Beyond mood regulation, estrogen retains water, while progesterone slows digestion, trapping gas. Perimenopause brings wild swings-40% more than menopause stability. Birth control pills mimic cycles, hitting 30% of users. Postpartum hormones linger six months, mimicking IBS. The microbiome chaos is what UCLA Health has, in turn, tied with the above-mentioned factors. This might explain why women bloat twice as often as men.
Pregnancy ramps progesterone sky-high, soothing constipation but swelling the bellies early on. Menopause drops estrogen, changing gut speed, and bloating frequency up 25%.
