How Menopause Affects the Gut Microbiome

We tend to associate menopause with hormonal shifts and the signs that accompany them: hot flashes, night sweats, changes in mood, and sleep disturbances, to name a few. 

For a long time, research on how to support women throughout the menopausal transition has been lacking.¹ Thankfully, that’s changing. New findings are uncovering ways menopause impacts different systems in the body—potentially opening new doors to provide better support for menopausal health. 

The digestive tract, also called the “gut”, technically starts at the mouth and includes the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. The gut is home to trillions of microorganisms like bacteria, yeast, and fungi that make up the microbiome. The microbiome is essential for not only breaking down and absorbing nutrients from food but also helping to regulate hormones, immunity, metabolism, and other essential functions for multiple aspects of health.

The post-menopause chapter typically carries increased concerns around healthy aging and preventing reproductive, bone, and metabolic disease. The gut microbiome is known to impact these and other factors, so focusing on supporting it in this life stage may help reduce common discomforts, improve resilience, and support overall quality of life.¹

Our gut microbiome is a reflection of our everyday lives, influenced by what we eat and where we live. The more diversity (or variety of microorganisms) within the microbiome, the healthier the gut—which can mean better overall health. The gut microbiome becomes more individualized throughout the aging process, and continues to play a key role in our health in the post-menopausal chapter—which, considering the average life expectancy, can make up about a third of a woman’s life.¹

A healthy gut microbiome helps metabolize and recirculate hormones like estrogen, helping to regulate levels in the body. There is evidence that the gut may play a larger role in supporting hormone health during perimenopause and menopause, compared to during menstruating years.^1,2 As the ovaries become less active in hormone production, the gut may play a crucial role in helping to maintain hormone levels.¹ 

Conversely, hormone levels may also impact the gut microbiome.¹ Hormones such as progesterone and estradiol (a form of estrogen) may help maintain the gut lining, which acts as a barrier between the digestive tract and the rest of the body.¹ When progesterone and estradiol become less active post-menopause, it could result in changes to the gut lining.¹

If hormones influence the gut lining and microbiome, different systems throughout the body may start to feel the impact.¹ Some of these impacts may be especially important for systems relevant to post-menopausal health, including:

Therefore, supporting gut health in menopause is not only about supporting healthy hormone metabolism, but also a good way to support different body systems relevant to post-menopausal health.

Probiotic supplements may support the menopausal gut microbiome by aiding calcium absorption, strengthening the gut lining, promoting heart health, and supporting a healthy weight by regulating sugar and fat metabolism.^1,3  Multi-strain options may be particularly beneficial at helping to increase gut microbiome diversity.¹ 

Eating a diet containing these foods can support gut health during menopause:

A key takeaway: simple interventions—like probiotic supplements or incorporating gut-friendly foods into your diet—are relatively inexpensive and safe ways to continue to support gut health in menopause. As research continues to grow in these topics, we will keep learning more about how to support health through menopause to help make this life stage more enjoyable.