The Role of Your Liver in Balancing Hormones
This is the next episode in the Understanding Menopause series and today I am chatting about the role that your liver plays in keeping your hormones balanced and you looking and feeling great. Most women don’t realise the importance of optimal liver function when it comes to balancing their hormones. This is something that most doctors don’t talk about probably because they don’t fully understand the link between your liver and your hormones, or they simply don’t think that it is important enough to talk about.
Most women understand that the liver is where you get rid of toxins from your body, but it also plays an important role in the manufacture of new hormones and the break down of old hormones. You could say that your liver is a manufacturing and re-cycling plant all in one. How amazing is that!
Some of the common signs that your liver is not functioning at an optimal level are:
- Weight gain
- Foggy headedness
- Skin rashes
- Digestive issues
- Hot flushes and night sweats
- Sleep problems
- Joint pain
- Hormone imbalances particularly oestrogen dominance
When you look at this list you might notice that there is a lot of similarity with the common symptoms associated with menopause.
One of the most common culprits that causes issues with stops your liver from functioning optimally is alcohol consumption. This is something that many women don’t want to hear, but unfortunately it is true. Your liver’s ability to breakdown and excrete alcohol declines as you go through your menopause transition, this results in many of the symptoms that you might be experiencing.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine liver meridian time is between 1-3am. If you find yourself waking at this time with night sweats, wanting to go to the bathroom, tossing and turning then this is a sign that your liver is not functioning optimally. Of course, alcohol is not the only culprit here, medications and exposure to toxic chemicals can also play a role.
If you think that your liver might be playing a role in your symptoms your first step is to consider your alcohol intake and any other chemicals that you might be exposing your body to. Eating a diet high in vegetables and lots of water will also help with your detoxification pathways. If weight gain is one of your most troubling concern about your menopause transition why not grab a free copy of my ebook The Secret to Getting Rid of Your Meno-belly where I share the other reasons (besides your liver) that are playing a role in the unexplained weight gain. You can download your free copy HERE.
That’s all for this week and next week I will be back with another fantastic guest. Please leave a rating a review wherever you are listening to the podcast, this helps other women find this information. Or why not share the podcast with a friend who you think would like to learn more about what is happening with her body as she moves through her menopause transition. The more women who have this information the better the world will be.
