Posted by Estrogen is a sex hormone that’s important for maintaining sexual and reproductive health. Traditionally considered a female hormone, estrogen is dominant in women. It is crucial for the development of female secondary sex characteristics, the menstrual cycle, and fertility. It is also important for bone and cardiovascular health, skin, brain function, circulation, muscle mass, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol.
Men have estrogen, too. For them, it is at much lower levels in comparison to testosterone. Estrogen for men comes in the predominant form known as estradiol. It is important for sperm production, erectile function, and libido. Estradiol is also important for increasing feelings of satiety (fullness) and decreasing appetite in both sexes.
Enter kratom, an herbal supplement that is a common remedy for pain, fatigue, stress, and more. Although there is plenty of information on its opioid-like analgesic and stimulant effects, less is known about how it might affect hormones, and particularly estrogen.
It is normal to be curious about kratom’s effects on the user, including on their estrogen levels. Whether you are new to kratom or experienced, it is always good to seek in-depth information about it. Let’s look beyond kratom’s typical effects and at how it reacts with regards to estrogen.
Estrogen and the Liver
To find out what kratom could do to estrogen, it is first necessary to learn about the relationship between estrogen and the liver. This organ reduces sex hormones to metabolites and removes excess hormones, which leave the body through urine or stool. Hence, it balances hormones. If the liver’s health or function is affected, so too are the hormones it deals with.
The relationship between estrogen and the liver is a mutual one, since estrogen protects the liver against diseases such as fibrosis, regulates bile production, and reduces inflammation. Maintaining estrogen levels that are normal for your sex is important for your health.
What Alters Estrogen Levels?
Natural fluctuations of estrogen levels are normal, especially during a woman’s menstrual cycle. Age, health conditions, and lifestyle factors, including stress, diet, and exercise, can increase or decrease estrogen levels in both sexes. When the changes are too extreme or sudden, estrogen levels become abnormally low or high. For example, female gymnasts, ballerinas, and long-distance runners often stop their periods because of intense training.
Another factor that can alter estrogen levels is cortisol. Cortisol acts on the liver by triggering the release of glucose (sugar). When cortisol is high, it can lower estrogen levels or create estrogen dominance. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that the adrenal glands produce and has to do with the body’s immune function, metabolism, and stress response.
In an indirect way, we can look at what kratom does to the liver. Then, how that relationship relates to estrogen – one of the hormones that’s broken down by the liver.
Kratom and the Liver
The liver metabolizes kratom as well. Kratom is mostly made up of the active alkaloid mitragynine, and that accounts for most of its effects. In the liver, though, it becomes the active metabolite 7-hydroxymitragynine. 7-OH is also available as a concentrated extract in chewable tablet form and is 13 times more potent than morphine. It is commonly used for pain relief and opioid withdrawal.
The liver breaks down kratom similarly as it does other substances, such as alcohol and prescription medications. There is an enzyme in the liver and intestines, CYP34A, that is responsible for metabolizing over half of all drugs and other foreign compounds. What this means for you is that taking kratom at too-high doses or for too long can overwhelm the liver and lead to damage. Liver damage, in turn, could make one’s estrogen levels abnormal – potentially leading to conditions like estrogen dominance.
Kratom and Estrogen: Potential Implications
Here are some potential implications to consider with kratom’s unknown effects on estrogen:
Women of reproductive age should monitor their menstrual cycle and be aware of symptoms of estrogen deficiency or excess (e.g., irregular cycles, mood shifts, hot flashes, etc.).
Women who are on hormone therapy or are taking medications that CYP34A metabolizes should consider that kratom could interfere with those liver enzyme pathways.
Women who are pregnant or have hormone-sensitive conditions such as endometriosis, PCOS, or breast cancer should exercise extra caution.
Real Botanicals for Reliable, Pure Kratom
In the unregulated market that is kratom, you should not take chances with your health. As much as we know right now about the herbal substance, there is nearly next to nothing about what it does to estrogen. To be as safe as possible, it’s best to have a kratom vendor that can guarantee the cleanest extract you can consume with maximum benefit. Independent, third-party lab-testing and small batches give you the transparency and consistency you need for your peace of mind.
That’s why we choose Real Botanicals kratom. We hope you do, too.
You might be interested in reading “Does Kratom Affect Testosterone Levels.“