Great gut health can be a woman’s best friend, but an unbalanced microbiome can affect hormones, mental health, and more. Similar to plenty of other body systems, healthcare providers often underaddress women’s gut health. 

But women themselves can easily overlook this health aspect, even though female hormonal changes can have an enormous impact on the healthy bacteria in your gut (your microbiome). In fact, almost 70% of people with GI symptoms and conditions are women.

Thankfully, researchers discover more about the female microbiome every year, and you have some great options to get your gut healthy. Injoy, a gut health company that offers comprehensive gut health management, believes all women deserve to understand their body’s signals, without having to deal with confusion or judgment from healthcare providers. 

Below, we’ll share what a healthy microbiome can do for you, how to find out if your gut is healthy and happy, and how to build your own personalized gut health plan.

How your microbiome works

On a microscopic level, your large intestine looks like a bustling metropolis, but instead of power-walking city dwellers, your “streets” are filled with microbes. This community of bacteria lives together happily, each helping the other thrive.

Your colon does a lot more than pull nutrients from your food and process waste. The healthy bacteria there affect some important body systems, including your brain, skin, pancreas, liver, nerves, immunity, and metabolism.

Although separate from gut bacteria, your vaginal microbiome also plays an important part in women’s health by preventing infection and supporting reproduction. Like in your gut, vaginal microbes fluctuate with your hormones throughout your life, and a balanced vaginal microbiome can protect you from bacterial vaginosis, sexually transmitted infections, and yeast infections.

What a healthy gut can do for women

The gut microbiome plays a vital role in overall health, especially for women. ​​“Gut-related symptoms in women are often overlooked or misdiagnosed—but the gut microbiome plays a central role in women's health, from hormonal balance to immunity and mood to metabolism. If we don’t consider gut health, we’re missing a major part of the story,” says Dr. Kam Kafi, MD & Co-Founder of Injoy

Hormone regulation

Female hormones fluctuate throughout each month and the lifespan. Not only can hormones affect your microbiome, but gut bacteria have a say in hormone production, too. Because of their connection, some experts believe that improving your gut health can help regulate hormone levels.

PCOS prevention & treatment

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which causes irregular periods and can lead to infertility, has also been linked to a less diverse gut microbiome. But a healthy gut can help prevent and diminish PCOS symptoms.

Cancers thwarted

Unbalanced gut microbes may play a role in cancers affecting women, like ovarian, uterine, and breast cancers. Researchers are currently studying whether a higher focus on gut bacteria like Lactobacillus may help women prevent some cancers. Your microbiome signature can even predict treatment response to immunotherapies. 

Immunity boost

The gut microbiome gets rid of pathogens it comes in contact with. Of all immune cells, 70 to 80% live in the gut, and the mix of bacteria there decides how well your entire immune system works.

Better sleep

Gut bacteria produce a fatty acid called butyrate, which relays messages between your gut and brain. Butyrate influences specific hypothalamus neurons that direct your sleep-wake cycle, and when you don’t have enough, your sleep can deteriorate.

Healthy weight maintenance

Dysbiosis (an unbalanced gut microbiome) can influence your appetite and promote inflammation. Studies have shown gut bacteria shifts can worsen obesity, but molecules released by healthy gut microbes can protect against unhealthy weight gain.

Improved mood

Your gut and brain share a bi-directional communication highway called the gut-brain axis. Because of this connection, your gut microbiome can promote or prevent depression and anxiety in women.

Pregnancy & postpartum health

During pregnancy, a baby gets some of their gut microbes from their mother’s gut bacteria (and very little from the vaginal microbiome). When infants start life with a healthy gut, they may be protected from some neurodevelopmental disorders. But gut health helps moms after birth, too—some research suggests a healthy gut microbiome could curb the effects of postpartum depression.

Healthier aging

With aging comes a metabolic slowdown in your gut. Less microbe activity can lead to higher inflammation, which affects all the systems we’ve covered above, and can speed up the effects of aging. 

How to boost your gut health

“Our bodies are constantly trying to send us signals, but understanding what it's trying to tell us feels harder than ever,” says Dr.Kafi. That’s why the creators of Injoy developed their cutting-edge testing kit and one-of-a-kind gut health app to help you stay on top of your microbiome.

“We built Injoy to help people actually start listening—and more importantly, understanding—their bodies by transforming everyday moments into meaningful data," says Dr.Kafi.

How can you find out the state of your gut microbiome and boost your gut health? Keep reading to find out! 

Get tested

Injoy offers the only microbiome sample kit with three samples, so they can understand how changes happen over time. “We understand you're not as simple as a single time point,” says Luca Cuccia, gut advocate and scientist, and CEO of Injoy. “I frequently test my gut microbiome to see exactly how different foods, probiotics, and lifestyle changes actually impact my gut health.”

Their starter kit not only includes tests but also a smart Bathroom Beacon and access to the Injoy app to track your diet and lifestyle: what you're eating, how you're feeling, your mental health, and more. Armed with this info, you can decode what your body’s trying to tell you and get personalized recommendations for excellent gut health.

Cultivate a healthy gut

Once you unlock your gut health secrets, you can better understand how to enhance it. Injoy will give you custom recommendations based on your test results, but overall, these habits can give your gut microbiome a boost:

• Follow a diverse diet full of whole grains, veggies, and fruit.
• Try prebiotics or probiotics approved by your provider.
• Get the best sleep you can.
• Exercise regularly for improved digestion.
• Manage stress with mindfulness techniques.

Download the Injoy app

To take the first step toward a healthier gut microbiome, download the Injoy app (available for iOS and Android). Injoy app is an all-in-one platform to not just track, but better understand your body. On the app, you can: 

• View your microbiome results
• Text with Gut Chat, which gives tailored recommendations based on your test findings 
• Track your gastrointestinal symptoms and trends through your meals, mood, sleep, energy, and bowel movements
• Read articles about aspects of gut health tailored to your habits
• Access protocols to know your next step toward a healthier microbiome

Download the Injoy app on Apple App Store or Google Play for six free months as a TNB reader! If you download the app between 4/28/25 and 5/2/25, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a free Injoy Starter Kit to test your gut and start connecting the dots between your gut and your health!

TNB readers also receive exclusive discounts at Injoy. 

* This article is sponsored by Injoy.