Why detoxing your liver is crucial for hormone health
+ NOW HIRING: We're seeking a community & growth manager
Give your liver some love
Why detoxing your liver is crucial for menopausal hormone health
Learn how to support your liver and its detoxification powers in midlife
By Sally Duffin
If there’s one part of your body working overtime during midlife, it’s your liver. This hard-working organ has a punishing schedule at the best of times (filtering blood, building proteins, storing vitamins, processing toxins) and it has to work even harder during perimenopause. Midlife hormone changes are an extra challenge for the liver and anything we can do to support this “detox superhighway” means better hormone health. Here’s how you can show your liver some love.
The detox superhighway for hormones and toxins
The liver is one of our most important organs for detoxification, handling hormones, medications, alcohol, drugs, and toxins absorbed from foods and our environment. These toxins include xenoestrogens – synthetic estrogens that interfere with natural estrogens in the body.
There are hundreds of sources of xenoestrogens including certain types of hormone replacement therapy and contraceptive pills, cosmetics, personal care products, non-stick coatings on cookware, plastics, and farming chemicals. They are an inescapable part of the modern world but our bodies are not designed to handle them and they are linked to hormone-related cancers and other health conditions.
How the liver processes toxins
There are two main detoxification pathways in the liver: Phase I and Phase II.
Phase I involves enzyme reactions that make our old hormones and toxins water-soluble and less harmful. These enzymes depend on nutrient co-factors like Vitamin A, magnesium, vitamin C, and B vitamins.
Phase II binds the toxins to another molecule, ready for elimination. Many toxins are excreted in bile from the liver, which travels to the bowel ready to be passed out via a bowel movement. This is why regular, healthy poop is such an important part of the detoxification process!
How menopause affects your liver
Midlife hormonal changes have a noticeable effect on liver health. Research shows that blood flow and blood volume in the liver decrease by around 1% per year after age 40 and the liver has a reduced capacity for regeneration as we get older.
Falling estrogen levels add to this process. Estrogen provides antioxidant protection to liver cells, supports energy production, protects against inflammation, and helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels. When estrogen levels fall, these protections are lost, and the liver is exposed to more inflammation and damage.
The Midst seeks Community & Growth Leader
We’re excited to create this brand-new role to support and build The Midst community of women between the ages of ~39–mid-50s (our sweet spot is the 40s). We’re seeking an energetic, empathetic community builder who’s excited about recruiting and fostering relationships with women in midlife.
The ideal candidate is observant, a good listener, collaborative, and comfortable working remotely in a startup environment with other team members across the United States (in different time zones).
The Community & Growth leader will be a champion and cheerleader for The Midst community, which we’re just starting to define and develop. That’s where we need your help from the onset — to gather info about what our community members want from The Midst (e.g., is it events, content, opportunities, group discussions, cool free stuff, career connections?). We also need your leadership in promoting viral expansion through network effects of community engagement — via building relationships across forums, social media, etc.
This is a remote, part-time role.
5 things I've learned about modern midlifedom so far
Now that I’m on the eve of 48, I’ve learned so much about what makes us tick in midlife. I’ve rounded up some of my learnings for a virtual event called Making Your Midlife Marvelous.
Here’s a clip:
3. Our brains get an upgrade in midlife (according to science)
I read a book called The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond by Neuropsychiatrist Dr. Louann Brizendine.
After studying the latest research, Brizendine writes that in midlife the inclination to cater to the needs of others often chills out, allowing women to become more centered.
During The Upgrade — which is her proposed new term for menopause — the change in ratio of estrogen to testosterone makes women more direct and able to speak up.
There’s also a drop in anxiety that allows the female brain to flip its attentional style from multitasking to focusing on one thing at a time. The upgraded female brain is direct, fearless, and free.
If you've ever felt uncertain about what midlife holds or yearned for a community that understands and uplifts you, you're not alone. This event is your invitation to join a circle of women ready to embrace the beauty of aging with enthusiasm and positivity.
Participating in this event will empower you to:
• Equip yourself with knowledge and tools to navigate menopause confidently.
• Learn from experts about creating sustainable, healthy lifestyles that celebrate your unique journey.
• Foster a positive outlook on aging, focusing on growth and possibilities.
• Connect with like-minded individuals who are redefining what it means to thrive in midlife and beyond.
The featured speakers range from health and wellness coaches, certified fitness professionals, to pioneers in menopause care—all dedicated to providing you with strategies, insights, and inspiration tailored for the marvelous midlife woman.
This is your moment to shine, to redefine the years ahead with purpose and passion. Join us for FREE at Making Your Midlife Marvelous and start living the vibrant, empowered life you deserve.