Can Gut Health Help With PMS Symptoms? What Every Woman Should Know

If you’ve ever Googled “Why do I feel like a completely different person every week of my cycle?” or “How do I stop craving chocolate and crying at the same time?” — hi, you’re in the right place. Today’s topic? PMS. Gut health. And how the two are way more connected than we’ve been led to believe.

So… Can Gut Health Help With PMS?

Short answer? Yes.
Longer answer? It’s complicated — but not in a ‘you need to overhaul your life and only eat chia pudding’ kind of way.

Let’s break it down.

Your gut and hormones are in constant conversation — a back-and-forth WhatsApp thread happening 24/7. Inside this BFF relationship is something called the oestrobolome: a specific group of gut bacteria that help break down and recycle oestrogen, one of your key female sex hormones.

When your gut microbiome is balanced, the oestrobolome does its job beautifully. Oestrogen flows how it should. Your mood feels steady, your energy doesn't crash, and your PMS symptoms? Milder.

But when your gut is out of sync — thanks to stress, a poor diet, antibiotics, lack of sleep, or modern life in general — the oestrobolome can misfire. And that’s when the hormonal rollercoaster can begin.

What Does This Mean for PMS?

PMS (premenstrual syndrome) isn’t just about your period — in fact, it actually refers to the symptoms that typically occur in the week leading up to it. The emotional effects of PMS (like mood swings, fatigue, changes in appetite) are largely driven by how your hormones and neurotransmitters interact throughout your cycle — especially oestrogen and serotonin (your brain’s feel-good chemical). Here's the deal:

To keep reading, head over to Dr. Emily Prpa’s Substack and dive into the full post.

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N.B. This content is for educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice.