03/01/2026
The science behind our gut microbiome and its relationship to the rest of our body and mind is fascinating. Your gut health is key to so much!
The trillions of microbes in our gut (gut microbiome) play an important role in digesting food and are key to a healthy immune system as well as affecting our mental health, inflammatory levels within the body and how we process hormones and drug medications. We know that the greater the diversity of microbes the healthier we tend to be.
An imbalance of our microbiome may develop after gut infections, antibiotic treatment, poor dietary choices or with extended stress. When our beneficial gut microbes become outnumbered by more pathogenic ones this can have many detrimental effects, such as IBS, gas and bloating.
The oestrobolome is the collection of microbes in the gut which affect the metabolism or breaking down and clearance of oestrogen in the body. The oestrobolome carefully modulates the circulation of oestrogen through the liver and directly affects our oestrogen levels. Fluctuating levels of oestrogen in the menopause and particularly in the perimenopause can be a major cause of symptoms such as hot flushes, migraines and mood swings and therefore optimising our oestrobolome can help smooth menopausal changes and balance hormones.
You can stimulate the growth of good bacteria in your gut by eating food that encourages your beneficial bacteria, otherwise known as prebiotics, alongside probiotic foods that are full of good bacteria already.
👉Prebiotic rich foods include apples, asparagus, bananas, cocoa, eggplant, garlic, endive, flaxseeds, honey, leek, konjac, legumes, onion, and peas.
👉Probiotic rich foods include buttermilk, butter, kefir, aged cheese, sour cream, cultured yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, natto, miso, pickled vegetables, sauerkraut, and tempeh.
Find more in depth information on this in our blog by Dr Sally Moorcroft - just follow the link in the bio