The Gut-Hormone Connection – Unlocking the Secret to Balanced Hormones Through Gut Health

Written by Noura Lutyk, Health and Wellness Coach

Noura Lutyk is a certified Holistic Practitioner and Wellness Coach with a passion for gut health and its impact on overall well-being. With a focus on scientific insights and mindful practices, she creates content that inspires healthier choices for better health and longevity.

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What if your hormone dysregulation is being caused by your gut? The traditional view of hormones has taught us that hormonal regulation is controlled primarily by specific glands in the body. This perspective is commonly known as the “endocrine gland model.”

What the traditional endocrine gland model teaches

In the past, each hormone was thought to be produced by a specific gland. Glands act like command centres that respond to the body’s needs.

Hormone levels were thought to be regulated by negative feedback loops. If hormone levels are too high, signals would reduce gland activity. If hormone levels are too low, the gland would be stimulated to produce more.

This was the foundation of endocrinology, a medical field that we commonly know of today.

But there’s more to the story

Modern research has expanded our understanding, showing that hormones are not just regulated by glands but also by local tissues, the gut microbiome, and the circadian rhythm. Many organs, like the heart or intestine, produce hormones.

The endocrine system is a more complex crosstalk that is more expansive than we previously thought.

Understanding the gut-hormone axis

The gut-brain axis

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication system between the GI tract and the central nervous system. It involves neural, hormonal, and immune pathways and influences stress hormones such as cortisol and neurotransmitters such as serotonin.

Serotonin is made by cells called enterochromaffin cells, mostly in the gut. The gut microbiome helps regulate the availability of serotonin precursors, such as tryptophan. Gut bacteria influence whether tryptophan becomes serotonin (good) or kynurenine (inflammatory).

The estrobolome

The gut also plays a role in oestrogen metabolism, which can impact conditions such as oestrogen dominance.

The estrobolome is a subset of gut microbiota capable of metabolising estrogens. It plays a critical role in maintaining hormone balance, particularly in regulating circulating oestrogen levels.

When gut dysbiosis occurs, this delicate microbial ecosystem becomes imbalanced, often leading to impaired oestrogen metabolism.

This disruption can lead to oestrogen dominance or oestrogen deficiency, both of which are linked to hormone-related issues like PMS, PCOS, and even certain cancers.

Thyroid function

Thyroid function is also affected by poor gut health, which affects the conversion of inactive thyroid hormone (T4) to its active form (T3).

Absorption of essential nutrients, such as selenium and iodine, is also impaired by gut imbalances. This keeps the cycle of dysfunction going.

What if your gut is the missing link to your hormonal health?

What is gut dysbiosis?

Gut dysbiosis is a term used to describe an imbalance in the gut microbiome, the trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms living in your digestive tract. In a healthy gut, good bacteria help with digestion, support the immune system, produce important vitamins, and even help regulate your mood and hormones.

When this balance is disrupted, harmful bacteria, yeast, parasites, or viruses can take over. This leads to inflammation and a wide range of health issues.

Gut dysbiosis has been linked to digestive problems like bloating and IBS, but also to more complex conditions like anxiety.

What is inflammation?

• Dysbiosis: Define gut dysbiosis and its correlation with hormonal disorders.

• Leaky gut syndrome: Explain how increased intestinal permeability can lead to systemic inflammation, affecting hormone receptors and signaling.

• Inflammation: Discuss the systemic effects of chronic low-grade inflammation originating from the gut and its impact on hormone production and regulation.

Signs your gut is affecting your hormones

Have you ever experienced premenstrual symptoms like mood swings, food cravings, and bloating before your period?

Many signs have been accepted as “normal” and part of a woman’s normal hormonal cycle that are, in fact, signs of gut dysbiosis and deeper inflammation.

Let’s look at some of them.

Hormonal acne: A sign of detox pathways struggling

While hormonal fluctuations can trigger acne, the deeper cause of any skin presentation is an inflamed gut struggling to clear toxins efficiently. When these toxins recirculate, they can do so through the liver and skin.

Gut inflammation, which is the imbalance of microbes, can lead to compromised detox pathways and even make hormonal imbalances worse. Excess estrogen is caused by a disrupted estrobolome and impaired oestrogen detoxification.

Whenever you see persistent or recurrent skin breakouts, look at your gut.

Irregular menstrual cycles

Missed periods, long cycles, or painful periods are often blamed on PCOS or stress. But the gut plays an integral and surprising role in regulating your cycle and cycles that are painless.

The estrobolome, which is a collection of bacteria that help metabolise oestrogen, is often out of balance, leading to too much or too little oestrogen when the gut is disrupted. Gut inflammation also impacts nutrient absorption, like zinc, B vitamins, and magnesium, which are all crucial for hormone production.

I have seen women go from painful PMS to easy periods without premenstrual symptoms as a result of addressing gut health.

Weight fluctuations

If your weight seems to fluctuate wildly even though you stick to the same diet and exercise routine, your gut might be the culprit. Gut inflammation affects insulin sensitivity, food cravings, satiety, and even how you extract calories from food.

Inflammation also leads to water retention, increased cortisol, and disrupted hunger hormones. The result? Weight gain or weight loss that doesn’t make sense. Again, often attributed to “hormonal changes,” but the real cause is likely your gut.

Mood swings and anxiety

I used to experience severe mood swings and many other pre-menstrual symptoms, which I brushed off as “normal” and “part of my cycle”. The reality? I was dealing with low serotonin levels caused by an imbalanced gut.

Serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter, is mostly produced in the gut. Dysbiosis can cause low serotonin levels, further inflammation, and a leaky gut, which affects brain function.

Digestive issues

Bloating, constipation, gas, or food sensitivities often appear alongside hormonal changes. Instead of treating them as separate problems or worse, being told they are normal, they should be considered as core symptoms of gut dysfunction.

A sluggish and inflamed gut can’t properly absorb nutrients or eliminate waste, which leads to poor hormone synthesis and toxin buildup. When you see symptoms crop up right around a hormonal change, it’s the first sign that there’s gut inflammation there that the hormonal change is highlighting, not the other way around.

The conventional approach targets symptoms

We’ve been taught to target symptoms:

• Birth control for irregular periods

• Antibiotics or Accutane for acne

• Laxatives or antacids for digestive discomfort

But without addressing gut health, these symptoms come back, or more often, get worse. New studies show that the gut microbiome works almost like an extra hormone-making organ.

This means that it both senses and shapes a person’s hormone networks. Germ-free and microbiota-manipulation experiments change circulating levels of steroid, metabolic, and neuroendocrine hormones, while clinical studies link microbiome composition to conditions such as PCOS, obesity, and menopausal changes.[1]

One example is the estrobolome. The collection of gut bacterial genes that modulate enterohepatic estrogen recycling. Studies show that when the gut bacteria that help handle estrogen change, it can affect how much estrogen the body keeps or gets rid of, and this may be linked to diseases like certain kinds of breast cancer.[2]

A major way the gut microbiome affects hormones is through the chemicals it makes, especially short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that come from breaking down dietary fiber. These SCFAs, like acetate, propionate, and butyrate, interact with receptors in the body, influence gene regulation, and shape gut and immune system signaling. Research in both animals and humans shows that SCFAs can change how sensitive we are to insulin, how appetite-related hormones work, and even how some steroid hormones are made. This makes SCFAs an important link between what we eat, our gut microbes, and overall hormone balance.[3]

Practical strategies to support gut health for hormonal balance

Taking care of your gut is one of the most effective ways to keep your hormones working smoothly.

Here are some simple, research-backed strategies:

A diet that feeds a healthy gut microbiome

• Load up on fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. Fiber feeds good gut bacteria, helping them thrive and keep your microbiome diverse. If you’re working on your gut health, aim to build up your fiber intake over time to 30 or more grams per day.

• Add fermented foods like kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, or yogurt to your meals. These foods naturally contain probiotics, which replenish healthy bacteria.

• Include prebiotic foods such as garlic, onions, leeks, and asparagus. These act as fertilizer for beneficial microbes, encouraging their growth.
  

Lifestyle modifications

• Practice stress reduction with yoga, meditation, or even simple deep-breathing exercises. Lowering stress helps balance cortisol (the stress hormone), which otherwise can disrupt gut and hormone function.

• Stay active every day through walking, dancing, or regular workouts. Daily movement improves gut motility and supports more stable hormone levels.

• Prioritize quality sleep by aiming for 7 hours each night. Sleep is critical for hormone production because it allows the gut to repair and reset. Even better, sleep within 2 hours of sunset to align with your circadian rhythm and natural melatonin release.
  

Supplemental support

• Probiotics and prebiotics (through supplements or foods) help restore a balanced gut flora, especially after antibiotics or if you have digestive issues.

• Key nutrients like magnesium (for calming the nervous system), omega-3 fatty acids (for reducing inflammation), and vitamin D with K2 (for hormone signaling and calcium uptake) may further support hormone balance when diet alone isn’t enough.
  

The best news is this

Infertility can be overcome. PCOS and recurring PMS symptoms that drive you crazy every month can be improved.

Your gut health plays such an important role in your overall health, especially your hormonal balance.

Start making intentional choices daily to reduce stress, move your body more often (go for that long walk even when you don’t feel like it), cook a fiber-rich meal with a variety of foods in your diet weekly, try new foods, and add fermented foods to your plate.

Simple but intentional actions will go a long way towards improving your hormonal health.

Read more from Noura Lutyk

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Noura Lutyk, Health and Wellness Coach

Noura is a gut health advocate who has personally overcome eczema and histamine sensitivity, as well as helped her children navigate eczema and food sensitivities through gut-focused strategies. After extensive research into studies on the gut microbiome and its role in chronic diseases, she discovered how food and lifestyle changes can impact specific microbes in the gut, influencing both skin health and overall well-being. Over the past three years, Noura has been helping women and children overcome gut, hormonal, and skin issues by applying holistic approaches backed by scientific research, empowering them to restore balance and improve their quality of life.

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References:

[1] Pires L, Gonzalez-Paramás AM, Heleno SA, Calhelha RC, et al. Gut Microbiota as an Endocrine Organ: Unveiling Its Role in Human Physiology and Health. Applied Sciences. 2024;14(20):9383. doi:10.3390/app14209383. MDPI

[2] Kwa M, Plottel CS, Blaser MJ, Adams S. The Intestinal Microbiome and Estrogen Receptor Positive Female Breast Cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2016;108(8):djw029. doi:10.1093/jnci/djw029. PubMed

[3] Koh A, De Vadder F, Kovatcheva-Datchary P, Bäckhed F. From Dietary Fiber to Host Physiology: Short-Chain Fatty Acids as Key Bacterial Metabolites. Cell. 2016;165(6):1332–1345. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2016.05.041. PubMed