Other names:

Β-glucuronidase / β-G / Beta-glucuronidase / b-glucuronidase

What is Beta-glucuronidase and where is it produced?

Beta-glucuronidase is a very important enzyme produced naturally in cells of the liver, kidney, and intestinal epithelium (=single cell layer that forms the luminal surface of both the small and large intestine of the GI tract). However, this enzyme is also produced excessively by bacteria known to be pathogenic, and high levels may be an indication of adverse metabolic activity of the intestinal microbiome.

The major producers of beta glucuronidase are these bacteria: 

- Bacteroides fragilis, 

- Bacteroides vulgatus, 

- Bacteroides uniformis, 

- Clostridium paraputrificum, 

- Clostridium clostridioforme, 

- Clostridium perfringens,

- Escherichia coli, 

- Eubacterium, 

- Peptostreptococcus, 

- Ruminococcus, 

- and Staphylococcus. 

What are the functions of Beta-glucuronidase?

Beta-glucuronidase is involved in phase 2 of liver detoxification. 

The enzyme hydrolyzes B-glucuronide to make glucuronic acid and an aglycone, such as imine, thiol, or alcohol. Glucuronidation by way of beta-glucuronidase is a major route of detoxification in the human body. However, this enzyme can also convert pro-carcinogens to carcinogenic compounds.

This enzyme is used to digest carbohydrates and is a product of E. coli and anaerobic bacteria (bacteroides and clostridia). It is a key component of phase II detoxification (glucuronidation pathway) that helps clear pharmaceuticals, carcinogens, bile acids, and estrogen. 

Diet and intestinal bacterial imbalance modulate Beta-glucuronidase activity. High fat, high protein and low fiber diets are associated with higher Beta-glucuronidase activity compared to vegetarian or high soluble fiber diets. Higher Beta-glucuronidase may be associated with an imbalanced intestinal microbiota profile. Some major bacterial producers of fecal Beta-glucuronidase include Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Escherichia coli, Clostridium, Bacteroides fragilis and other Bacteroides species, Ruminococcus gnavus, and species that belong to the genera Staphylococcus and Eubacterium.

Low b-glucuronidase activity is an indicator of abnormal metabolic activity among the intestinal microbiota that may be influenced by dietary extremes, diminished abundance and diversity of the intestinal microbiota, or heavy probiotic and/or prebiotic supplementation. A low fat, low meat and high fiber diet, such as consumed by strict vegetarians, may be associated with lower b-glucuronidase activity compared to a typical “Western diet.” High-end consumption of soluble fiber (e.g. inulin) and supplementation with Lactobacillus acidophilus may be inconsequentially associated with lower fecal b-glucuronidase.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

References:

- Heerdt AS, Young CW, Borgen PO, Calcium glucarate as a chemopreventive agent in breast cancer.  Israel Journal of Medical Sciences.  31(2-3): 101-5, 1995. [L]

- Walaszek Z,  Potential use of D-glucaric acid derivatives in cancer prevention. Cancer Letters 54(1-2):1-8, 1990 [L]

- Abbou-Issa H.  Moeschberger M, el-Masry W. Tejwani S. Curley RWJr. Webb TE.  Relative efficacy of glucarate on the initiation and promotion phases of rat mammary carcinogenesis. Anticancer Research.  15(3):905-10, 1995. [L]

- Murray. Breast Cancer:  Update on a growing Epidemic Natural Medicine Journal. March 1999.  2(1);1-6

- beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase Activity in Stool Specimens of Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease [L]

- LiY ,ZhangX, Wang L, Zhou Y, Hassan JS, LiM. Distribution and gene mutation of enteric flora carrying beta-glucuronidase among patients with colorectal cancer. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2015;8(4):5310-5316. [L]

- Mroczynska M, Libudzisz Z. Beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase activity of Lactobacillus and Enterococcus isolated from human feces. Polish journal of microbiology / Polskie TowarzystwoMikrobiologow=ThePolish SocietyofMicrobiologists.2010;59(4):265-269. [L]

What does it mean if your b-Glucuronidase result is too high?

Beta-glucuronidase plays a pivotal role in digestion, particularly in breaking down certain things such as complex carbohydrates, detoxification of estrogen, thyroid hormone and other environmental toxins.

However, if levels of beta-glucuronidase enzyme get too high, then this creates a very undesirable situation. You will start to reabsorb hormones like estrogen and toxins that should be eliminated. This is one of the main causes behind high estrogen. Many people take DIM supplements to improve estrogen detoxification but if your phase 2 of liver detoxification is not working well then you can reabsorb them back into your body, no matter how much DIM / broccoli you eat.

