Are hormones harming your regularity?

Are you doing all the “right” things—staying hydrated, eating plenty of fibre, exercising regularly—yet still struggling with staying regular? While these habits are essential, they may not always be enough. One often overlooked factor could be your hormonal balance.

Hormones such as testosterone, oestrogen, and cortisol are widely recognised for their impact on sexual health, muscle growth, bone health, stress response, metabolism, and the immune system. However, their influence goes much deeper—especially when it comes to your digestive system.

The gut-hormone connection

The gut-hormone connection is the bi-directional pathway that links your gut to your hormonal system. The health of your microbiome has a big impact on your hormones, and balanced hormones help support optimal gut function. Together, they influence how efficiently your digestive system works—especially gut motility, which controls how food moves through your digestive tract.

When this balance is disrupted, you may experience symptoms such as:

Constipation
Diarrhoea
Bloating
Irregular bowel movements

Key hormones in gut motility

Several hormones play a direct role in regulating digestion:

Gastrin – Produced in the stomach, gastrin stimulates the production of stomach acid and supports the movement of food into the small intestine. Higher levels can increase gut motility and improve digestion.¹
Cholecystokinin (CCK) – Released in response to fats and proteins, CCK slows stomach emptying to allow proper digestion. It also stimulates bile and enzyme release, both essential for digestion nd healthy gut motility.²
Motilin – Motilin regulates the “housekeeping” contractions of the gut between meals, helping clear the digestive tract during fasting periods.³
Serotonin – Although best known as a mood-regulating neurotransmitter, around 90% of serotonin is actually found in your gut! It plays a crucial role in controlling intestinal muscle contractions, influencing the speed and strength of gut movements. Imbalances may contribute to constipation or diarrhoea.⁴
Somatostatin – This regulatory hormone inhibits the release of other hormones involved in digestion, such as gastrin and CCK. It helps slow down gut motility when it’s needed, balancing the digestive process.⁵
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) – VIP relaxes the smooth muscles of the intestines, helping food move through the digestive tract while also increasing blood flow to the gut.⁶
Cortisol – Known as the stress hormone, cortisol can significantly affect digestion. Elevated levels may either speed up or slow down gut motility, often leading to digestive discomfort.⁷

How to support your gut & hormones

Hormonal imbalances can:⁸

Disrupt gut motility
Impair nutrient absorption
Increase digestive discomfort
Affect overall gut health and microbiome diversity

When hormones are out of balance, even the healthiest diet may not fully resolve gut issues.

On the other hand, when your microbiome is healthy and diverse, it helps in the production and regulation of these key hormones!

You can support both systems together with consistent lifestyle habits:

Eat a varied, nutrient-rich diet
Stay physically active
Prioritise quality sleep
Manage stress effectively
Limit alcohol and ultra-processed foods

These habits help maintain a balanced microbiome, which in turn supports healthy hormone function.

To further support your body, consider incorporating targeted natural supplements into your routine. Our Premium Ashwagandha & Shatavari Tinctures are designed to help support hormonal balance and overall wellbeing.

For a more comprehensive approach to gut health, explore our Gut Health Protocol, which includes:

Award-winning Kefir
Complete Prebiotic
Pure Fish Collagen

This combination is specifically designed to nourish your microbiome and support digestive function.

If you’re doing everything right but still not seeing results, it may be time to look beyond diet and lifestyle—and consider the role of your hormones.

Balancing both your gut and hormonal health could be the key to achieving better regularity and lasting digestive wellbeing.

Want more help for your hormones? Check out Balancing stress hormones: a guide to healthy cortisol levels for men

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

Are hormones harming your regularity?

The gut-hormone connection

Key hormones in gut motility

How to support your gut & hormones

References

Questions? Talk to a Nutritional Therapist on live chat!

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