"Estrogen and progesterone do more than regulate the menstrual cycle. They directly influence how the digestive system works, affecting gut movement, water balance, gas production, and sensitivity. When these hormones rise and fall during the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, or bloating in menopause , digestion often becomes unpredictable. Understanding how this happens helps explain why bloating and discomfort follow hormonal patterns."
"Slower digestion means more gas When food sits in the intestines longer than usual, bacteria have extra time to break it down. Gas production increases as a result. This is one of the main reasons bloating worsens during hormonal shifts. Even a normal meal can cause discomfort if digestion is slowed. The amount of gas may not be excessive, but hormonal changes make the body less efficient at moving it through and releasing it."
Estrogen and progesterone influence digestion by altering gut movement, fluid balance, gas production, and sensitivity. Estrogen receptors throughout the stomach and intestines slow gut motility when estrogen rises, causing food to move more slowly. Slowed transit allows gut bacteria extra time to ferment food, increasing gas and abdominal pressure. Estrogen also promotes water and sodium retention, causing cells to hold extra fluid and producing swelling and a heavy, tight abdominal feeling. Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, and menopause therefore produce predictable patterns of bloating and unpredictable digestion independent of food choices.
Read at London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
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