Why Liver and Digestive Health are Key to Your Hormonal Balance and Period Health
When we think about hormonal health and period pain, the liver and digestive system aren’t always the first things that come to mind. But if you're struggling with painful periods, hormonal imbalances like PMDD, PCOS, or even perimenopausal symptoms, your liver and gut could be playing a much bigger role than you realise.
In my years of working with women as a herbalist and health coach, I’ve seen how closely connected liver function and digestive health are to the overall balance of our hormones. And I know this not just from professional experience, but from my own journey with hormonal imbalances. If you’re looking for relief from painful periods or other hormonal issues, supporting your liver and digestive system is a critical piece of the puzzle.
The Liver’s Role in Hormonal Health
Your liver is one of the hardest-working organs in your body, and when it comes to hormonal health, it’s a real superstar. One of the liver’s main jobs is to metabolise and clear out excess hormones, particularly oestrogen. If your liver isn’t functioning optimally, those excess hormones can recirculate in your bloodstream, causing oestrogen dominance. This imbalance can lead to all sorts of symptoms, including:
Painful or heavy periods
Mood swings
Bloating
Breast tenderness
Fatigue
Conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, and even PMS often have links to oestrogen dominance. By supporting your liver, you help your body process and eliminate that excess oestrogen, keeping your hormones in better balance.
How to Support Your Liver for Better Period Health
So, how do we look after our liver? Here are some key steps:
Reduce Toxins: Our liver is constantly filtering toxins, and in today’s world, it’s working overtime. From environmental toxins to alcohol, processed foods, and even stress, your liver has a lot to manage. Cutting back on alcohol and processed foods, and choosing organic where possible, can give your liver the break it needs.
Increase Antioxidant-Rich Foods: Foods like leafy greens, berries, and cruciferous vegetables (think broccoli, cabbage, and kale) are fantastic for supporting liver function. They provide the nutrients your liver needs to detox effectively.
Herbal Support: Herbs like milk thistle, dandelion root, and turmeric have long been used to support liver health. These herbs can help protect the liver and promote its natural detoxification processes.
Hydration: Staying well-hydrated is key for liver health. Water helps flush out toxins and supports the liver in its role of hormone detoxification.
The Gut-Hormone Connection
Your digestive system is also crucial when it comes to hormonal balance. A healthy gut helps with the elimination of hormones, while a sluggish digestive system can contribute to hormonal issues.
Here’s how the gut impacts your hormones:
Oestrogen Recirculation: If your digestion isn’t moving efficiently (hello, constipation), oestrogen that should be excreted in your stool can be reabsorbed into your bloodstream. This can lead to excess oestrogen, exacerbating conditions like heavy periods, endometriosis, or PMT.
Gut Health and Inflammation: An imbalanced gut microbiome (the community of bacteria in your digestive tract) can lead to chronic inflammation, which is closely linked to hormonal issues like PCOS and painful periods.
How to Support Digestive Health for Hormonal Balance
Fibre, Fibre, Fibre: Fibre is essential for binding excess hormones and helping them exit the body. Aim to include a variety of plant-based fibres from fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
Probiotics: Keeping your gut bacteria in balance is crucial. You can do this through probiotic-rich foods like yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi, or through a quality probiotic supplement. A healthy gut microbiome is key for reducing inflammation and supporting hormone balance.
Hydration and Movement: Just like your liver, your gut needs hydration to work effectively. And regular movement—whether it’s walking, yoga, or more intense exercise—helps keep digestion moving and prevents the buildup of toxins.
Reduce Processed Foods and Sugar: Highly processed foods, especially those high in sugar, can disrupt gut health and lead to inflammation. Reducing your intake of these foods can help rebalance your gut and improve hormonal health.
The Stress-Liver-Gut Axis
It’s also important to remember that stress has a significant impact on both your liver and gut health. When you’re stressed, your body releases more cortisol, which places extra pressure on your liver and can disrupt digestion. Managing stress through mindfulness, meditation, or even simple breathing exercises can go a long way in supporting both your liver and gut.
My Experience: How Supporting My Liver and Gut Changed My Hormonal Health
When I started to dig deeper into my own hormonal health issues, I realised that my liver and gut were under strain. Years of chronic stress, less-than-ideal eating habits, and not enough rest had taken their toll. I made the connection between my digestion and my periods when I began experiencing fewer symptoms of excess oestrogen after improving my gut health and liver function.
Through simple but consistent changes—like incorporating liver-supporting herbs, increasing my fibre intake, and cutting out alcohol —I noticed a significant shift. My periods became lighter, my mood improved, and I no longer felt as bloated or fatigued.
Why This Matters for You
If you’ve been struggling with painful periods, hormonal imbalances, or conditions like endometriosis, supporting your liver and gut could be the missing piece. The truth is, our hormones don’t operate in isolation. Every system in your body is connected, and by caring for your liver and digestive health, you can take control of your hormones in a powerful way.
Your liver and gut are key players in maintaining hormonal balance, and when these systems are functioning well, you’re more likely to experience more regular, less painful periods. So, if you’re tired of the same old “solutions” that don’t get to the root of the problem, it’s time to turn your attention to your liver and digestion. You might just be surprised by the difference it makes.
If you would like some guidance with sorting this out I have availability for my Well Woman Roadmap you can find out more here