Unless you're living under a rock (do you have room for me? 😂) you've probably seen ads for probiotics that claim to cure "meno belly", or at-home microbiome tests that claim to personalize nutrition recommendations based on the types and amounts of microorganisms that are living in your gut.

And as this Google trend data shows, searches for "gut health" are on the rise!

gut health search trends — Gut Health is trendy!

As you can see from these Google search trends, interest in gut health has tripled over the past 5 years.

What Is Gut Health, and Why It Matters in Menopause

It depends on who you ask. Believe it or not, the term "gut health" isn't universally defined. The World Health Organization has a straightforward definition that basically says if it's working well and you don't have symptoms that require treatment from a doctor, you're good to go. But we also know that we have a symbiotic relationship with the 100+ trillion microbes that make up our gut microbiome and influence everything from digestion to immunity, so surely their health affects ours too, right?

This is where it gets complicated, as I shared in this cheeky post on Instagram the other day. It’s also where we need to be careful not to fall for diet and wellness culture's claims about gut health because the marketing is light years ahead of the science. In other words, be skeptical if you see claims about "gut healing" being the magical cure for anything, but especially "meno belly".

5 Expert-Backed Gut Health Tips for Women Over 40

1. Bloating, bowel habit changes and indigestion are common symptoms in midlife. While often due to changing levels of estrogen and progesterone, please don't assume menopause is to blame without talking to your doctor or health care practitioner as these can be early warning signs of other more serious conditions.

2. If menopause is to blame, be wary of plans or people who say you need to "heal your gut" with elimination diets and expensive supplements. Some supplements (or medications) may be very helpful in managing the symptoms, but many of the most common symptoms are functional, not structural. While adjustments to your diet, including types and amounts of fiber for example, may be needed, most people won't need a lifelong regimen of supplements.

3. Not everyone needs a probiotic. Probiotics may help people with IBS, recurrent vaginal infections or those prone to diarrhea after an antibiotic. But there's little evidence that they will improve our general health if taken like a multivitamin. They're also expensive!

4. Focus on fiber. Even though humans don't digest fiber very well, our gut bacteria love it! They especially thrive on certain types, known as prebiotics and fermentable fibers. Long-time readers will be happy to know that oats fall into these categories! 😆

5. Enjoy fermented foods. You might be familiar with common fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha and sauerkraut. All these contain live bacteria that top up our microbiome when we eat them. And research suggests that eating fermented foods can benefit our health in many ways. I shared why I love them here and I thought this BBC article does a good job of covering a variety of possible benefits to our health.