Digestive · Gut health
Bloating & digestive issues
Persistent bloating, irregularity, or food sensitivity often has a hormonal or nutrient component that gets missed when clinicians focus only on the gut itself.
Feels like
Does this sound like you?
- Bloating worse as the day goes on
- Cycle-linked digestion (pre-period constipation, period diarrhea)
- Gluten or dairy sensitivity that appeared in adulthood
- Abdominal discomfort without red-flag symptoms
What to measure
The biomarkers that explain this symptom.
Grouped by the panel that tests them. We usually recommend running the top two panels together - patterns only show when you can see biomarkers next to each other.
Panel
thyroid
- TSH / Free T3Hypothyroidism is a common and missed cause of constipation and bloating.
Panel
hormones
- Estradiol / ProgesteroneEstrogen dominance slows gut motility; progesterone withdrawal drives period diarrhea.
- Cortisol (AM)Stress physiology reroutes blood away from digestion.
Panel
nutrients
- Vitamin B12, FerritinAbsorption problems show up as low nutrients before the gut complaint gets investigated.
Panel
cardio
- hs-CRPElevated systemic inflammation is consistent with gut-driven inflammation.
Patterns we see
Three common clusters.
Your specific pattern will be unique, but most people land in one of these.
01
Hypothyroid-slow
Constipation and bloating with TSH 2.5+.
02
Estrogen-dominant
High estradiol:progesterone ratio. Bloating peaks mid-cycle.
03
Malabsorption shadow
Multiple nutrients low despite good diet. Warrants GI workup.
Ready to look?
Order the thyroid + hormones panels.
Running the top two panels together is what lets us see patterns. Add a third if you want a fuller picture - most people benefit from the trio.
Further reading
From our journal
Related symptoms