What You’ll Learn in This Post

• How hormonal changes influence digestion and gut health
• The role of the estrobolome in estrogen balance
• Why menopause can lead to bloating, constipation, and gas
• How gut health affects mood, metabolism, and energy
• An action plan to support your gut during menopause 
  

Menopause and the Microbiome: How Hormones Affect Gut Health (and What You Can Do About It)

Menopause marks a natural transition in every woman’s life — one that brings meaningful shifts in hormones, metabolism, and overall health. While many people recognize familiar symptoms, such as hot flashes or disrupted sleep, fewer realize that these same hormonal changes can also affect digestion and the gut microbiome. The connection between menopause and gut health is gaining new attention as research continues to reveal the profound interplay between hormones and the gut.

As our founder, Kristin, always reminds us, All Health Begins In The Gut — and that’s especially true during menopause. Changes in estrogen and progesterone can directly impact digestion, the microbiome, and even mood regulation. Understanding this connection helps us take steps to support our body through balance and nourishment, not frustration or fatigue.

How Hormones Affect the Gut

During perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen and progesterone can slow digestion, alter bile production, and affect how your gut moves food through the system. This slowdown can lead to bloating, constipation, and changes in appetite.

Estrogen also influences the gut lining, helping maintain its strength and flexibility. When estrogen levels fall, the gut barrier can become more permeable, allowing inflammatory molecules to pass through more easily. This can lead to symptoms like discomfort, irregularity, and increased sensitivity to certain foods and beverages.

The good news? Supporting your gut microbiome through dietary and lifestyle upgrades can help restore balance. 

Meet the Estrobolome: The Hormone-Gut Connection

Research published by the National Library of Medicine shows that changes in this bacterial network during menopause can alter estrogen metabolism and influence symptoms such as weight fluctuations, mood changes, and inflammation [source].

Additional research published in Maturitas explores how diverse gut bacteria help regulate healthy estrogen metabolism and maintain hormonal balance [source].

Soluble fibers such as oats, beans, lentils, apples, and just better.® prebiotic fiber — encourages a healthier gut microbial balance that supports hormone metabolism.

The Gut-Brain Axis and Menopausal Symptoms

Hormonal changes during menopause can affect both digestion and mood, resulting in shifts that impact energy, comfort, and emotional balance. 

Estrogen helps regulate serotonin production and the body’s stress response, which both have strong ties to gut health. When estrogen levels drop, mood changes, anxiety, and sleep disturbances can get worse.

This is where the gut-brain axis comes into play. A thriving microbiome supports the production of neurotransmitters that help stabilize mood and reduce stress-related gut discomfort. Caring for your gut is one of the most powerful ways to support emotional balance and mental clarity during menopause. 

Your Menopause Gut Health Action Plan

Choose Whole, Unprocessed, Fiber-Rich Foods

Aim for 30+ grams of fiber daily from fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, and whole grains. These foods provide the nutrients and phytonutrients that support digestion, hormone balance, and a healthy gut microbiome.

JBB Tip: Take 2 tablespoons of just better.® prebiotic fiber with (or right before) meals and snacks to help balance blood sugars and support your gut microbiome.

Limit (or eliminate) Ultra-Processed Foods

Highly processed foods—those high in refined sugars, additives, and unhealthy fats—can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut and increase inflammation. During menopause, this combination can intensify common challenges such as bloating, brain fog, and stubborn weight gain. A disrupted gut microbiome (gut dysbiosis) also affects how estrogen is metabolized, which can further influence mood and energy levels. 

Choosing whole, unprocessed, fiber-rich foods helps stabilize blood sugar levels, support hormone balance, and maintain a strong and resilient gut environment.

Stay Hydrated

Proper hydration supports digestion, circulation, and the absorption of nutrients. It also helps fiber do its job effectively in maintaining regularity and gut comfort.

Move Your Body

Regular movement — even a daily walk or a solo dance party — encourages healthy digestion and circulation. Gentle activity supports whole-body wellness and helps regulate metabolism through menopause.

Manage Stress Intentionally

Mindful breathing, meditation, or journaling can help calm the nervous system. Lower stress levels result in lower cortisol levels, which support both hormonal balance and gut health. 

JBB Tip: Try one of our founder, Kristin’s, favorite ways to calm the mind and support the gut—Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of forest bathing. It simply means immersing yourself in nature with all your senses—feeling the breeze, noticing the sounds of birds, and taking slow, mindful breaths. Spending time in nature lowers cortisol levels, reduces stress-driven inflammation, and supports a healthy gut-brain connection. Even a short walk among trees or along a quiet trail can help you reset and restore balance to both your body and mind.

Aim for Consistency

Gut health thrives on routine. Small, steady habits, like eating balanced meals, reaching daily fiber goals, maintaining healthy hydration, and practicing intentional stress relief, all build resilience over time. 

Bringing It All Together

Every phase of life deserves to feel balanced and supported. Menopause is a new chapter that calls for awareness, balance, and self-care. When you care for your gut, you nurture the systems that build the foundation for lasting wellness. Live… just better.®! 

VISIT OUR SHOP FOR GUT HEALTH ESSENTIALS!

Passionate about living fiber-rich? Us too!

Join our community on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest and connect with more just better.® Super Fans! Want exclusive insights? Our weekly newsletter, The just better.® Scoop is dedicated to our amazing community! Each week, we bring you the best gut health tips, high-fiber recipes, and just better.® Fiber news straight to your inbox —just once a week, plus Super Fan specials. 🤫

Sign up below and stay in the loop with The just better.® Scoop!