Gut Health and Women’s Hormones
Information that every woman with hormone dysregulation should know.
There is a connection between gut function and hormonal health. We are more gut microbes than we are human cells (at an assumed ratio of about 10:1), so it is no surprise to find out that the bacteria which is found on our faces can be genetically different to the bacteria found in our eyelashes, nasal cavity or gut. These microbes typically populate areas where they are ‘responsible’ for making vitamins and other products which we use to improve our health. They can even fight off other less than healthy microbes to deter infection. We usually have within, or on us, their preferred food source to make more microbe-babies. It’s a symbiotic relationship. Some gut microbes live inside the gut and are solely responsible for breaking down and clearing oestrogen metabolites (consider these the by-products for your healthy hormones being produced). This is called the oestrobolome.
When we see evidence that these microbes are grown in unhealthy proportions (like the pictures shown here), we call this dysbiosis. As a woman who has experienced some of the worst symptoms of endometriosis (a disease which is made worse by hormonal imbalances), I understand how uncomfortable it can be to have what I call ‘endo-belly’… when you wake up first thing in the morning with a flat belly and by the end of the day have what looks like a baby-on-board.
I started close to a decade ago by cleaning up my diet and lifestyle and felt amazing. Then a training injury stopped me from exercising to the same degree. All of a sudden that change in physical activity combined with withdrawing from hormonal birth control sent my system into a tailspin. My body had been sending me polite taps on the shoulder to improve my health and now it was sending Mac-trucks instead. The symptoms I had written off as ‘IBS’ and ‘normal’ were evidence of something more systemic.
I started taking a deep dive into gut function and hormonal health. The oestrobolome is impacted by environmental factors, food choices, alcohol intake, medications and especially antibiotics. Now my belly stays flat throughout the day and the functional testing (@dutchtest) my oestrogen and progesterone levels are within a healthy range.
If you have been experiencing some undesirable symptoms and you would like to discuss how natural medicine may be of benefit your gut or hormones, you please feel free to book in your complementary discovery call here.
The information provided on the Nurture Point Pty Ltd blog and greater website is for educational and information purposes. The information provided within the blogs, or anywhere else on this site is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional advice or care. Please seek the advice of a qualified health care professional in the event something you have read here raises questions or concerns regarding your health. We offer personalised Naturopathic consultations as an online service. We offer nutrition care, herbal medicine and lifestyle advice. If you wish, feel free to book in a time here.
