Gut Microbiome and Female Health

Our understanding of the gut microbiome has taken a huge leap in the past five years. We now know that the composition of the gut microbiome is extremely complex and that it is affected by a large number of host and environmental factors. [1] While studying the association of various factors with the gut microbiome, sex is a factor that is often corrected for. In this paper we throw light upon the studies focusing on how sex influences microbiome. We compare the female and male gut microbiome and discuss the relationship between the gut microbiome and sex hormones. We describe the current body of knowledge regarding the important hormonal changes that occur in a female’s life and the associations of these changes with the gut microbiome. We also describe our own findings in relation to sex-related traits such as diet, medication and disease. The knowledge gained demonstrates the importance of studying the gut microbiome in relation to female physiological processes in order to understand the character of the ‘normal’ female gut microbiome