So I saw a news article this weekend, “The key to a smoother menopause lies in your gut.” It caught my eye because if you follow my blogs you know I am obsessed with menopause and how to “do” menopause better (biohacking anyone?) and there are tons of studies coming out talking about your gut microbiome and how the type and variety of your microbiome has a huge impact on disease- heart disease, Crohns, MS, mental health- you name it.
The news article talked about only 15% of women in menopause are on hormone replacement, and that 80% of menopausal women have one issue that is “very difficult” to live with. In the article it cites some doctors who say “estrogen changes reduce the diversity in the gut microbiome which can exacerbate menopause symptoms.”
Never to be lulled by “I read it on the internet,” I then went to PubMed to look up original articles. And articles I found. “Estrogen gut microbiome axis: Physiological and Clinical Implications” to “The Intestinal Microbiome and Estrogen Receptor Positive Female Breast Cancer” were among the journal articles and came at it from completely different angles. There are a ton starting 2017 to more recent (which dovetails with people finally assessing menopause/estrogen more in depth.)
What did I learn in these journal articles?
- Gut microbiome regulates estrogens through an enzyme (beta glucuronidase). When you have lower microbial diversity, there is a reduction in circulating estrogens, which leads to obesity, metabolic syndrome, cancer, endometriosis, cognitive function issues
- There is a bidirectional relationship between estrogen levels and gut microbiome
- There are some studies which indicate that breast cancer risk may go up if you have higher estrogen promoting bacteria in your gut, but there is controversy in these studies. One study looking at antibiotic treatment and how it changes gut bacterial populations. Ampicillin lowers absorbed estrogen- so could it reduce breast cancer risk? But other studies show increased breast cancer risk with long term antibiotic use.
- There were other studies which looked at diet. Meat eaters (vs vegetarians) have higher serum estrogen levels. Vegetarians have higher bacterial beta glucoronidase activity. Asian women with a low fat diet have systemic estrogen levels 30% lower than American women eating a high fat diet.
So what is the take home message?
It is interesting, because diet affects the gut microbiome. Estrogens affect the gut microbiome. The microbiome is showing clear links to diseases.
You want a diverse microbiome with “good” bacteria.
But how should we do it?
All of these studies make me want to focus on probiotics more and the gut/body relationship. I drink kombucha daily to try to get “good bacteria” to populate my system. But are they the “right” bacteria? What is the right amount? Is it better to get bacteria through fermented foods like pickles, kimchi, kefir, and kombucha? Or should you take a pill? Should that pill be refrigerated? Should you take the same probiotics that I take? Which bacteria? Should we tailor it to what our risks are (heart disease? cancer?) Should what we do change as we age? (likely yes, but how?)
I will keep researching this.