Digestive Problems
The stomach, intestine, and the rest of the digestive tract are sensitive to hormonal changes. This is why digestive problems or bowel issues are common several days before the period starts. In addition, many women reported having alterations in their bathroom habits before menstruation. As a result, some may experience mild to severe cases of nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and gassiness.
Recent studies highlight the fact that receptors for sex hormones are found in the gastrointestinal cells. This discovery supports the notion that the GI tract can sense and react to changes in estrogen and progesterone levels. Moreover, studies have shown that hormonal fluctuation can influence how fast food moves through the bowels. For some, the changes can make the food move faster, causing diarrhea. While in some cases, high progesterone levels can delay food movement, causing constipation.
In addition, experts also explained the connection between estrogen and cortisol levels. Data shows that estrogen and cortisol are inversely related, which means as estrogen level increases, cortisol decreases (and vice versa). So, as the estrogen level decreases before menstruation, cortisol increases. But on the other hand, too much cortisol can cause inflammation and negatively affect the digestive process.
