Detoxification

To cut a long story short, glycogen is a precursor for a detoxification pathway (phase 2) which detoxifies steroid hormones such as estrogen.

If this phase of detoxification does not function properly, you could end up with estrogen dominance.

Hypothyroidism (a poorly functioning thyroid, resulting in an under-secretion of the hormone Thyroxin) can also cause estrogen dominance. As it decreases progesterone production. The dance of the hormones is a very complicated one. Hence I’m trying to keep this super simple – there’s obviously more to it – however, in a nutshell. High levels of estrogen and low levels of progesterone perpetuate hypothyroidism.

Progesterone is responsible for the release of T4 from the thyroid. Which estrogen suppresses and encourages the production of Thyroid Binding Globulin, which then binds the T4 thyroid hormone. It can’t attach to the receptor sites and it becomes ineffective. High estrogen levels can also be a trigger for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

You can see the vital role the liver plays in keeping the thyroid healthy – the body has many feedback loops – they are all interconnected.

 

Disclaimer

You can simply click on the name of each product mentioned above (in bold) and a hyperlink will take you directly to the product for an easy purchase.

Originally published on https://www.facebook.com/SallyAnnCreedSA/ in 2020.