How Food Intolerances Could Be Worsening Your Perimenopause Symptoms

Have you ever thought about the impact of the food that you are eating?

For 42 years, I had no idea that I was lactose intolerant. I drank milk daily, ate cheese, yogurt - you name it. Dairy was a staple in my life, but little did I know it was silently wreaking havoc on my body. I always felt bloated, had digestive discomfort, and even struggled with unexplained skin breakouts (even as an adult, i had major acne issues) and joint pain. I blamed everything else: stress, hormones, PCOS, even aging, but never the dairy I was consuming so regularly.

It wasn’t until I began looking into inflammation and how certain foods can impact women during perimenopause that I started to connect the dots. I tried cutting out dairy for a week, and the results were mind-blowing. My bloating subsided, my digestion improved, and my energy levels skyrocketed. The inflammation that had been plaguing me for years slowly melted away (I was diagnosed with hip and shoulder bursitis). It felt like I had uncovered the missing piece of the puzzle.

From there, I replaced regular milk with almond milk, started using coconut yogurt, and explored dairy-free cheeses. I even found supplements like lactase enzymes that helped whenever I wanted to indulge in a small amount of dairy. This simple shift transformed how I felt daily, reducing the inflammation and discomfort I had lived with unknowingly for decades.

For women going through perimenopause, understanding how food affects the body is vital. Food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances can exacerbate symptoms, and managing them can offer relief. Here's a deeper way to think about these reactions and how they interact with perimenopause.

Food Allergies

A food allergy is an immune response where the body mistakenly identifies certain foods as harmful, triggering an immediate and sometimes severe reaction. Common allergens include dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and wheat.

• Key Symptoms: Swelling, itching, rashes, digestive discomfort, or anaphylaxis.
• Why It Matters in Perimenopause: Hormonal shifts may exacerbate allergic reactions or trigger new ones. Estrogen can influence histamine production, worsening the inflammatory response.
• Testing: Skin prick tests, blood tests (like IgE testing), and food challenges are traditional methods. However, during perimenopause, tracking symptoms in a food journal can provide an additional layer of insight into whether hormone fluctuations affect reactions.

Food Sensitivities

Food sensitivities are more subtle and delayed immune responses compared to allergies. They can cause inflammation and irritation but are less likely to be life-threatening. Common triggers include gluten, dairy, and nightshades (like tomatoes, potatoes, and capsicum aka peppers).

• Key Symptoms: Bloating, headaches, brain fog, fatigue, joint pain, or skin issues.
• Why It Matters in Perimenopause: Hormonal imbalances during this stage can increase systemic inflammation, making food sensitivities more noticeable. Since sensitivities manifest over time, women in perimenopause might struggle to pinpoint what’s exacerbating their symptoms.
• Testing: While elimination diets and food sensitivity tests (like IgG testing) can identify triggers, it’s important to view them holistically. Incorporating stress management and gut health support might also alleviate sensitivity issues as both hormones and diet contribute to overall well-being.

Food Intolerances

Intolerances differ from allergies and sensitivities because they stem from the digestive system’s inability to process certain foods, rather than an immune response. Lactose intolerance, for example, occurs due to a lack of the enzyme lactase.

• Key Symptoms: Gas, bloating, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.
• Why It Matters in Perimenopause: Digestive changes are common in perimenopause as estrogen and progesterone fluctuations slow down gut motility, making it harder to process certain foods. For example, lactose intolerance can worsen due to lower enzyme production.
• Testing: Lactose intolerance can be tested via a hydrogen breath test. For others, like fructose or gluten intolerance, keeping a food diary combined with an elimination diet can reveal patterns.

Rethinking These Reactions

Instead of just labeling foods as "good" or "bad," it’s essential to think about what your body needs during perimenopause and how food interacts with your changing hormones:

• Connection with Gut Health: Your gut microbiome can influence both food sensitivities and hormone regulation. Perimenopausal women might experience new sensitivities as hormone levels affect gut bacteria.
• Mind-Body Connection: Stress, a common factor in perimenopause, can heighten food reactions. Supporting the nervous system through mindfulness or meditation, combined with proper nutrition, can minimize sensitivities or intolerances.
• Personalisation and Awareness: Each woman's hormonal journey is unique. Personalised testing (like DNA-based nutrition tests or microbiome mapping) can offer insights into which foods to include or avoid. Tracking how you feel each day in relation to food can be an enlightening way to connect the dots between diet, mood, and hormone balance.

Testing for Food Reactions

• Allergies: Skin prick tests, blood tests for IgE antibodies, and supervised food challenges.
• Sensitivities: IgG antibody tests or elimination diets.
• Intolerances: Hydrogen breath tests (for lactose or fructose intolerance) and trial-and-error elimination.

This more holistic and mindful approach can help women recognise how food fits into their overall perimenopausal experience, rather than just focusing on isolated symptoms. The key is discovery: a new relationship with food that adjusts to changing hormonal rhythms and digestive capacities.

P.S. Whenever you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you further:

1. Dive deeper into nutrition for perimenopause – Grab my free guide to biohack perimenopause through hormone-balancing foods and start feeling better today. [Download Now]

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