PMS & Gut Health: The Connection Your Hormones Want You to Know!
Let’s set the scene: You are curled up on the couch, bloated like a balloon, feeling the cramping and back pains, irrationally annoyed at your partner for chewing too loudly, craving every carb in sight, and fighting off a foggy brain and a wave of anxiety.
Sound familiar?
If you’re silently yelling “OMG yes, that’s me,” — friend, you’re far from alone.
In fact, these uncomfortable symptoms are so common, that they have been branded as just a normal part of life for menstruating people.
But here’s the deal — common doesn’t mean normal. And if you are nodding along like “well this just runs my life every month,” then it’s time to look deeper.
Because while most people chalk PMS up to “it just your hormones,” there is a major player that’s often very overlooked: your gut.
Yes, it’s true, your gut might just be the MVP (or the villain) behind the dreaded pre-period symptoms that you are getting every month.
And today, we’re going to break down exactly how your gut health can throw your hormones off to the point that you are getting those awful PMS symptoms every month — and how YOU can take back control of ALL of it.
Wait — PMS is not normal?
Despite how common PMS symptoms are and what you might have been told, PMS is a sign of imbalance in your body — NOT a monthly curse that you just have to accept.
Unfortunately, we live in a world that has normalized that discomfort and horrible symptoms when it comes to menstruation.
Symptoms like:
Bloating
Mood swings
Cravings
Painful periods
These are often brushed off or quickly met with a prescription for the birth control pill — a band-aid fix that covers up your awful PMS symptoms. However, not only does it NOT get to the root of the problem, more often than not, it causes more harm than good.
Now, don’t get me wrong — the pill absolutely can have a time and place, and access to it is a huge privilege. But when it is used as a quick fix for hormone symptoms without digging into why they are happening in the first place? We are missing the mark.
When I work with my clients, we go beyond the band-aid and quick-fixes, and we investigate the root causes of the clients hormonal imbalances and gut issues — and spoiler alert: The gut is often right at the center of the story.
Estrogen Dominance: The Hormone Imbalance Behind PMS
One of the most common hormonal imbalances linked to PMS is estrogen dominance. This happens when estrogen levels are too high in relation to progesterone — your calming, balancing, “feel-good” hormone.
This can show up in a couple of ways:
True estrogen dominance - too much estrogen
Relative estrogen dominance - not enough progesterone
Either way, the symptoms are chef’s kiss unpleasant:
Bloating and fluid retention
Breast tenderness
Anxiety, depression, mood swings
Fatigue
Sugar or carb cravings
Weight gain
Hair loss
Sleep disturbances
Painful or heavy periods
Nausea, vomiting
While there are many contributing factors that can lead to estrogen dominance (sluggish liver clearance, constipation, poor bile production, stress, inflammation, and nutrient deficiencies to name a few), here we are focusing on how the gut microbiome can play a major role!
Let’s Explore How.
Your Liver: The Estrogen Detox Queen
Your liver is a hormonal powerhouse, and we can NOT talk about estrogen, estrogen dominance, or even gut health without talking about the role the liver plays!
This is because, out of the livers 500+ jobs that it does on the daily, one of its major roles is detoxifying excess hormones — especially estrogen.
As it relates to estrogen specifically, the liver’s role is to “metabolize” (break down) our estrogen, so that it can be excreted from the body, after it has been used!
Here’s how it works:
Estrogen is metabolized by the liver in Phase 1 detox, where it’s broken down into intermediate compounds (2-OH-E1, 2-OH-E2, 4-OH-E1, 4-OH-E2, and 16-OH-E1), this process is called hydroxylation.
In Phase 2, these compounds are conjugated (packaged up) in a specific way that makes it easy for our body to excrete them.
These packed up estrogen metabolites then travel to the gut — this is where they are excreted from the body via our poop.
So... what happens if your gut isn’t on board with this plan?
That estrogen gets stuck. Or worse — it comes back into circulation.
Meet the Estrobolome: Your Gut’s Hormone Whisperer
Within your gut (in our intestinal microbiome) lives a specific collection of microbes. These microbes are called the estrobolome — and these little guys have a lot of power over your hormones.
These guys consist of specific microbes that have the capabilities to metabolize estrogen and influence estrogen homeostasis (or balance) in the body.
They also produce an enzyme that is called beta-glucuronidase. This enzyme deconjugates (unpacks) those neatly packaged estrogens turning them back into their active form – reversing stage two liver detoxification. Meaning that the body can then reabsorb them, and you end up with recirculating estrogen, leading to hormone overload.
The result? Yep — PMS, and other estrogen-dominant symptoms.
If your gut microbiome is out of balance — due to poor diet, chronic stress, inflammation, medications, or lack of microbial diversity — this enzyme activity can go haywire, and estrogen detox then grinds to a halt.
So... What Can You Do?
Here’s the good news: when you support your gut, you support your hormones. It really is that simple (and that powerful). Here are a few ways to start:
1. Poop daily
Yup, we’re talking bowel movements. Estrogen leaves your body via poop — so if you are not going at least 1-2 times a day, those estrogen metabolites can build up.
If you’re constipated, your hormones are too.
2. Feed your gut bugs
Diversity is the name of the game. Eat a variety of plant-based, high-fiber foods (aim for 30+ different plant foods per week!). Include prebiotic-rich foods (like garlic, onions, bananas) and probiotic fermented foods (like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir).
3. Love your liver
Your liver loves bitter and nutrient-rich foods — think beets, dandelion greens, citrus, arugula, and radicchio. Limit alcohol and caffeine where you can – I am not saying you have to quit 1 or both but cutting back/ limiting is essential here. Also, to show your liver some extra love, consider milk thistle or dandelion tea.
4. Live the gut-friendly lifestyle
Stress, sleep, movement, and sunshine all impact your microbiome. Support your gut with daily movement, natural light exposure, deep breathing, and consistent high-quality sleep.
Still Struggling? Let’s Get to the Root Together
If you’ve tried all of the things and still feel like a hormonal hot mess before your period every month — don’t worry, you’re NOT crazy and you are definitely NOT broken.
It’s just time to go deeper.
In my 1:1 program, Hormone Health for Females from Teens to Adults of All Ages, I work with menstruators (from teens to adults) to uncover the REAL reasons behind your PMS, fatigue, mood swings, and gut issues and help you manage hormonal conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid problems, etc. as well as perimenopause/menopause symptoms.
This program is 100% individualized to you, you and your body’s needs and your health goals and in the program we:
We take a root-cause approach to help you:
Balance your hormones naturally
Restore your gut health
Reclaim your energy
Nourish your nervous system
Are you ready to finally feel like yourself all month long — not just in the follicular phase?
Book a 30-minute FREE Discovery Call with me or message me on Instagram or Linkedin and let’s chat!
You deserve to feel empowered, supported, and symptom-free — with every single cycle.