Boost your gut-hormone connection with these 4 daily habits!

You’ve likely heard that your gut and brain constantly communicate, but did you know your gut and hormones are just as chatty? This two-way conversation happens through your endocrine system, which scientists call the gut-endocrine axis, and it’s a fascinating area of research right now.

Your gut doesn’t just digest food; it’s also home to trillions of bacteria that send signals to your brain, immune system, and even your hormone-producing glands. In fact, around 70%-80% of your immune system lives in your gut, and many of your hormones are regulated by what’s happening there.¹ So when your gut is in balance, your hormones follow suit. But if your gut microbiome is out of sync, your hormones can go off track, too.

What is the endocrine system and why does it matter?

The endocrine system is your body’s network of glands that release hormones. The gut is now recognised as the body’s largest endocrine organ, because it produces a large variety of hormones and chemical messages that affect the whole body. Scientists now recognise the gut as a major hormone producing organ that is central to keeping the whole body in balance. The communication between the gut and the endocrine system is vital and goes both ways with hormones from the thyroid, pancreas and other endocrine glands influencing how the gut works, and gut microbiota influencing hormones.²

These little chemical messengers influence many aspects of your health, including mood, energy, sleep, stress, metabolism, and fertility. You can think of it as your body’s hormone orchestra, where the gut plays the role of the conductor. Gut bacteria produce and regulate hormones such as serotonin, insulin, cortisol, and oestrogen. When the gut is healthy, the orchestra stays in tune, but when it’s not, the music (your hormones) is off key.³

The endocrine loop

The endocrine loop is a two-way conversation between your hormones and gut microbiome. Hormones shape the balance of your microbes, while the microbiome influences how hormones are produced, metabolised, and released. When one side slips out of balance, the other is affected too, creating a cycle that can ripple through many areas of health.⁴

A key part of this loop involves enteroendocrine cells (EECs). Though they make up less than 1% of the gut lining, their influence is huge. These cells help regulate hunger, satiety, digestion, gut motility, metabolism, and brain signalling. Research shows that gut microbes can shape how EECs grow, function, and release hormones like GLP-1 and PYY, which are central to appetite control and blood sugar balance. One way microbes do this is by producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) or postbiotics. These SCFAs act as chemical messengers, prompting EECs to fine-tune hormone release and maintain metabolic balance.⁵

Why this matters

Modern life can make this delicate balance harder to maintain due to factors like processed foods and a lack of dietary fibre, which starve beneficial gut bacteria. Stress and poor sleep affect both the microbiome and cortisol rhythms. Environmental hormone disrupters such as pesticides, plastics, and household chemicals can have a detrimental impact on your hormones. All of these things can tip the gut-endocrine axis out of balance.

Support your gut-endocrine axis with these 4 tips –

Eat a diverse fibre-rich diet to feed those good gut bugs!
Reduce exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals where possible.
Manage stress with tools like yoga, breathwork or tai chi.
Add a live probiotic such as kefir to your daily routine.

These tips can help nurture your microbiome, which helps regulate your hormones.

The gut-endocrine connection is another example of how interconnected the body really is. By supporting your gut, you’re also looking after your hormones, which supports your mood, energy and long-term health.

To learn about hormones, check out these two articles –

Any questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat, weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm.

Boost your gut-hormone connection with these 4 daily habits!

What is the endocrine system and why does it matter?

The endocrine loop

Why this matters

Support your gut-endocrine axis with these 4 tips –

References

Questions? Talk to a Nutritional Therapist on live chat!

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