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Celiac disease impacts hormone health in a variety of ways. This is important to take note of as hormones are very important to the body’s overall health and functioning. Having an imbalance of hormones can lead to many unwanted symptoms and certain health conditions.
Hormone imbalances can be caused by nutrient deficiencies, as well as stress and aging. While anyone can develop a hormone imbalance, those with celiac disease are at a higher risk due to the malabsorption of nutrients and the stress put on the body from inflammation and damage. In this post, we’ll talk about exactly what the role of celiac is in hormone health.
Before we talk about how celiac impacts hormone health, we need to get on the same page about what celiac disease is. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that is triggered when gluten is consumed. The immune reaction to gluten causes damage to the lining of the small intestine. Common symptoms of celiac disease include diarrhea, gas, bloating, and pain in the abdomen or joints. Celiac disease can also make it harder for certain nutrients to be absorbed leading to nutrient malabsorption.
Furthermore, in understanding hormone health with celiac disease, we also need to get on the same page on what hormone health means. Hormone health refers to how well our hormones are functioning. When they are well balanced and functioning properly, our bodies will be energized and all systems will be at peak performance. Hormones support our metabolism, immune system, and more within our bodies.
Having good hormone health will make it easier for our bodies to digest food and can keep us healthier. If hormones become imbalanced, people can begin to suffer from mood swings, fatigue, and trouble sleeping, as well as muscle weakness and aches and pains.
Lastly, we can’t talk about hormone health with celiac disease without discussing the different hormones. Hormones are necessary to the functioning of our bodies. They work as chemical messengers in many different processes such as growth, development, metabolism, and even mood. Hormonal imbalances can affect your mental, physical and emotional health. Some important hormones to be aware of include:
Now that we have a basic understanding of hormone health and common hormones in the body, let’s talk about how celiac disease impacts hormone health.
Celiac disease can have a large effect on hormone health, especially if you don’t stay gluten-free after your diagnosis. From impacting blood sugars, hunger hormones, nutrients essential for hormone production, and more… staying gluten-free for celiac disease is essential to hormone health.
First, malabsorption of nutrients and the inflammatory response to eating gluten can cause a dysregulated response to food. Mainly, research indicates that even after going gluten-free, hunger and fullness hormones may not fully return to pre-celiac levels. Essentially, people with celiac disease are hungrier, and this is likely a normal adaptation to not taking up essential nutrients for years before diagnosis.
Additionally, celiac disease has been linked to endocrine conditions related to impaired thyroid function and diabetes. With studies showing a high link between celiac disease and co-occuring autoimmune thyroid conditions, diabetes, and adrenal insufficiency. These links may be explained by the disease process of celiac disease and the strain it has on hormone health.
Furthermore, poor absorption of iron due to intestinal damage can impact fertility with celiac disease. This is because low-iron levels impact a women’s egg health and ability to ovulate properly.
Not being able to uptake enough nutrients is a key player in the disease state of celiac. This is due to small intestinal damage. Nutrients like carbs, fat, zinc, magnesium, calcium, vitamin D and so much more. If utilization of these nutrients is sub-par it can put a direct strain on associated organs and hormones. This is why healing after a celiac diagnosis is essential.
When monitoring hormones with celiac disease, blood tests can be done to assess hormone levels. Talking to your doctor and sharing what you’re experiencing can help make sure you select the right tests.
Other ways to monitor hormone health would be to listen to your body and notice any symptoms that could be related to hormone imbalance or deficiency. Some symptoms could include painful or irregular periods, anxiety and depression, fatigue, muscle aches and stiffness, brain fog, and more. Some symptoms may be common, so really listen to your body to see if there could be a deeper reason for these symptoms.
Hormone health with a gluten-free diet could be impacted. Certain nutrients are vital to the overall balance of hormones within our bodies. Becoming nutrient deficient can have serious impacts on the production of hormones.
For example, celiac disease can cause damage to the areas where zinc, magnesium, vitamin b12, and fat can be absorbed, thus leading to deficiencies of these nutrients. Low vitamin B12 and low fat can affect the amount of estrogen and progesterone in the body. Low estrogen can lead to irregular menstrual cycles, trouble sleeping, and depression.
