Live
Webinar

The Gut-Hormone Connection: Rethinking Women's Health Through the Microbiome

Speakers

Christina O’Connor, RD

November 5, 2026
2 PM EST
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Women's gut health needs shift across every life stage, but most probiotic conversations still treat the microbiome as one-size-fits-all. This session unpacks the current science connecting the gut microbiome to women's metabolic health, including the research on specific strains like Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and prebiotic fibers in relation to blood sugar regulation, satiety, and long-term metabolic health. It also looks at where the research is heading next, including emerging work on the gut's role during hormonal transitions like menopause. Attendees will leave with a clearer, evidence-based framework for where gut health fits into the broader picture of women's health.

Key takeaways

  • Understand how the gut microbiome changes across female life stages and the modifiable factors that shape it (diet, antibiotics, stress/sleep, hormones).
  • Identify microbiome-related features associated with gut and metabolic health, including mucosal barrier integrity, tight-junction functions, and GLP-1 signaling.
  • Explain how key strains—Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Bifidobacterium infantis—may influence gut barrier function and metabolism.
  • Understand the estrogen–gut microbiome axis ("estrobolome") and its role in circulating estrogen.
  • Summarize evidence linking menopause to microbiome shifts and cardiometabolic risk.
  • Distinguish fiber types (insoluble, soluble, resistant starch) and the role of polyphenols.
  • Compare menopause-support formulation categories and two distinct botanical mechanisms (ERβ agonism versus neurotransmitter-mediated).