| đŤ Blueberries vs. Fancy Probiotics â whoâs the real MVP for gut health?If your gut microbiome is off, hormone balance becomes way harderâespecially as you get older. And youâre more likely to struggle with tolerating hormone replacement therapy (HRT), too. Hereâs why that matters:Your gut isnât just for digesting your lunch. Itâs a major player in both your immune system and your nervous systemâthe two systems you want balanced before ramping up hormone support of any kind. Doesnât matter if youâre male or female. Recently, I stumbled across a great 2020 study in Frontiers in Nutrition that made me rethink the probiotic obsession. đŹ The study found that blueberry polyphenols (plant compounds) helped modulate gut bacteria, reduce inflammation, and support metabolic health. In other words? đ More polyphenols = more good bugs in your gut. đ More fiber + variety = stronger microbiome. đĄ What they concluded: Youâre better off feeding the good bacteria already living in your gut with foodâlike berries, veggies, and legumesâthan relying solely on a pricey probiotic capsule. Of course, probiotics can be helpful (more on that in a second), but if youâre already eating 3â5 servings of veggies a day, you may not need one. And if you’re not eating that much fiber-rich, colorful food? You probably wouldbenefit. But hereâs the catch: Even a “healthy” diet can fall short if it lacks variety. Avoiding entire food groups long-term? That may shrink the diversity of your microbiome. Over the last 18 years, Iâve seen firsthand how extreme restrictionâlike the 100% carnivore dietâcan backfire. Sure, people may feel better initially. But thatâs often because theyâve removed foods they couldnât properly digest in the first place. Why couldnât they digest them? They were missing the bacteria needed to break them down. âSo why not just take a probiotic?â Good question. But hereâs the thingâI’ve seen a lot of people react poorly to probiotics. From head-to-toe rashes to histamine flares. Because their gut immune system wasnât ready for 30 billion new friendsovernight.đĄ Thatâs why I always recommend supporting the immune system first, and then feeding the beneficial bacteria with fiber and polyphenols to help them thrive naturally. Hereâs another fun fact: as estradiol levels drop with age, your gut barrier and immune function can decline, which is why gut issues often flare up in peri-menopause or andropause. So just throwing a probiotic at it? Not always the fix. Iâm not anti-probioticâthey have their place. But what if you could nourish your microbiome from the ground up instead? The GAPS Diet is my go-to for rebuilding gut health (with tweaks based on each clientâs unique needs). You can check it out here: https://www.gapsdiet.com/about/ Now, if you’re not in the middle of a full-blown bloating crisis, start small:Add ½ cup of blueberries, cherries, beets, red cabbage, or raspberries.Watch how your digestionâand maybe even your moodâresponds. đ¨ Bonus tip: The more color in your food, the more polyphenols your gut bugs will thank you for.Your microbiome wants to thriveâyou just have to feed it right. Hereâs to eating your medicine (instead of taking more pills),Dr. J PS: Rich Relationships is my new favorite book! Get $297 in bonuses when you pre-order your copy – $19.99 by Tuesday, May 13th đ Click the button below! |
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