Role of diet on the enterohepatic recycling of estrogen in women taking contraceptive pills.

The effect of diet on the enterohepatic recycling of estrogen after oral administration of 1 mg non-radioactive estriol (E3) was studied in six women using contraceptive pills. The women were followed for two consecutive menstrual cycles, firstly on a high fibre diet (HFD) and then changing on to low fibre diet (LFD) during the next cycle, hence each subject acted as its own control. The extent of enterohepatic recycling of estriol (E3) during the early follicular phase of menstrual cycle was assessed by monitoring during 48 hours, the urinary excretion of its two major metabolites, i.e., estriol-3-qlucuronide (E3-3-G) and estriol 16 alpha-glucuronide (E3-16 alpha-G). An increase in values of the variables including E3-3-G/E3-16 alpha-G output ratio, E3-3-G output as % of total (E3-3-G+E3-16 alpha-G) excretion and total E3 (E3-3-G+E3-16 alpha-G) output as % dose was noted as a result of change from high to low fibre diet. The urinary excretion of E3 in the form of its metabolites was also delayed as a result of dietary change. These findings reveal that extent of enterohepatic recycling of estrogen containing contraceptives could be higher in women on LFD as compared to those who are on HFD.