Why Bloating Gets Worse in Perimenopause (and What It’s Really Telling You)

Louise Digby, a metabolism nutritionist, explains that frequent bloating, especially in women in their late thirties, forties and beyond, is common but not normal and is a clear signal that something in the body isn’t working optimally. She outlines why it often worsens in perimenopause and menopause: declining progesterone can slow gut motility, fluctuating oestrogen can affect gut bacteria and fluid balance, and a more impactful stress response can reduce digestion by lowering enzymes, stomach acid and movement. Louise breaks bloating into three main mechanisms—fermentation from poor breakdown/absorption, slowed gut transit, and fluid retention/inflammation—and warns against restrictive dieting and most food intolerance tests. She links bloating with stubborn weight via thyroid, blood sugar, nutrient absorption and stress, advocating root-cause testing and gut-focused support, and offers a hormone and metabolism quiz.

00:00 Why Bloating Isn’t Normal
01:39 Meet Louise and Her Method
02:47 Why It Worsens in Midlife
05:14 Three Causes of Bloating
08:32 What Bloating Reveals
10:02 Food Intolerance Test Myth
10:59 Stress and Metabolism Link
12:49 Testing and Root Causes
13:54 Client Case Study Turnaround
15:18 Fix the System Not Food
16:17 Next Steps and Wrap Up

Register for my free masterclass: https://www.louisedigbynutrition.com/meno-belly