Written by Jo Davies - Nutritionist, Be Well Clinic Taupō - BCApSc, BSc
Menopause can mess with your mood, your sleep, your temperature regulation, and if that wasn’t enough to make life not fun, menopause can also mess with your gut microbiome.
But here’s the good news, correcting the gut microbiome can help immensely with all menopausal symptoms! Talk about bang for wellness buck. And it’s not just menopause. Pre or peri-menopausal women can also experience oestrogen fluctuations and benefit hugely from a healthy gut microbiome. Get those beneficial bacteria balanced and hopefully watch your mood, sleep, heart health, weight, dry skin, foggy brain, and even your libido improve!
To break it down simply, the gut is one of the places in the body where hormones are processed and excreted. In particular oestrogen. Good levels of the right kind of fibre, and healthy gut bacteria levels are crucial for this to happen efficiently and effectively.
So how do we do it?
Let’s start with fibre. The fibre we get from particular foods acts as a prebiotic. Prebiotics are the substrate the probiotics need to feed on. Find prebiotic fibre in ground flaxseeds, onions, leeks, bananas, chia seeds, and raspberries to name a few. All fibre helps the gut. But don’t overdo it! Too much can be as problematic as too little, we need around 30g of fibre a day and the average woman only eats 15-20g.
Eat fermented foods: sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, along with miso, kombucha or kefir to help provide healthy bacteria (probiotics). If you can eat 1-2 different types of fermented foods every day for a diverse and healthy microbiome.
Move. Lots. It helps the gut. Preferably outside to help boost mood.
Reduce stress: It mucks up our hormones big time and affects the gut leading to an unbalanced microbiome.
As women, we forget too, that there are seasons in our lives. Seasons of rest and seasons of busyness and accomplishment. Menopause is a season of slowing down a bit, resting more, embracing newly acquired time for oneself, letting go of things that increase stress, and doing more of the things that bring peace and happiness. Do this and watch that microbiome thrive.
References
Peters BA, et al. (2022). Spotlight on the gut microbiome in menopause: current insights. International Journal of Women’s Health. https://doi.org/10.2147%2FIJWH.S340491. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9379122/.
Park MG, et al. (2023). Menopausal changes in the microbiome—a review focused on the genitourinary microbiome. Diagnostics (Basel). https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fdiagnostics13061193. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10047399/.
Laniewski P, et al. (2023). Connecting microbiome and menopause for healthy ageing. Nature Microbiology. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41564-022-01071-6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9977513/.
Jo Davies
Photographer/Nutritionist, Be Well Clinic Taupō
BCApSc, BSc | jodaviesphotography.shootproof.com
kyndwellness.com | 53 Gillies Ave, Taupō | PH: 0272740687
E: jodavies@xtra.co.nz