If your levels get too high of beta-glucuronidase then this can interrupt the body’s natural detoxification process.

Beta-glucuronidase is produced by the intestinal epithelium and certain intestinal bacteria. Observational studies have indicated a correlation between high Beta-glucuronidase activity and certain cancers, but a definitive causal relationship has not been established. Higher levels of Beta-glucuronidase have been associated with higher circulating estrogens and lower fecal excretion of estrogens in premenopausal women. A potential dietary carcinogen derived from cooked meat and fish induces high Beta-glucuronidase activity and prolongs internal exposure to the toxin in an experimental animal model.

This enzyme needs to be present just the right amount--not too little and not too much. When beta-glucuronidase is in excess, the bonds between toxins and glucuronic acid are broken, and toxins and hormones that were meant to be excreted are then reabsorbed into the body. 

- Toxins stimulate Beta-glucuronidase activity and dietary red meat and protein increases the enzyme. 

- Antibiotics increase B-glucuronidase levels. 

- High levels of fecal beta-glucuronidase can indicate unfavorable changes in the colon. Evidence of increased enzymatic activity of intestinal microorganisms may suggest increased risk of digestive tract cancer. 

These are the things that will increase your levels:

- If you are an individual that consumes a lot of meat, processed foods, sugar, or alcohol then you are at risk of elevated levels of beta-glucuronidase.

- If you know you need to decrease your levels of beta-glucuronidase, you can do so by establishing a healthy gut microbiome and eating a diet high in glucuronic acid. Glucuronic acid is high in foods such as apples, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and oranges. 

- Glucuronic acid is available in capsule form as Calcium D-glucarate. Calcium D-glucarate inhibits beta-glucuronidase so that the body is able to properly excrete toxins. This supplement can be beneficial for women with certain forms of breast cancer. It is important to work with a provider and receive Integrative testing to determine the amounts and types of supplements that will work best for your body as a whole.

- If you have a poor diet then this can put you at risk of this enzyme being produced at high levels.

Therefore, a healthy foundation that focuses on proper and balanced nutrition is of the utmost importance moving forward.

While supplements such as Calcium D-Glucarate can help lower beta-glucuronidase in the short term it is always best to address the underlying cause of why you have high levels of beta-glucuronidase.

A low-calorie, vegetarian/vegan diet can reduce fecal B-glucuronidase levels.

All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.

What does it mean if your b-Glucuronidase result is too low?

Low b-glucuronidase activity is an indicator of abnormal metabolic activity among the intestinal microbiota that may be influenced by dietary extremes, diminished abundance and diversity of the intestinal microbiota, or heavy probiotic and/or prebiotic supplementation. A low fat, low meat and high fiber diet, such as consumed by strict vegetarians, may be associated with lower b-glucuronidase activity compared to a typical “Western diet.” High-end consumption of soluble fiber (e.g. inulin) and supplementation with Lactobacillus acidophilus may be inconsequentially associated with lower fecal b-glucuronidase.

Laboratories

Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place

We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.

lab corp logo
genova diagnostics logo
quest diagnostics logo
dutch test logo
doctors data logo
vibrant america logo
diagnostic solutions logo
zrt laboratory logo
the great plains laboratory logo
cyrex laboratories logo
spectracell logo

Pricing Table

decoration

Personal plans

$15/ month

Complete Plan

Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Begin with first report entered
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

$250/ once

Unlimited Account

Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Receive 10 reports entered for you
  • Skip the $15/month subscription — no recurring payments ever

$45/ month

Pro Monthly

Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track lab results for multiple clients
  • Customize reference ranges per client
  • Export lab histories and reports
  • Begin with first report entered by us
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

About membership

What's included in a Healthmatters membership

microscope icon Import Lab Results from Any Source

person icon See Your Health Timeline

book icon Understand What Your Results Mean

textbook icon

textbook icon Visualize Your Results

folder icon

folder icon

card icon Securely Share With Anyone You Trust

Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story

What Healthmatters Members Are Saying

5 stars rating

I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with  any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.

Anthony

Unlimited Plan Member since 2021

5 stars rating

What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!

Karin

Advanced Plan Member since 2020

5 stars rating

As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!

Paul

Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.

Frequently asked questions

Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.

  • Individuals who want to track and understand their health over time.
  • Health professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches, need to manage and interpret lab data for their clients.

With a Healthmatters account, you can:

  • Upload lab reports from any lab
  • View your data in interactive graphs, tables, and timelines
  • Track trends and monitor changes over time
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export and share your full lab history
  • Access your results anytime, from any device

Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

shield icon

We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

gdpr compliance image hipaa compliance image