Food Sensitivities & Midlife Mayhem

What role do food sensitivities really play in women's health, especially during menopause?

In this episode, I sit down with nutritionist Charlotte Hunter to break down the connection between food sensitivities, gut health, and hormonal shifts. We explore how changes in estrogen levels can impact gut permeability, and why this often leads to increased inflammation and symptom flare-ups during the menopausal transition.

We dive into the importance of proper food sensitivity testing and how identifying hidden triggers can make a significant difference in managing symptoms. We also tackle a key question: are food sensitivities actually increasing, or are we just getting better at detecting them?

From dietary approaches like keto to foundational lifestyle factors such as stress, sleep, and movement, this conversation brings everything back to the bigger picture. Because it's not just about removing foods—it's about addressing the underlying drivers.

If you're looking to better understand how nutrition, hormones, and gut health intersect, this episode will give you practical insights you can apply right away.

Key takeaways:

• Food sensitivities can often be mistaken as symptoms rather than root causes and should be addressed alongside lifestyle factors such as stress, sleep, and exercise.

• The decline in estrogen during menopause can impair gut integrity, leading to increased food sensitivities and disorders such as leaky gut.

• Accurate testing for food sensitivities, including both IgG and C3D complement tests, is essential to identify true food reactions causing inflammation.

• Dietary choices, particularly high-fat diets like keto, can exacerbate gut barrier issues, leading to higher LPS expression and consequently more profound gut permeability.

• Managing menopause symptoms requires a multifaceted approach, including balanced nutrition, avoidance of unnecessary food restrictions, and lifestyle modifications.

More About Charlotte Hunter: Charlotte Hunter is a nutritionist and has been in clinical practice since 2010. Her work focuses on adverse food reactions, immune-gut interactions, and the practical use of functional laboratory testing to improve clinical outcomes. She is currently completing her MSc in Nutritional Medicine and has a particular interest in how immune tolerance and intestinal permeability influence food sensitivity responses. She also leads a team of nutritionists in her busy menopause practice.
Charlotte manages KBMO Diagnostics UK and NutriDyn Europe and has worked extensively with a range of laboratory providers. This gives her a unique, balanced perspective on the strengths, limitations, and clinical application of food sensitivity testing across the industry. She is passionate about helping practitioners move beyond test results alone, combining clinical reasoning, current research, and practical tools to create safe, personalised nutrition strategies.

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