Menopause & Gut Health

Perimenopause and menopause can mark significant transitions in a woman’s life, often accompanied by a range of physical and emotional symptoms. While hot flashes and mood swings are commonly recognized, the role of gut health in these life stages is frequently overlooked. Often, women are surprised to experience changes in digestion, bloating, and even food intolerances during these times.

How Hormonal Changes Impact Gut Health

During perimenopause and menopause, hormone patterns and levels of estrogen and progesterone begin to change and eventually decline. This shift in hormones directly influences gut function and even microbial composition. Specifically, it is estrogen that plays the largest role in impacting women’s gut health and various symptoms.

Hormone Decline and Gut Health Symptoms

Estrogen supports the diversity of beneficial gut bacteria and helps regulate bowel movements. As estrogen levels drop, many women can experience:

• Bloating and constipation

• Increased gut sensitivity

• Changes in metabolism and weight gain

• Reduced microbial diversity in the gut

Estrogen also has anti-inflammatory properties. Its decline during menopause is associated with a pro-inflammatory shift in the gut, which can contribute to systemic inflammation and increased risk of chronic disease.

When examining the hormone progesterone, it is recognized for its muscle-relaxing effects, including those within the digestive tract. So, as progesterone also fluctuates and declines with perimenopause and menopause, its loss may lead to increased sensitivity and discomfort within the digestive tract.

The Estrobolome: A Key Hormone-Gut Link

A specific subset of gut bacteria known as the estrobolome helps regulate circulating estrogen levels by metabolizing and reactivating estrogens. Disruption in this bacterial population can impair estrogen metabolism, potentially exacerbating menopausal symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and irritability while also increasing long-term risk for conditions like osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

Suppor Your Gut Health with Flourish Probiotics by Entegro Health

Flourish living liquid probiotics are designed to support optimal gut function, making it particularly beneficial for women navigating hormonal shifts. Here’s how:

• Live, Active Cultures: Flourish contains a diverse blend of live, beneficial microbes, including 11 different probiotic strains from 5 different genera. These good bugs help support a healthy gut microbiome that may be disrupted during menopause.

• Enhanced Bioavailability: As a fermented liquid probiotic, Flourish may be more easily absorbed and faster-acting than many traditional capsule-based products.

• Digestive and Immune Support: A balanced microbiome helps ease bloating, irregularity, and discomfort — and supports immune function, which can be impacted by hormone fluctuations.

• Supports the Estrobolome: By promoting microbial diversity and gut integrity, Flourish may help support proper estrogen metabolism, reducing the burden of circulating estrogen and its symptoms.

• Gut-Brain Axis Benefits: Research supports a strong link between gut health and mood regulation. A healthy microbiome can help ease mood swings, anxiety, and brain fog often experienced during perimenopause.

Final Thoughts

Gut health is an often-underestimated component of menopause wellness. Menopause and perimenopause don’t just affect your hormones — they reshape your entire internal ecosystem, including your gut.  Incorporating a high-quality, living probiotic like Flourish into your daily routine may provide essential support for smoother digestion, better mood, and overall hormonal balance. As always, consult with your healthcare provider before beginning any new supplement regimen. But don’t underestimate the power of your gut in this stage of life!

The content in this article is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The FDA has not evaluated these statements. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. 

Written by Kelsy Armstrong, Entegro Health

Sources:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9379122/