High Beta-Glucuronidase and How it Affects Estrogen and Detoxification

Does it feel like something is just off? Do you feel like your hormones are out of balance, digestion is not 100% or just have general health issues?

It could be high beta-glucuronidase levels that are contributing to your high estrogen levels, or causing problems with liver detoxification?

One of the ways the body gets rid of toxins is through a process called conjugation which happens during phase 2 of liver detoxification.

If you are worried that you don’t feel quite yourself, then you always want to get that checked out.  A good place to start is checking your digestive health markers.

Gut health is paramount to overall wellness. Elevated beta-glucuronidase levels can hinder your detoxification capabilities, leading to issues like hormonal imbalances.

At Planet Naturopath, we emphasize testing this marker to unveil potential detoxification and estrogen balance problems.

Key Takeaways

• Beta-Glucuronidase’s Role in Health: Elevated levels of beta-glucuronidase can disrupt the body’s natural detoxification processes, particularly affecting estrogen balance and overall hormonal health.
• Testing for Imbalances: Utilizing comprehensive stool tests like the Gut Zoomer Test or G.I Map test is crucial for accurately assessing beta-glucuronidase levels.
• Link to Cancer and Hormonal Disorders: Persistently high beta-glucuronidase levels are associated with an increased risk of hormone-related cancers and can lead to hormonal imbalances, manifesting in symptoms like weight gain and mood changes.
• Management Through Diet and Supplements: A balanced diet, alongside specific supplements can effectively manage and reduce high beta-glucuronidase levels.

Beta-glucuronidase can be tested in a stool sample with the Gut Zoomer Test Or the G.I Map test.

My preference is the Gut Zoomer test as it measures a lot more gut health markers to get a complete picture of your intestinal health.

High Beta-Glucuronidase and Detoxification

We hear so much about how healthy gut bacteria contribute to better gut health, and the benefits of prebiotics and probiotics.

…. but we hear very little about beta-glucuronidase.

Beta-glucuronidase is important for proper digestion and in particular phase 2 of liver detoxification.

If your levels are out of balance it can affect your ability to detoxify estrogen and other hormones, as well as environmental toxins.

What Is Beta-Glucuronidase and How Does It Impact Your Health?

You may not understand the science of the gut and how the different bacteria and enzymes can influence our health. However, you should be aware of beta-glucuronidase, which is a very important enzyme within the gut and is involved in phase 2 of liver detoxification.

This is an enzyme that plays a pivotal role in digestion, particularly in breaking down certain things such as complex carbohydrates, detoxification of estrogen, thyroid hormone and other environmental toxins.

However, If the levels of beta-glucuronidase enzyme get too high, then this creates an undesirable situation. You will start to reabsorb hormones like estrogen and toxins that should be eliminated.

This is one of the main causes behind high estrogen. Many people take DIM supplements to improve estrogen detoxification but if your phase 2 of liver detoxification is not working well then you can reabsorb estrogen back into your body, no matter how much DIM or broccoli you eat.

In fact you should address your high b-glucuronidase levels before taking supplements like DIM.

If your levels get too high of b-glucuronidase then this can interrupt the body’s natural detoxification process.

The liver can’t work to detoxify your body if levels of beta-glucuronidase are too high. When your body comes into contact with toxins or environmental chemicals, they are re-absorbed back into the body rather than being eliminated through the gut.

These can make you sick over time and can lead to a whole host of health conditions in the future. So when the liver can’t properly work through the detoxification process, you are hurting your health now and in the long term as well.

What Puts You At Risk and How Can It Be Detected?

You might not realize that you have high levels of beta-glucuronidase. 

It is produced by both the host tissues and by various gut bacteria such as E. coli, Bacteroides, and Clostridia. The enzyme facilitates the breakdown of glucuronic acid conjugates, a process crucial to the body’s elimination system.

These are the things that will increase your levels:

• If you have a poor diet then this can put you at risk of this enzyme being produced at high levels.

• If you are an individual that consumes a lot of meat, processed foods, sugar, or alcohol then you are at risk of elevated levels of beta-glucuronidase.

• If you have dysbiosis this can be the underlying cause, that is why doing an advanced stool test like the Gut Zoomer is a good idea to know why the levels are high

Therefore, a healthy foundation that focuses on proper and balanced nutrition is of the utmost importance moving forward.

High levels of beta-glucuronidase can be a sign of other imbalances in your digestive tract like candida and bacterial overgrowth, this is also known as dysbiosis.