Alternatively, impaired fat absorption can also impact the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which can mess up the body’s normal hunger and fullness cues throughout the day.
Furthermore, zinc deficiency with celiac disease can be common as well due to impaired absorption. This, in turn, could put celiacs at risk for low growth hormone which can cause failure to thrive in children.
Additionally, zinc is needed for thyroid health, playing an important role in producing T3, T4, and TSH. Thus, zinc deficiency with celiac disease could impact thyroid hormones and health.
These are just some of the ways not taking up enough nutrients due to celiac damage can impact hormone health.
Not only does a well-balanced gluten-free diet and malabsorption impact hormone health with celiac disease, but so does your relationship with food. As mentioned, the nutrients we consume (or don’t consume) and our hormones are deeply connected.
Since carbohydrates help synthesize estrogen and progesterone, they are vital to our wellbeing. There are many “low-carb” diets out there and carbs have been villainized. However, they are necessary for many areas of our health, especially hormone health. There are many gluten-free carbs, like gluten-free whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
Similarly, there is a fear of eating foods containing fat. While different fats have different things to offer us, fat is essential to hormone health and the overall functioning of the body. Fats help in the production of hormones in the body and help to stabilize them. If there is not enough fat being consumed in the diet, it can cause an imbalance of hormones as not enough hormones will be produced.
Carbs and fat in mind, if your relationship with food involves a fear of carbs or fat, on top of the risk factors of celiac disease, your hormone health could be at risk. It’s essential that any food fears, celiac or macronutrient related, are addressed to make sure you’re eating enough of what you need.
Speaking of eating enough, undereating, in general, can also affect hormone health with celiac disease. Undereating can also be triggered by fear of food as if you’re afraid of food, you may not eat enough. And depending on how strong those fears are, you may not be eating enough energy required for your body to heal and take up essential nutrients to regulate hormones.
Basically: without enough fuel and nutrients, the body will not be able to produce enough hormones to support the functions of the body. While some people may be afraid to overeat to avoid celiac disease weight gain, it is essential to understand that undereating is putting your health at risk too. If you’re concerned about your relationship to food, feeling like you’re over or under-eating, please consider working with a celiac dietitian.
So we understand what hormone health with celiac disease means and how celiac impacts it, now let’s talk gluten-free foods to eat for hormone health!
First up, nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are an excellent way to support hormone health with celiac disease. They’ve got iron, magnesium, zinc, fat, carbs, and in some cases omega-3s. All of which are excellent for hormone health and can be low in celiacs.
Next up, carb-rich foods like gluten-free whole grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables. Carbs are essential to support hormone function and production. Not only are carbs directly tied to blood sugar regulation through hormones but also to energy regulation.
Additionally, eggs are a great gluten-free food to support hormone health. Not only do they have protein and fat to support hormone production and regulation, but they also have vitamin D and choline too!
Lastly… and honestly, pretty much any gluten-free food has the ability to support hormone health with celiac disease. If you’re concerned, reach out to a celiac disease nutritionist who can assess your diet for appropriate balance for health.
Now that we’ve talked about hormones and celiac disease, how celiac can impact hormones, and more, let’s dive into eating for hormone health. What can we do to make sure our hormones are supported with celiac disease?
The best thing we can do is to first, eat gluten-free, and second eat with gentle nutrition in mind. Below is a 3-day gluten-free hormone health meal plan to help offer ideas on what kind of meals you could eat to support hormone health.
Hormone health with celiac disease is complicated. Hormones are involved in so many different things, from appetite, bone health, blood sugar regulation, to women’s health with celiac disease. The repeating theme is that not being able to take up enough nutrients because of damage in the gut plays a big role in celiac hormone balance.
The best thing to do to support your hormones and health with celiac is to eat gluten-free and practice gentle nutrition.
And if you need help learning how to stay gluten-free to heal, check out my Celiac Crash Course. It’s where I show you exactly how to avoid gluten so you can prevent further damage and give your body a chance to heal.