The Connection Between Hormones & Gut Health
One topic that keeps coming up lately is estrogen — and what many people don’t realize is just how closely estrogen is tied to gut health. So let’s break it down.
What Is “Leaky Gut” (and Why It Matters)?
Your gut is lined with tightly packed cells that act like a filter. I like to compare it to a coffee filter: the liquid passes through, but the grounds stay behind.
When your gut is healthy, that lining stays tight and selective. But chronic inflammation can cause gaps between those cells — a process known as increased gut permeability, or what many people call “leaky gut.”
When this happens, unwanted substances can slip through into your bloodstream, triggering even more inflammation throughout your body.
And where does that inflammation often start?
The foods we eat.
Highly processed foods, excess sugar, artificial sweeteners, and low-fiber diets can all contribute to inflammation in the gut, setting off this cascade.
Your Gut Microbiome and Estrogen Metabolism
Inside your gut lives a complex community of bacteria called your microbiome. These bacteria do many important jobs — including helping regulate estrogen.
Here’s why this matters:
Your body produces three main types of estrogen:
Estrone (E1) — made primarily by fat cells
Estradiol (E2) — the main reproductive estrogen, produced by the ovaries
Estriol (E3) — produced during pregnancy by the placenta
After estrogen is made, it’s metabolized by your liver and then excreted through bile, urine, and stool.
Your gut bacteria produce an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, which plays a key role in this process. This enzyme helps regulate how much estrogen stays in circulation versus how much gets eliminated.
When your gut microbiome is out of balance, estrogen metabolism can become disrupted — leading to estrogen levels that are too high, too low, or poorly regulated.
And if you have leaky gut? Your microbiome is almost always affected.
Why Fiber Is So Important
Fiber is one of the most powerful tools we have for supporting gut health — and most people don’t get nearly enough.
Fiber comes from whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. It isn’t digested, which means it helps:
Bulk your stool
Feed beneficial gut bacteria
Reduce inflammation
Support proper estrogen elimination
Low-fiber diets (especially those high in refined or processed foods) can lead to constipation, altered gut bacteria, and increased gut inflammation — all of which interfere with hormone balance.
Fiber literally helps reset the ecosystem of your gut.
Gut Health and Fertility: What the Research Shows
We often hear about the vaginal microbiome when discussing fertility, but research is showing something interesting: the gut microbiome may be even more important.
Studies have found that women experiencing infertility, recurrent implantation failure, or unexplained infertility are more likely to have abnormal gut microbiome profiles compared to fertile controls.
Importantly, many of these women still had normal vaginal microbiomes.
This tells us something powerful: focusing solely on vaginal health misses a major piece of the puzzle. Supporting your gut may be far more impactful for hormone regulation and fertility.
Signs Your Gut May Be Struggling
Many symptoms of gut dysfunction are things people live with daily and assume are “normal,” including:
Fatigue
Sugar cravings
Mood swings or depression
Bloating or gas
Constipation or heartburn
Anxiety or overstimulation
Headaches
Acne
These all share one common thread: inflammation.
What Contributes to Poor Gut Health?
Several factors can disrupt your gut and hormones, including:
Processed foods and excess sugar
Artificial sweeteners
Low fiber intake
Chronic stress
Poor sleep
Alcohol
Environmental toxins
Infections
Genetics and aging
While we can’t control everything, we can control many daily choices.
What I Want You to Take Away
Even if you’re not in perimenopause or menopause, your estrogen levels matter.
If you want your hormones to function normally — and especially if you’re trying to conceive — your gut health matters.
Inflammation in your intestinal tract can:
Increase gut permeability
Disrupt your microbiome
Alter estrogen metabolism
Directly impact fertility
This is why I always come back to the basics:
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
Prioritize fiber
Minimize processed and artificial foods
Support sleep and stress management
Reduce alcohol when possible
These small, consistent habits create the internal environment your hormones need to thrive.
Your body is deeply interconnected. What you put in your body affects your gut. Your gut affects your hormones. And your hormones affect your fertility.