While supplements such as Calcium D-Glucarate can help lower beta-glucuronidase in the short term it is always best to address the underlying cause of why you have high levels of beta-glucuronidase.

Understanding the role that beta-glucuronidase has on your digestive, hormonal and other areas of health is important, and the best way to know is to “test and not guess”. This enzyme tends to be in the colon and so there are a couple of simple but effective ways to test for it.

At Planet Naturopath we use the Gut Zoomer OR G.I Map test to measure your beta-glucuronidase levels. The other advantage of using this test is that you can also assess bacterial overgrowth and candida which can be the cause of high beta-glucuronidase levels.

Causes Of High Beta-Glurcuronidase

Factors influencing beta-glucuronidase levels include:

• Diet: High-fat, low-fiber diets can increase enzyme levels.
• Microbiome composition: Certain gut bacteria produce more of the enzyme.
• Liver function: Impaired liver function can disrupt enzyme regulation

Beta-glucuronidase (GUS) is an enzyme associated with the process of estrogen detoxification. Its regulation is critical, as an imbalance can have implications for hormone-related conditions. Enzyme activity is influenced by a multitude of factors, both genetic and environmental.

Genetic Regulation: The expression of the GUS gene is controlled at the molecular level and can be inherited. Variants within the gene may affect how the body produces and regulates the enzyme, leading to different levels of activity in individuals.

Microbial Influence: The gut flora profoundly affects GUS activity. Certain bacterial species produce their own β-glucuronidase, which can impact the body’s hormonal balance by modifying the detoxification process.

Environmental Factors: Diet and exposure to certain drugs or toxins can modulate GUS activity. For instance, compounds known as glucuronides interact with GUS, either inhibiting or enhancing its function.

Feedback Mechanisms: The body’s own regulatory systems provide feedback inhibition or activation, adjusting GUS activity according to current physiological needs.

Research points out that targeting the molecular basis for GUS regulation, especially through small-molecule glucuronides, is a promising method to manage the enzyme’s activity and thus its impact on estrogen detoxification.

Overall, maintaining proper regulation of beta-glucuronidase activity is vital. Disruptions can lead to estrogen dominance or deficiency, contributing to various health concerns. Understanding and managing GUS activity offers therapeutic potential for conditions influenced by estrogen.

What Problems Can High Beta-Glucuronidase Levels Cause?

The reality is that if the beta-glucuronidase levels remain elevated over time, this can lead to significant health issues in the future.

You put yourself at risk of certain types of cancer if this remains in your system. This can be particularly true for hormonally based types of cancer since the elevated levels of beta-glucuronidase can interfere with hormone balance. This can put you at greater risk for breast cancer and other hormone-related cancers.

It is possible that elevated levels of beta-glucuronidase can lead to an interruption to estrogen regulation within the body. Not only can this lead to hormone-based types of cancers, but also an interruption in detoxification in this capacity.

It may be that the natural estrogen detoxification process doesn’t work properly, thus leading to other issues associated with high estrogens like weight gain, mood changes, and PMS.

Supplements To Reduce High Beta-Glucuronidase

Calcium D-Glucarate is an excellent supplement that can help with elevated levels of beta-glucuronidase. It is great to help naturally detoxify the body and can, therefore, lower your elevated levels in the meantime.

I recommend starting at 1,000mg a day but if your beta-glucuronidase levels are a lot higher you may need more. Make sure to choose a good brand like Thorne Research.

A stool test will also reveal if dysbiosis is a contributing factor, if this is the case you may also find that taking a probiotic helps with natural gut health.

Though this is an indirect way of dealing with elevated levels of beta-glucuronidase. It most certainly can help with the issue and restoring gut health. I recommend a consultation first but these are some quality products that may help if you know you have high levels and want to trial some treatments yourself.

 I recommend the Seed Probiotic to help balance gut bacteria.

The herb Milk Thistle, otherwise known as Silymarin can also help to lower beta-glucuronidase and help liver detoxification in general.

You may also find that eating a healthier and balanced diet can help with the problem. Try limiting processed meats, alcohol, and avoid sugar and processed foods that can lead to elevated beta-glucuronidase.

Focus on plenty of fruits and vegetables, good fats, and lean proteins separate from grass-fed animals.

Taking a proactive approach to managing your beta-glucuronidase levels can help your liver to function properly, balance out hormones, and can lead to natural detoxification. Be sure that you understand your beta-glucuronidase levels and the implications of this enzyme in elevated amounts.

Planet Naturopath Tests To Consider

For a full range of the tests we offer visit the All Tests Available page.