Characteristics of the gut microbiota in women with premenstrual symptoms: A cross-sectional study Original paper
Researched by:
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Divine Aleru
ID
Divine Aleru
I am a biochemist with a deep curiosity for the human microbiome and how it shapes human health, and I enjoy making microbiome science more accessible through research and writing. With 2 years experience in microbiome research, I have curated microbiome studies, analyzed microbial signatures, and now focus on interventions as a Microbiome Signatures and Interventions Research Coordinator.
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Women’s Health
Women’s Health
Women’s health, a vital aspect of medical science, encompasses various conditions unique to women’s physiological makeup. Historically, women were often excluded from clinical research, leading to a gap in understanding the intricacies of women’s health needs. However, recent advancements have highlighted the significant role that the microbiome plays in these conditions, offering new insights and potential therapies. MicrobiomeSignatures.com is at the forefront of exploring the microbiome signature of each of these conditions to unravel the etiology of these diseases and develop targeted microbiome therapies.
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Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe mood disorder linked to hormonal and neurochemical changes. Emerging research highlights the gut microbiome’s role in symptom modulation, opening new avenues for microbiome-targeted treatments alongside traditional therapies.
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Divine Aleru
Researched by:
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Divine Aleru
ID
Divine Aleru
Microbiome Signatures identifies and validates condition-specific microbiome shifts and interventions to accelerate clinical translation. Our multidisciplinary team supports clinicians, researchers, and innovators in turning microbiome science into actionable medicine.
Divine Aleru
What was studied?
This cross-sectional pilot study examined the gut microbiota characteristics in women experiencing premenstrual disorders (PMDs) compared to healthy controls, aiming to uncover microbial associations with the severity of premenstrual symptoms and to evaluate inflammatory markers indicative of bacterial translocation.
Who was studied?
The study involved 43 Japanese women aged 20 to 45 years, with 21 women experiencing PMDs severe enough to disrupt social functioning and 22 controls without significant premenstrual symptoms, all selected to exclude confounding factors like recent medication use, neuropsychiatric disorders, and gastrointestinal diseases.
What were the most important findings?
The study revealed that although overall gut microbial diversity did not differ significantly, women with PMDs exhibited lower levels of the Bacteroidetes phylum and reduced abundance of butyrate-producing genera such as Butyricicoccus and Megasphaera, alongside decreased Parabacteroides, a GABA-related genus, while Anaerotaenia was elevated; these microbial shifts correlated with symptom severity, but inflammatory markers linked to endotoxemia showed no group differences, suggesting unique microbiome alterations in PMDs distinct from major depressive disorder.
What are the greatest implications of this study?
These findings suggest that specific gut microbiota alterations, particularly reductions in beneficial butyrate- and GABA-producing bacteria, may underlie premenstrual symptom severity through the gut-brain axis, highlighting potential microbiome-based biomarkers and therapeutic targets for PMDs, and warranting further longitudinal and intervention research to establish causality and clinical applications.