, go to napervilleintegratedwellness.com When proper estrogen levels are not maintained (too high or too low) digestion is affected. For many women, by the time they reach the age group of 35-50 there is a significant reduction in progesterone production. During this same time frame, estrogen also drops, but not as much as progesterone does. This can lead to a condition called estrogen-dominance. This is also when women begin to suffer with uterine fibroids and often undergo hysterectomy. In addition to gut problems, hormone imbalances contribute to many health problems for women.

Poor estrogen balance can lead to gut inflammation and altered motility; this leads to loose stool or constipation. If you experience digestion issues around your menstrual cycle, then you know firsthand what changes in hormones can do! Later in this series I will explain the link between neurotransmitters and healthy hormone regulation. But for now, I want to you think about this…why are so many women put on hormone therapy? Why are women not producing sufficient and balanced hormone levels?

Your hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) are produced by your ovaries until you reach menopause. At that point in life, your adrenal glands begin to take over and produce the hormones you will need for the rest of your life. So, there is a switch from ovary to adrenal gland production of these hormones.

Ok, now assuming you have ovaries and assuming you have adrenal glands, why would you need hormone replacement therapy? Why so are many women of all ages placed on birth control pills or other hormone replacement therapy, when their organs of hormone production are present and functional?

In most cases I consider hormone problems to be a problem of regulation. This regulation is influenced not only by proper digestive health, but neurological health. Most people do not realize (including many doctors) that hormone regulation begins in the brain (hypothalamus). For the brain to regulate hormone levels (via the pituitary gland; located in your head) it must be functioning properly. Instead of jumping into the use of hormones, adrenal and neurotransmitter health should be looked at first.

Digestive health, proper neurotransmitter and adrenal health are essential for proper hormone regulation and production.

Optimal digestion depends on proper hormone levels. If you think hormone imbalances are contributing to your digestion problems, then hormone testing can be very helpful in order to determine which hormones are out of balance. This can lead to a more specific treatment plan; and if needed more appropriate hormone replacement, depending on your particular circumstances and needs. I often order complete hormone tests on my patients because they can provide information that is essential for the development of an effective treatment plan.

If you think Hormones are contributing to your digestion problems and you are not sure what to do, contact my office to set up a consultation.

In Part #4 we will be covering Digestion the role of Gut flora, Probiotics and Prebiotics in women’s digestive health.

I hope you have found the information in Part #3 of the Women’s Digestion Solutions helpful!

Health and Happiness,

Dr. Sexton

If you would like more information about women’s digestion, functional medicine or Dr. Sexton please contact our Naperville office or go to www.napervilleintegratedwelness.com

Do your own research, inform yourself and ask lots of questions. When collecting information you MUST consider the source. There is no shortage of false, misleading, outdated, profit-driven and utterly biased information in healthcare today; even from the most respected sources and organizations.

This approach to healthcare is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease. Why is this? The FDA enforces its position that these words can only be used with drugs. This approach does not use drugs.