Did you know an unhealthy gut (AKA digestive system) can not only cause digestive symptoms but also lead to inflammation and make perimenopause and menopause symptoms worse?
Why? It’s because of the gut-hormone connection.
What is the Gut-Hormone Connection?
The gut or digestive system begins in the mouth and ends at the anus. It is responsible for absorbing nutrients from food, eliminating toxins, and balancing inflammation. And all of this impacts your hormones.
Have you heard of estrobolome? This is a collection of gut bacteria that helps metabolize estrogen. Basically it helps break down and recycle estrogen so you have the right amount needed. And both estrogen and progesterone are two hormones that usually are out of balance during perimenopause and menopause which causes the symptoms of weight gain, moodiness, brain fog, hot flashes, night sweats, dryness, and more.
An imbalanced gut basically means the bad bacteria outnumber the good bacteria that are needed for your digestive system to operate properly. When this happens, it can lead to estrogen dominance or deficiency, which affects your mood, weight, and can cause symptoms like hot flashes.
Did you know that 90% of serotonin and 50% of dopamine are produced in your gut? These neurotransmitters, chemical messengers, help you feel pleasure, reward, and a sense of satisfaction and joy in your life. So if gut isn’t happy, you won’t be happy.
How Poor Gut Health Disrupts Hormones
You may have heard of the term leaky gut syndrome and how inflammation can increase cortisol (stress hormone), further throwing off hormone balance. We’ve talked about leaky gut before but in a nutshell, it happens when the lining of your intestines becomes damaged, allowing toxins, undigested food, and bacteria to leak into your bloodstream. This can trigger inflammation, disrupt hormone balance, and worsen symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, and moodiness. Some experts think this is what happens to the extreme in conditions like colitis, IBS, and IBD.
Gut imbalances contribute to insulin resistance, making sugar cravings, weight gain, and fatigue worse. We have talked about insulin resistance in detail a few weeks ago. Remember insulin is the key that lets sugar into your cells. Insulin resistance can happen when we eat too much sugar so our cells stop responding properly to insulin. So our body produces more and more insulin. When we eat too much sugar, then this also feeds the bad bacteria (which thrive on sugar) making the bad outnumber the good bacteria. And this also makes you crave more and more sugar.
Does constipation or poor digestion affect estrogen detoxification?
Yes, constipation, which is a slower movement in your digestive system, also slows down estrogen detoxification. Your liver processes estrogen and sends it to the gut for elimination. But if digestion is sluggish, estrogen can be reabsorbed into your bloodstream leading to estrogen dominance which may cause symptoms like bloating, brain fog, weight gain, mood swings, and even PMS-like symptoms in menopause.
Signs of Poor Gut Health and Hormonal Imbalance
- Common symptoms: bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, brain fog, fatigue, sugar cravings, weight gain
- Hormonal symptoms: irregular cycles (in perimenopause), worsening of hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety, poor sleep
- Quick self-check: if you experience frequent bloating and sugar cravings, your gut may be struggling to support your hormones.
What Causes Poor Gut Health or Imbalance of Gut Bacteria?
An imbalance of gut bacteria is called dysbiosis. What causes this?
- Poor diet – too much sugar or processed foods, low fiber
- Chronic stress
- Overuse of antibiotics
- Toxins and infections
- Hormonal changes
All of these factors basically reduce beneficial bacteria and allow harmful bacteria to overgrow so they outnumber the good bacteria.
What Can You Do to Improve Gut and Hormone Health
Eat nutrient-dense and gut-friendly foods: Fiber-rich vegetables, fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut), and prebiotics like garlic and onions. However, if you are having a lot of digestive symptoms, you need to begin slowly because you don’t want to increase the symptoms.
Support estrogen detox: Eating cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower) and drinking plenty of water helps maintain a proper estrogen balance.
Reduce sugar & processed foods: These feed bad bacteria and contribute to hormone imbalance.
Prioritize gut-friendly supplements: Probiotics, digestive enzymes before meals, and magnesium are often helpful for digestion.
Manage stress & sleep: Cortisol balance is key for hormone stability so managing stress and getting adequate rest is necessary.
Seek an evaluation: Obviously, you need to see your own health practitioner to rule out anything serious going on with your digestive system or hormones. Ask for lab tests for estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone as well as a complete thyroid panel (because your thyroid hormones could be out of balance, too.) And if hormones are low, you may want to consider BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy). So advocate for yourself and ask questions.
Your gut is the foundation of your hormone health. So if you want to feel your best during perimenopause and menopause, supporting your gut is a great first step. Start with one simple change today. Maybe you can add one probiotic-rich food or cruciferous vegetable today. Or maybe you can cut back on sugar by swapping one can of soda or one sugary coffee for infused water or herbal tea. One small step today and then again tomorrow and so forth will lead to healthy habits long-term.
Have you noticed a connection between your gut and your hormones? Follow me for more tips on thriving through perimenopause and menopause!
Do you have hormonal issues like hot flashes, weight gain, moodiness, brain fog, dry skin, loss of hair? And maybe you have tried but can’t seem to figure out what to do. If so, I’d love to help you. I work with women primarily over 40 who have similar symptoms. We work as a team to figure out the root cause and by using nutrition and lifestyle modifications, most reduce symptoms and get their life back. So reach out and schedule a free 20-minute consult by clicking here. — Leah Cheshire, MCD, CCC-SLP, NBC-HWC
