Liver - Part 2
Part 2
Part 2: The Hormone–Liver Connection in
Perimenopause & Menopause
Hormonal changes in your 40s and 50s are completely normal…but that doesn’t mean they always feel that way.
Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, stubborn weight gain, these aren’t just hormone problems. They’re also detox problems. And the liver is right in the middle of it all.
Your hormones don’t just show up and disappear. Once your body uses them, they need to be processed and cleared. And that job belongs to the liver.
If your liver is already running low on nutrients or overloaded by stress, it won’t clear those hormones efficiently. And when hormones like estrogen and cortisol start recirculating or building up, the symptoms tend to pile on.
Estrogen: Your Liver’s Special Assignment
In perimenopause and menopause, estrogen levels don’t just drop -> they fluctuate wildly.
And when estrogen isn’t cleared effectively, it can create something called estrogen dominance (too much estrogen compared to progesterone). This can lead to:
Heavier or longer periods
Bloating and breast tenderness
Mood swings or irritability
Headaches
Increased body fat (especially around the middle)
Sleep issues
Even if your estrogen levels are technically “normal,” if your liver isn’t clearing it well, you’ll feel like you have too much.
That’s why liver support is so powerful for hormonal balance, it helps your body process and release the hormones it’s already made.
Why the Liver Matters for Body Composition (aka, excess fat storage)
If you’ve been eating well, moving your body, and still not seeing changes in your weight or shape, that’s really common and you’re not doing anything wrong.
When your liver is overwhelmed, your body will often store unprocessed compounds, like excess estrogen, environmental toxins, or metabolic waste, in fat cells. This is actually a protective move. The body tucks things away when it doesn’t feel safe or ready to process them.
In that state, it’s very hard for your body to release fat. It’s not being stubborn, it can’t release the energy in those cells until it can also process those compounds.
I’ve worked with countless women who have been accused of lying about what they eat by their doctors or trainers. But, if your liver is congested, you can eat almost nothing (or be in a major calorie deficit) and still not move any body fat. This is a detox pathway problem, not an eating issue.
When your liver is supported, the body has a safe and open path to clear out what it’s been holding onto, including excess hormones and inflammation. And when that happens, your body may naturally feel lighter, clearer, and more responsive to change.
Stress and Cortisol: The Liver’s Backup Job
We can’t talk about midlife hormones without talking about stress.
Your body releases cortisol to help you manage stress, but if that cortisol hangs around too long (or if your liver can’t process it quickly enough) it can affect your sleep, energy, weight, and inflammation levels.
This is part of why you might feel wired at night and exhausted in the morning, your body’s trying to detox your stress hormones, but it’s falling behind.
MTHFR, Methylation, and Why It Matters Now
You may have heard of the MTHFR gene before…especially if you’ve gone down any kind of health rabbit hole. Here’s what you need to know:
Your body clears estrogen and other hormones through a process called methylation and MTHFR plays a key role in that.
If you have a variation in the MTHFR gene (which is very common, about 50% of people have this issue), your body may not methylate efficiently. That can slow down estrogen clearance and lead to more hormone-related symptoms, like mood swings, PMS, anxiety, and inflammation.
MTHFR is just a difference in how your body moves through detox. And it’s fully manageable with the right support.
Your body might simply need:
More B vitamins (especially methylated B12 and folate)
A steady supply of magnesium, zinc, and protein
Less overwhelm, because stress depletes these nutrients fast
You don’t need a genetic test to start supporting methylation. If hormone symptoms have felt especially stubborn, even with a healthy lifestyle, this might be one missing piece.
There’s no harm in assuming you have a methylation issue, taking methylated B vitamins is helpful for everyone, even if you don’t have this genetic quirk.
How to Support Hormone Clearance
Hormones are messengers, they’re not something to fight but they do need a clear exit path.
Your liver is that path. And when you support it with nourishment, rest, and targeted nutrients, your hormones become easier to live with again.
In the next part, we’ll break down exactly what that support looks like, including the foods, nutrients, and gentle daily habits that help your liver (and hormones) thrive.
Head over to Part 3.
If you have any questions, jump to our private Facebook Group or the Ask Lisa page :)