Gut Health and Your Hormones—What’s the Connection? - Probiotics

Gut Health and Your Hormones—What’s the Connection?

Did you know that there’s a link between the health of your gut microbiome and the state of your hormones? Recent studies show that the bacteria living in your gut play a major role in regulating hormones like estrogen, cortisol, and insulin.1,2 What’s more, this relationship is a two-way street. Not only does your microbiome influence how hormones act in your body, your hormones can affect how your gut functions, too!3

How Your Gut and Hormones Communicate

Your gut microbiome—the trillions of bacteria that live in your gut—acts almost like an endocrine organ (glands that secrete hormones)—and this can have some important implications for a woman’s health. For instance, one specific collection of bacteria, called the estrobolome, help change, recycle, and even produce hormones through a special enzyme called beta-glucuronidase. This enzyme controls how much estrogen stays active in the body. Too much beta-glucuronidase can lead to high estrogen levels. This estrogen dominance has been linked to painful periods, fibroids, weight gain, and an increased risk for reproductive cancers and metabolic dysfunction. 1,2 But estrogen dominance can also affect the gut, leading to reduced gut motility (the speed at which food and waste move through the intestines). This can result in constipation, diarrhea, and other digestive problems.4

On the flip side, not enough beta-glucuronidase can mean that there’s too little active estrogen circulating throughout your body. This can cause hormone shortages and trigger health problems like osteoporosis, metabolic issues, cognitive problems, and an uptick in the risk of cardiovascular disease. 1,5 Because estrogen also supports your gut’s lining by maintaining tight junctions in the intestinal barrier, too little can set the stage for intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and whole body inflammation.6

Other Hormones Impacted by the Gut

Beyond estrogen, your gut microbiome influences other hormones related to metabolism (like insulin and GLP-1) and stress (such as cortisol). When all is well, short-chain fatty acids produced by your gut bacteria can boost insulin sensitivity and help regulate hunger, blood sugar, and inflammation. But poor diet, a lack of sleep, and chronic stress can damage your gut lining and shift your microbiome toward an unhealthy imbalance (dysbiosis), making hormone problems worse.7  For example, research has found that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have a less diverse microbiome, which can worsen insulin resistance and inflammation.8

Signs You Have an Unhealthy Gut

There are many signs of an unhealthy gut. Unfortunately, these issues are often misdiagnosed as something else based solely on symptoms.

  • Digestive problems like bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation 10
  • Weight gain 11
  • Food sensitivities 12
  • Fatigue 13
  • Skin irritations like eczema or psoriasis 14
  • Autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus 15

Healthy Ways to Balance Your Gut and Your Hormones

Optimizing your gastrointestinal health is key to keeping your hormones in balance. Here are several changes you can make to help improve both your gut and your hormones.

Diet. It’s smart to focus on eating a variety of plants rich in fiber and nutrients to promote the growth of beneficial short-chain-fatty acids that can produce bacterial linked to reduced inflammation and balanced metabolism.16 Another tip? Increase overall microbial diversity by including fermented foods like plain yogurt and kimchi as often as possible while also limiting processed foods and excessive amounts of sugar.17,18

Exercise. Regular exercise significantly increases microbial diversity and promotes beneficial metabolites like butyrate.19 These effects are amplified when exercise is paired with a fiber-rich diet.20 If you aren’t used to exercising, start slowly. Choosing an activity you enjoy can help you stick with it and work your way up to getting a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity at least five days per week.

Sleep. Disrupted sleep and altered circadian rhythms have been linked to lower microbial diversity and increased levels of pro-inflammatory bacterial species. Quality sleep helps support a healthy and resilient microbiome.21 Try sticking to a regular sleep schedule, limit caffeine and alcohol late in the day, and create a cool and calming sleep environment for best results.

Stress management. Chronic stress can reduce gut microbial diversity resulting in harboring higher levels of harmful bacteria.22 But studies show that successfully managing your stress can lead to higher levels of beneficial bacteria and greater microbial diversity.23 When life’s upheavals  interfere with your calm, consider using a meditation app, participating in a yoga class, or writing daily in a journal to keep those gut-busting stress dragons at bay.

Supplement with a Synbiotic. Synbiotics (supplements that contain both probiotics and prebiotics) promote microbial diversity in the gut by increasing beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and by enhancing the production of short-chain fatty acids.24 Studies show that synbiotics also help reduce inflammation, enhance immunity, improve the symptoms of gastrointestinal upset, and may aid in managing conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and weight gain.25,26,27 Look for a synbiotic that provides a variety of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium probiotics like L. gassari, L. rhamnosus, B. bifidum, and B. breve, as well as an effective prebiotic such as α-gluco-oligosaccharide produced via enzymatic synthesis.

Keeping your gut microbiome healthy is essential for maintaining hormonal health and overall well-being. Starting with these strategies can be a straightforward way to keep both in balance.

References

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  2. He S, Li H, Yu Z, et al. The gut microbiome and sex hormone-related diseases. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2021;12:711137.
  3. Sun LJ, Li JN, Nie YZ. Gut hormones in microbiota-gut-brain cross-talk. Chinese Medical Journal (English). 2020;133(7):826-833.
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This article is for informational purposes only. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.