Industrialization increases the estrogen-recycling capacity of the gut microbiome.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional bioinformatic analysis of public microbiome datasets across populations (by design analogy, not clinical CEBM).
PubMed 41973926 · doi:10.1073/pnas.2523589123
What was done
Researchers analyzed gut estrobolome characteristics (microbial capacity to deconjugate estrogens for reabsorption) using publicly available microbiome datasets from 24 populations across four continents with diverse subsistence strategies (hunting/gathering, pastoralism, rural farming, industrialized agriculture). They also evaluated differences by infant feeding method (formula vs. breastfed), sex, age, and BMI.
What was found
Industrialized populations showed up to seven times greater estrogen-recycling capacity and nearly twofold higher estrobolome diversity compared with nonindustrial populations. Formula-fed infants exhibited two- to threefold higher recycling capacity and up to eleven times greater estrobolome diversity than breastfed counterparts. Sex, age, and BMI showed no association with estrobolome characteristics.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that industrialization and early infant feeding practices alter the gut microbiome's capacity to recycle estrogens, pointing to a potential microbial mechanism influencing systemic hormone exposure and hormone-sensitive diseases.
Limits
The abstract does not report the total sample size (n) of individual subjects across the 24 populations. The findings are based on bioinformatic predictions from metagenomic datasets rather than direct physiological measurements of estrogen levels, enzymatic deconjugation rates, or clinical health outcomes. The cross-sectional design precludes causal conclusions.
Cited by
- supports Estrogens are recycled through the gastrointestinal tract in ways that can influence premenstrual syndrome symptoms and menstrual cycle regularity.