If your digestion feels “off,” your energy is unpredictable, your mood feels more reactive, or midlife symptoms seem harder to manage than they should, it’s worth looking at gut health.
Your gut isn’t just where food gets digested. It’s also where your immune system is trained, where inflammation signals can rise or fall, and where your microbiome (the community of gut microbes) helps produce and process compounds that affect how you feel day to day.
What Is The Microbiome, And Why Does It Matter?
Your microbiome is made up of trillions of microbes (bacteria and other organisms) that live mostly in your intestines. These microbes interact with:
- what you eat
- your stress physiology
- your sleep patterns
- your immune system
- your hormones and metabolism
When the gut ecosystem is balanced, it can support digestion and healthy signaling. When it’s imbalanced (sometimes called “dysbiosis”), it may contribute to inflammation, symptoms, and reduced resilience—especially during perimenopause and menopause when hormones are already shifting. Frontiers+1
How Gut Health Can Influence Hormones
Estrogen Metabolism
One of the clearest hormone connections is how the gut microbiome participates in estrogen processing (sometimes discussed as the “estrobolome”). Certain microbes help influence how estrogens are metabolized and recirculated, which can affect overall estrogen exposure in the body. Frontiers+1
This doesn’t mean “your gut is the only reason you feel hormonal.” But it does mean gut health can be one meaningful lever—especially when symptoms flare during perimenopause or menopause.
Perimenopause And Menopause Symptoms
There’s growing research interest in how microbiome shifts during menopause may relate to inflammation, metabolic changes, and symptom patterns. While this area is still evolving, it’s a strong reason to consider gut health as part of a whole-systems midlife plan. ScienceDirect+1
How Gut Health Can Influence Metabolism And Weight
Your microbiome affects:
- blood sugar regulation
- insulin signaling patterns
- inflammation (which can influence metabolic function)
Gut microbes create metabolites (like short-chain fatty acids) that can affect gut barrier integrity and metabolic signaling. Research reviews describe multiple pathways linking microbiota changes to insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction. PMC+1
This is one reason gut imbalances can coincide with weight gain or feeling “stuck,” particularly in midlife when stress physiology, sleep, muscle mass, and sex hormones may also be shifting at the same time.
How Gut Health Can Influence Energy
Energy problems are often multi-factorial, but gut health can play a role through:
- digestion and absorption (getting nutrients from food)
- inflammation load (which can feel like fatigue, heaviness, low drive)
- blood sugar stability (crashes can look like fatigue and brain fog)
If you’re eating “healthy” and still have low energy, the question becomes: are you absorbing what you need, and is your system running inflamed or dysregulated?
How Gut Health Can Influence Mood And Neurotransmitters
Your microbiome affects mood and neurotransmitter-related pathways through the gut–brain axis (a two-way communication network between the gut and the nervous system). This includes immune signaling, vagus nerve signaling, and microbe-derived metabolites that can influence stress response and mood. PMC+1
In practice, this can show up as:
- more anxiety or irritability
- low mood that feels “inflammatory” or stress-driven
- brain fog or difficulty concentrating
- sleep disruption that worsens mood resilience
This doesn’t replace mental health care when needed—but it can be an important part of a comprehensive plan.
How Gut Health Connects To Inflammation And Immune Balance
A large portion of your immune system is associated with the gut. When the gut barrier and microbiome are out of balance, immune signaling can tilt toward a more inflammatory state for some people. Reviews describe complex microbiota–immune interactions that can influence systemic inflammation and metabolic outcomes. Frontiers+1
That’s why gut health is often considered when someone has:
- chronic bloating or irregular stools
- inflammatory symptoms (joint aches, skin flares, puffiness)
- frequent infections
- multiple food sensitivities
- fatigue that doesn’t match lifestyle
Can Gut Imbalances Worsen Perimenopause Symptoms, Weight Gain, And Mood Changes?
They can contribute—especially when gut issues overlap with:
- sleep disruption
- chronic stress signaling
- insulin resistance patterns
- hormone transition changes
This is rarely a single-cause problem. But it’s common for women to feel a big shift in symptoms when the gut-metabolism-stress loop is addressed as a whole.
How Microbiome Testing Fits In
Microbiome testing can help us target root causes and guide sustainable support—especially when digestive symptoms, inflammation, metabolic issues, and hormone-transition symptoms overlap.
In my practice, the goal of microbiome testing is not to “label” you. It’s to help answer practical questions like:
- What patterns might be driving symptoms (digestion, inflammation, immune balance)?
- Are there clues that help personalize gut support rather than guessing?
- How can we track progress over time?
It’s also important to be honest: microbiome science is growing quickly, and test interpretation requires context. A good clinician uses results alongside your symptoms, history, and physiology—not as a standalone diagnosis.
How Peace And Calm Health Functional Medicine Can Help
At Peace and Calm Health Functional Medicine in Lakewood, CO, we look at gut health as part of the bigger picture—especially when symptoms involve hormones, metabolism, energy, and mood.
If you’re wondering whether gut health is contributing to how you feel, we can help you:
- connect digestive symptoms with hormone and metabolic patterns
- evaluate inflammation, blood sugar stability, and stress physiology that can amplify gut symptoms
- consider microbiome testing when it’s clinically useful
- build a personalized plan that supports sustainable change (not a one-size-fits-all protocol)
To explore next steps, book a Clarity Call here:
https://www.drjenniferhorton.com/work-with-me
You can learn more about wellness programs here:
https://www.drjenniferhorton.com/wellness-programs
Science Section (Selected References)
- Gut Microbiota And Estrogen Status During Menopause (Review; Estrogen–Microbiome Links, β-Glucuronidase, Estrogen Homeostasis)
- Gut Microbiota In Insulin Resistance (Review; Mechanisms Linking Microbiota, Barrier Function, Metabolites, And Insulin Sensitivity)
- Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis Overview (Review; Bidirectional Signaling, Mood/Behavior Links)
- Gut Microbiota–Immune–Host Interactions (Review; Microbial Metabolites, Immune Signaling, Metabolic Effects)
Medically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Horton, DO, ABFM, IFMCP
This content is for educational purposes and does not substitute personalized medical advice.
