Gut Health Guru DR MEGAN ROSSI: What can you eat to beat hot flashes –

While it’s clear that gut symptoms are related to our gut health, people are often surprised to learn how much it relates to our gut, from immune and heart health to mental health.

And add hormones to that list, because another role of our omnipotent gut is to be able to produce and regulate hormones, including our sex hormones.

As a result, taking care of gut health can help with a range of issues related to women’s reproductive cycles, from polycystic ovaries to menopausal symptoms.

And now we finally have scientific evidence to support what I’ve seen in the clinic for years: Better gut health tends to reduce hormonal issues.

This isn’t just something that affects women. For example, some men with depression are known to have lower testosterone levels. Now, in a study published a few weeks ago, scientists in China have identified a possible cause: a type of gut bacteria that can “break down” testosterone.

The study found that men with depression had higher levels of this bacterium, and when scientists from Wuhan University introduced this bacterium to rats, their testosterone levels dropped and they displayed depressive behaviors.

Other animal studies have suggested the role of the gut microbiota (bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms found in the gut) in an even more fundamental way. Mice bred free of germs have abnormal sexual development: essentially male mice are feminized and vice versa.

This is because they lack the gut microbiota to help produce and regulate their hormones.

And it’s not just about our gut microbiota: The vaginal microbiota is also being studied for its role in preterm birth.

My colleagues at King’s College London even published a study last year showing that the vaginal microbiome can predict preterm births starting around week 10 of pregnancy.

(The opposite is true with hormones that affect our guts – and many women experience it every month. If you’ve had bloating before and notice that your stool is looser now, it’s because of changes in hormones, but more so this other day.)

So what’s going on? First, our gut microbiome influences the amount of estrogen circulating in our bloodstream. This also applies to men who produce estrogen, but in smaller amounts.

The key is beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme produced by certain gut bacteria that “recycles” inactive or used estrogen and puts it back into the bloodstream. These estrogen-regulating gut bacteria also have their own name, estroboloma.

For now, I stay away from probiotic supplements and instead plan to include these science-backed foods to fuel this all-important gut hormone axis.

If there is an imbalance in the gut microbiota, it can affect the amount of estrogen in the bloodstream, perhaps giving you too much or too little.

For example, we know that antibiotics kill not only bad bacteria but also beneficial ones, including estrobolom. Some antibiotics that are poorly absorbed from the gut, such as ampicillin, can actually increase the amount of estrogen secreted many times over.

An imbalance in gut bacteria is thought to play a role in a range of hormonal conditions, from endometriosis and infertility to breast cancer.

In fact, some treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome, such as metformin, are believed to work, at least in part, by targeting and “rebalancing” the gut microbiota. In men, excess estrogen has been associated with gynecomastia (excessive breast tissue) and erectile dysfunction, among other symptoms.

Likewise, healthy gut flora are more likely to rebalance estrogen levels. This has the potential to reduce menopausal symptoms and conditions caused by estrogen imbalances.

This may explain why, in a one-year US study of more than 17,000 postmenopausal women, those who ate the most fiber (i.e. “fertilizers for our gut flora, including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains”) had a 19 percent reduction in hot flashes. compared to a control group.

Another hormone-related condition that can affect our gut bacteria is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It’s estimated that one in ten women has the condition, and symptoms usually appear in their late teens, in their early 20s.

Basically, it is a condition that affects the functioning of the ovaries due to a higher-than-normal ratio of testosterone to estrogen.

Some common symptoms include menstrual irregularity or absence, difficulty conceiving, excessive hair growth, thinning hair, and oily skin. We don’t know the exact cause, but it’s likely a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Now, a large study has found that supplementing a healthy diet with certain probiotics and synbiotics (which is a combination of prebiotics and probiotics) can improve several PCOS markers, including hormones.

So should you take probiotics or symbiotics for PCOS? While the results may seem convincing, the results for some groups of people with different diets and environments and therefore gut flora (for example, most of the 11 studies in the review were from Iran) are not easy to translate.

Also, while the results were significant, it was definitely not a “cure” for PCOS, and I often see better results by changing diets. The same goes for menopause.

We still have a lot to learn, and while it’s unlikely that it’s just our gut flora, you want to keep gut microorganisms on the side for hormone balance, and one of the easiest ways to do that is to increase your intake. fruits and vegetables.

For now, I’ll stick with probiotic supplements and instead consider including these science-backed foods to fuel this all-important gut hormone axis:

• Edamame beans (or soybeans)

Next week, I’ll show you some easy ways to get more of these and other fruits and vegetables into your diet!

Dr. Contact Megan Rossic

Email drmegan@dailymail.co.uk or write to Good Health, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London, W8 5TT – provide your contact details.

Dr. Megan Rossi cannot access personal correspondence. Answers should be taken in a general context; Always consult your doctor if you have any health problems.

Try This: Cinnamon Spicy Popcorn

When it comes to afternoon desserts, this high-fiber snack hits the mark.

You can try other flavors like olive oil (2 teaspoons), curry powder (½ teaspoon), and ground coriander (½ teaspoon).

You need:

• brown paper bag

• 50 g popcorn kernels

• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Put the corn kernels in a brown paper bag and fold in half to seal.

Run the microwave on high for about three minutes, or until you feel a pause of about three seconds between bursts. Rest for 20 seconds and then open the bag.

Drizzle honey on top, then cinnamon (or your preference). Close the bag and shake to mix.