During menopause, women experience a drop in estrogen production, which can cause not only irritating symptoms but also increase the risk for various health issues, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer. One lesser-known detail is that even before menopause, a woman’s gut health may influence estrogen levels, impacting the risks for these health problems.
Gut bacteria play a crucial role in regulating your body’s estrogen balance. They secrete an enzyme that changes estrogen into its active unbound form, allowing it to enter the bloodstream and bind to estrogen receptors found in the intestines, brain, bone, and belly fat tissue. From here, estrogen influences nerve development, heart health, bone density, and disease potential.
However, when the balance of gut bacteria is negatively affected (meaning there are more harmful bacteria than good ones), the estrobolome – the name for gut bacteria involved in estrogen regulation – loses its ability to secrete the enzyme that converts estrogen. This results in a decrease in circulating estrogens in your body, similar to what occurs during menopause, even though you may not have experienced menopause yet. The altered gut bacteria could impact women’s health at all ages, and if this leads to further decreases in estrogen during menopause, disease risks increase.
Fortunately, researchers suggest that re-altering gut bacteria might be an effective therapeutic target to prevent or at least reduce the risk of these health-destroying conditions. You can start by taking probiotics or eating more fermented foods like yogurt to boost the count of live and active “good” bacteria in your gut. There are also other ways to strengthen these important bacteria.
1. Feed your gut bacteria.
Prebiotics are essentially food for the bacteria in your gut. They are comprised of two types of carbohydrates called galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), beneficial for encouraging the good bacteria to multiply. Prebiotic food sources include:
- Jerusalem artichokes
- Chicory
- Green peas
- Leeks
- Onions
- Shallots
- Spring onions
- Dandelion greens
- Fennel bulb
- Beets
- Cashews
- Garlic
- Pistachio nuts
2. Increase butyrate in your diet.
Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that supports gut bacteria function by reducing inflammation, strengthening the gut barrier, and promoting healthier gut bacteria growth. To generate more butyrate in your gut, consume plenty of fiber-rich foods and the prebiotic foods mentioned above. Additionally, resistant starch is recommended. Resistant starch can be found in foods like:
- Cooked and cooled rice
- Cooked and cooled potatoes
- Cooked and cooled beans and legumes
- Raw oats
- Green bananas
- Hi-maize flour
- Raw potato starch
Surprisingly, butter contains 3 to 4 percent butyric acid, making it the richest available dietary source of butyrate!
Although menopause is an inevitable part of life, there are ways to promote better health during and after this transition. By boosting gut health (a relatively easy thing to do), you can take control of your overall well-being and reduce potential health issues related to estrogen balance. Restoring balance to your gut bacteria and increasing butyrate in your diet are vital steps that can improve estrogen regulation, ultimately supporting your lifelong health journey.
