Most women are told their 'hormones' are the problem, if they have:
- Painful or irregular periods
- Breakouts
- Low energy and brain fog
- PCOS or endometriosis
- Fluid retention
- Stubborn belly fat
The usual advice focuses on suppressing symptoms or balancing hormones directly.
What is rarely explained is that hormone regulation has a control centre. And much of it lives in the gut.
The gut microbiome plays a central role in how estrogen is processed and cleared. If that system is disrupted, estrogen can be recycled back into the bloodstream instead of eliminated. Over time, this can amplify symptoms.
The important part is this: the gut is modifiable.
You can influence microbial diversity, inflammation, and even how efficiently oestrogen is cleared.
This is where the estrobolome comes in.
The estrobolome refers to the group of gut bacteria involved in oestrogen metabolism. When these microbes are supported, hormone regulation becomes more stable. When they are disrupted, symptoms often intensify.
Understanding this shifts the strategy. Instead of only asking “How do I fix my hormones?”, the better question becomes, “How do I support the system that regulates them?”
Several modern factors impair the gut–hormone axis:
- Low fibre intake
- Ultra-processed food
- Chronic stress
- Repeated antibiotic exposure
- Poor blood sugar regulation
- Low microbial diversity
When microbial diversity declines, inflammatory signalling increases and estrogen metabolism becomes less efficient. This can present as heavier cycles, more severe PMS, stubborn acne, worsening PCOS symptoms, and fluctuating energy.
The issue is often not that your body is overproducing hormones. It may be clearing them poorly.
When the estrobolome is compromised, you might notice:
- Cycles that feel heavier or more painful over time
- Breast tenderness before your period
- Breakouts that track with your cycle
- Energy crashes in the second half of your cycle
- Increased water retention
- Greater difficulty managing weight (especially with PCOS)
These patterns are not random. They reflect how estrogen is being metabolized and recycled.
Three Ways to Strengthen the Hormone Control Centre
1. Increase Microbial Diversity
Aim for at least 25 to 30 different plant foods per week. Vegetables, fruit, herbs, spices,legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains all count. Diversity feeds the bacteria involved in hormone metabolism.
2. Support Daily Estrogen Clearance
Fibre is non-negotiable. Include fibre at every meal. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, rocket, and cauliflower are particularly supportive of hormone metabolism. Try to have at leats one sevring of cruciferous vegetables per day.
3. Stabilise Blood Sugar
Insulin resistance does not happen because you ate fruit. It develops over time when cells become less responsive to insulin. Diets high in saturated fat (too many animal products) and low in fibre (not enough plant foods) are strongly associated with reduced insulin sensitivity. Excess saturated fat can accumulate within muscle and liver cells, interfering with insulin signalling pathways. At the same time, low fibre intake reduces microbial diversity and short-chain fatty acid production, both of which support metabolic regulation.
Improving insulin sensitivity is not about eliminating carbohydrates. It is about lowering saturated fat intake, increasing fibre, and supporting a diverse gut microbiome. This combination improves how your body processes glucose and, in turn, influences androgen levels, ovarian function, energy stability, and inflammatory tone.
Quick Metabolic Reset Action:
For the next 14 days:
Reduce saturated fat intake and increase plant fibre at the same time.
• Swap butter, cream, cheese, and fatty meats for extra virgin olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
• Aim for 30 grams of fibre per day from beans, lentils, oats, berries, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables. If you currrently eat very little fibre, increase your intake slowly over a period of 3 weeks to avoid digestive discomfort such as bloating or gas.
What you put on your plate today influences how your body regulates hormones tomorrow.
Remeber that hormone balance is not only about what your ovaries produce- it is also about what your gut allows to leave.
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