The decline in estrogen during menopause reduces the diversity of our gut bacteria and disrupts the estrobolome, which promotes weight gain and negatively influences metabolism.

noli's read

The concept of the 'estrobolome'—that community of bacteria which helps regulate our estrogen—is fascinating and rests on a reality well-documented by observational studies (such as Zhao et al., 2022). These studies indeed show interesting links between our gut bacterial profile and variations in weight or waist circumference after menopause. Nevertheless, the assertion that menopause leads to a systematic decline in gut diversity must be nuanced. A highly rigorous meta-analysis (Saravinovska et al., 2026) challenged this received wisdom by finding no significant difference in bacterial diversity between pre- and post-menopausal women. Furthermore, there are not yet any rigorous clinical trials (randomized trials) proving that targeted dietary changes or probiotic supplementation can directly regulate hormones to alleviate the discomforts of this transition. It is a promising avenue for our well-being, but direct scientific evidence remains to be consolidated.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.