Hormone Balance & Digestion: The Suprising Link.

The other day, someone asked a great question: Is gut health related to hormone health? The answer is a resounding YES!
Let’s break down why this happens and, more importantly, what you can do today to support both your hormone balance & digestion.

Hormone balance & digestion

It’s surprising how many women experience severe gut issues around their period or notice worsening symptoms during perimenopause.

That’s because both oestrogen and progesterone directly influence gut sensitivity and motility.

But it works both ways—the state of your gut has a massive impact on your hormone levels, too!

Factors like alcohol, medications, food intolerances, and stress can all contribute to gut inflammation. And while you may not feel that inflammation directly, symptoms like PMS or perimenopause could be signaling that something’s off.

(Gut inflammation is linked to a host of other issues throughout the body, but that’s a whole other discussion for another day!)

Mood, Hormones, and the Gut

Hormones don’t just regulate your cycle—they also affect your mood. In fact, 90% of serotonin, your main mood-regulating hormone, is produced in the gut! While its role in the gut differs from its function in the brain, this connection shows just how vital gut health is for emotional well-being.

If you’re worried your diet is impacting your gut health, I’d highly recommend downloading my online course The Ultimate Gut Health Programme to help support both your digestive sysem and hormone health, whilst avoiding triggering symptoms.

It’d be impossible to include all you need to know in one blog, but the programme will have all you need to know to ensure you’re soothing your digestive system, whilst eating delicious and filling foods.

Hormone balance & digestion – the Key Role of Gut Bacteria

Here’s where things get really interesting—your gut bacteria play a crucial role in oestrogen balance.

In an ideal scenario, here’s how oestrogen functions:

• The ovaries produce oestrogen
• It circulates through the body, doing its job
• The liver inactivates it when it’s no longer needed
• It exits the body through digestion

But What Happens When There’s an Imbalance?

If your gut bacteria aren’t in the right balance—meaning too many “bad” bacteria and not enough “good” ones—problems arise.

These harmful bacteria produce an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, which reactivates oestrogen in the gut instead of allowing it to be eliminated. The result? Excess oestrogen flooding your system—which is exactly what we don’t want.

This oestrogen overload can lead to:

• Heavier periods
• Increased risk of fibroids
• Higher breast cancer risk
• Unpleasant menopause symptoms
• Clearly, a healthy gut = balanced hormones—and balanced hormones support better gut health. It’s all interconnected!
  

✅ Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of filtered water.