Does Menopause Cause Digestive Problems?
Menopause and digestion:
the gut, and your digestive capacity, change during this transition from perimenopause to menopause.
Many women report bloating, acid reflux (GERD), food intolerances, and constipation in midlife.
You may even have a bout of diarrhea one day and can’t poop another day.
Uncomfortable and frustrating. But it Menopause’s fault?
In menopause, our digestive systems change.
There is a difference between the gut of a man and a woman (1). The microbiota associated with the mouth, the gut, and the vagina can be regulated by estrogen, among other things.(1)
Women love to explore possible causes of things which can affect their menopausal bodies. Maybe you have heard of leaky gut? Leaky gut doesn’t truly describe the complexity of that small intestine.
Where does that gut start?
While our mouths play a big role in digestion, the gut starts with your brain.
When working digestion, I always share how digestion is turned on in your brain.
I loved to think that digestion started in our mouths, as a dental hygienist, but it’s the brain that signals the gut and vice versa.
That is only part of the pathway called the gut-brain axis. Our gut is called the second brain! It communicates with all areas of the body.
What does this have to do with menopause? Lots.
Our microbiomes change.
Over the years, some of our gut bugs change from beneficial to bothersome. This happens because of illness, antibiotics, types of foods we eat, and stress, for starters.
Our gut is super sensitive.
It has a lining that is one cell thick. Mucous is supposed to cover this lining of the gut, but over time we may have a decrease in this mucous.
Our salivary flow changes.
As we age, we lose saliva flow, due to medications, hormone changes and yet again, STRESS. We need saliva to lubricate our mouths while chewing and swallowing.
Saliva brings antibodies and other protective goodies to the mouth. Spit also carries salivary amylase, to help start digestion. If your brain is not in a relaxed state, the salivary flow may not even turn on.
Stomach acid changes.
We may lose some hydrochloric acid (HCL) production in the stomach, as we age. We need that acid as a sanitizer, to kill bacteria, and to signal the pancreas to drop it’s enzymes!
Some times we have overproduction of acid, too, in the form of GERD.
Many well meaning professionals will recommend lemon water, apple cider vinegar or celery juice for digestion.
JUMP HERE to my YouTube Channel if you want to know the pros and cons of Lemon Water for digestion. There are things to consider if you are in menopause and drinking lemon water or vinegar.
Stress.
With more daily stress in menopause, juggling career and family, your changing moods, this hits us in our nervous system, which plays a role in that saliva and HCL production. When we are stressed, digestion takes a back seat.
This can lead to less absorption of nutrients and a larger chance of bacteria, and other less beneficial microbes, putting out more endotoxins in our bodies, and affecting things like our immune system and moods.
Even our skin and joints can be affected.
As a 50 plus woman, I do have some skin vanity, AND I like to go up and down stairs:).
Holistic health circles talk about gut health in terms of what NOT to eat.
Certainly, there are medical conditions that require a change of diet.
Conditions like celiac disease require one to remove gluten.
Mold illness may require you to remove sugar for a bit and focus on a fiber rich diet
There are some instances where an elimination diet might fit the persons needs.
But USE SOME CAUTION:
Going on an elimination diet, without a reason, or to lose weight can make your digestion WORSE, along with flaring up disordered eating.
What to do instead? How about adding things in.
JUMP HERE to read or listen to the Add In Approach to nutrition.
What things can you add in that helps your gut?
Bone Broth. With caution, if you have histamine issues.
Bone broth is still really popular. Gah, my mom made me drink that all the time when I was a kid. Now I use it for soups, sauces and stews.
Bone Broth contains minerals which we need in menopause.
It also contains collagen and amino acids. Gelatin, in bone broth may help the digestive lining calm down, if inflamed from pathogens like parasites or bacterial overgrowth.Herbs
Herbs such as slippery elm, or marshmallow root are supportive of mucous membranes, and the gut lining is a mucous membrane!Slippery elm is used as a lubricant and demulcent (relieves inflammation) for mucous membranes (2).
You can find it in teas, tinctures and homeopathic remedies, sometimes combined with marshmallow root.If you caught these podcast episodes here, and here with Correne from Spirea Herbs, she mentioned how the harvesting of slippery elm is at an all time high, and that marshmallow root is her preferred herb of choice for the gut, anyways!
** Always check with a healthcare practitioner when using herbs and supplements**
Easily digested VEGGIES.
Vegetables and resistant starches feed your gut bacteria in all forms, however, too many raw veggies can cause discomfort in the digestive system for some. This can happen because the veggies aren’t chewed thoroughly, your gut bacteria isn’t able to help with digestion, or you may have missing teeth that affect your chewing process.That’s why soups, steamed vegetables, smoothies (with some veg in them) … all make for easily digested foods.
Sweet potato, cooled rice, and banana, help feed gut bacteria as prebiotic foods.
Go easy adding in vegetables, if you are not used to eating a lot of veg.
Same goes for those raw vegetables. Start slow.
Add in a tasty dip like this Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Dip
Should you supplement glutamine?
Glutamine is an amino acid that is abundant in the body. It is used by the cells of your gut. This supplement is shown to support the gut lining by keeping those cells that form the lining close together. When there is inflammation in the gut, the cells pull apart, creating what is known as leaky gut.
It also helps with inflammation, and supports cellular stress in the gut.
Foods that contain glutamine include red cabbage, eggs, tofu, dairy products and beef.Always check your supplements for any interactions with medications!
Should I remove anything out of my diet to change digestive issues in menopause?
I’ve already said that I am a fan of the Add In Approach to all things menopause health and food.
There are many protocols that rely on the 4 R’s: remove, replace, reinoculate and repair for digestive support.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with this approach, the restriction in foods that come with this may create more body image issues, and disordered eating.
How about starting with these TWO suggestions below?
Remove Alcohol.
While an occasional glass of wine can be soul fulfilling, regular drinking increases gut permeability, inflammation, and is hard on your liver. If you are experiencing hormone fluctuations, your liver is important in detoxifying and breaking down those hormones, including estrogen.
Your liver also has to deal with the endotoxins that come from your gut bacteria, if those aren’t getting pooped out.Build STRESS resilience.
Learning to reframe, mitigate, manage, and cope with STRESS is SO important in menopause.We can’t remove stress, but we can add in coping strategies.
SELF COACHING PROMPT:
📌 Look at what’s in your control and what isn’t.
📌 How can you delegate even the tiniest thing?
📌 What are you willing to explore to address your stress?Small tip: putting your legs up the wall at night, or elevating on a pillow, will calm your nervous system.
There is SO much to cover when we talk about digestive problems in menopause.
Transitioning into a mindful eating practice, which I share in my work with women, brings in calmness and less stress around food.
It also can help turn on digestion.
Something we need in our 50’s and beyond.
Want more digestion solutions for menopause?
There is no end to foods and remedies that help you fix your gut. Some of the practices are quite restrictive, and can unearth disordered eating thoughts.
Some are really easy, and can be as simple as some tea with slippery elm. Some are more complicated. Check out the resources below for more on digestion support for menopause.
Sources:
Vieira, Angélica T et al. “Influence of Oral and Gut Microbiota in the Health of Menopausal Women.” Frontiers in microbiology vol. 8 1884. 28 Sep. 2017, doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.01884
Peterson, Christine Tara et al. “Prebiotic Potential of Herbal Medicines Used in Digestive Health and Disease.” Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) vol. 24,7 (2018): 656-665. doi:10.1089/acm.2017.0422
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5454963/#:~:text=In%20gut%20physiology%2C%20glutamine%20promotes,during%20normal%20and%20pathologic%20conditions.