5β-Reductase (AKR1D1): Hormone Off-Switch & Digestion Hero

A middle aged woman in front of a table of healthy fruits and vegetables, off to the right is a illustration of a liver and a diagram explaining how it interacts with five beta reductase

Imagine your hormones as messengers racing through your body, delivering important signals. But what happens when they stick around too long? Enter 5β-reductase, a hardworking liver enzyme that acts like a gentle “off-switch,” calming down hormones like progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol while powering up the bile that helps you digest fats. This unsung hero keeps your hormone levels balanced and your digestion smooth—yet most people have never heard of it.[journals.plos]​

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