In recent times, there’s been a growing body of research linking microbiota balance with an improvement in menopausal symptoms. It has been observed that this set of intestinal bacteria interferes with the activity of sex hormones. In truth, their balance seems to bring additional advantages.
It must be remembered that menopause is a biological process by which a girl’s menstrual cycles permanently stop. Even though it is an element of the aging process, it brings with it a series of symptoms that usually affect the standard of life. But why does taking good care of the microbiota help to regulate it? Discover in this text!
The symptoms of menopause
Menopause brings with it a series of clinical manifestations which are uncomfortable for girls. Among the commonest symptoms are the next:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Weight gain
- Mood swings
- Changes in sleep patterns
It’s estimated that ladies spend about one-third of their lives in menopause, which occurs at about age 50. Within the transition to this stage, hormonal changes often increase the danger of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.
As well as, lots of these diseases appear between 10 and 15 years after menopause, as is the case of being obese, diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, dementia, amongst others.
For all these reasons, the arrival of this recent cycle is a very important time to adopt strategies that help to care for health. Amongst this, habits that help to keep up a healthy microbiota play a vital role.
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Keeping microbiota healthy helps improve menopausal symptoms
The role of the microbiota in health has been a subject of scientific research for several a long time. Thus, lately, studies have been developed that associate its activity with the symptoms that appear each in premenopause and in menopause and postmenopause.
The microbiota is a set of trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes. Specifically, the gut microbiota is the biggest and most diverse population of microorganisms within the human body. It plays a very important role in digestion, immune health, and overall health.
It has been observed that, over time, this group of microorganisms undergoes changes, mediated by habits, lifestyle, hormonal changes, and even disease.
Women who manage to keep up a various gut microbiota are likely to experience fewer symptoms at menopause. This even appears to reduce the danger of disease after they reach this stage.
Relationship between microbiota and feminine sex hormones
A study shared via the International Journal of Women’s Health explains the influence of female sex hormone levels on the composition of the microbiota. Based on the publication, the hormonal fluctuations that occur during menopause are linked to a lower diversity of the intestinal microbiome.
Given the intimate contact that the microbiota has with the immune system, the alterations that occur during menopause are a risk factor for several diseases, including metabolic, immune, and cardiovascular diseases.
Nonetheless, the researchers observed that it is a bidirectional relationship. What does this mean? Well, the gut microbiota can be involved in regulating the degrees of free circulating hormones.
In other words, taking good care of the microbiota and promoting the balance of microorganisms that compose it may be very helpful for minimizing the impact of the decrease in hormones corresponding to estrogen.
Particularly, it has been determined that the strobolome – a set of bacterial genes belonging to the microbiota – is involved in estrogen regulation.
Promoting estrogen balance isn’t only positive in reducing the danger of chronic diseases in menopause and postmenopause. It also promotes the reduction of common symptoms corresponding to vaginal dryness, mood swings, hot flashes, and night sweats.
The vaginal microbiota can be essential
The vaginal microbiota is the community of microorganisms that live within the vagina. A study reported in Nature Microbiology highlights the importance of promoting its balance to mitigate among the symptoms of menopause.
specifies that the restoration of bacteria corresponding to lactobacilli isn’t only key to reducing vaginal dryness and other vaginal discomfort, but additionally plays a protective role within the urinary tract. Thus, it reduces the danger of dysuria and recurrent urinary tract infectionswhich are sometimes common amongst postmenopausal women.
To this point, research on the microbiota and its relationship to symptoms and health complications in menopause remains to be ongoing. Nonetheless, the findings observed to date suggest that restoration of this bacterial population could also be a useful approach to enhance women’s quality of life before, during, and after menopause.
The way to promote microbiota balance to enhance menopausal symptoms
While many aspects can trigger an imbalance of the microorganisms that make up the microbiota, there are also some habits that help keep it healthy. On this sense, a review shared through the magazine Nutrients exposes that weight-reduction plan and stress control are determinants.
To a lesser extent, but no less essential, exercising and avoiding bad habits, corresponding to the consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and medicines, can even help. To be more precise, some recommendations are the next:
- Increase the consumption of probiotics. These are live microorganisms that may confer health advantages when consumed in adequate amounts. They might be present in fermented foods corresponding to yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, amongst others, in addition to in supplements.
- Increase the intake of prebiotics. These are non-digestible fibers that promote the expansion of helpful bacteria within the intestine. They might be present in foods corresponding to bananas, whole grains, bananas, green leafy vegetables, onions, garlic, soybeans, and artichokes.
- Devour more plant-based proteins. These promote the expansion of bacterial species corresponding to bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, while neutralizing the expansion of pathogenic bacteria. The very best known example is soy protein.
- Practice rest techniques. Since stress is certainly one of the important aspects related to the alteration of the microbiota, it’s convenient to practice techniques corresponding to meditation, yoga, massage, and respiratory exercises, amongst other rest methods.
Certain supplements could also be complementary
Symbiotics contain complementary probiotics and prebiotic ingredients that interact to offer a synergistic effect toward maintaining a desirable microbial population within the gut.
Nutraceuticals are natural food components (corresponding to isoflavones and phytoestrogens) that might be released during digestion and due to this fact may help.
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Hormone substitute therapy isn’t the one alternative in menopause
For a long time, hormone substitute therapy (HRT) has been the mainstay in addressing menopausal symptoms. In truth, it’s considered probably the most effective treatment. But due to concerns about its potential uncomfortable side effectsother strategies have been developed to enhance women’s health at this stage.
Because it is, the outcomes of several studies suggest that adopting strategies to keep up a healthy microbiota can assist. The gut microbiome, with its ability to manage estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones, may play a key role during menopause and postmenopause.
With these findings, a way of life that helps promote the expansion of those healthy bacteria is beneficial. Intake of probiotics and prebiotics, in addition to proper stress management, are key to achieving this.
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