The Menopause Gut: What No One Is Telling Women About Aging with Cynthia Thurlow, NP episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 27, 2026 · 56 MIN

The Menopause Gut: What No One Is Telling Women About Aging with Cynthia Thurlow, NP

from The Doctor Youn Show · host Dr. Anthony Youn

In this episode, I sit down with Cynthia Thurlow to unpack a piece of menopause that almost no one is talking about, the gut. We often hear about hormones during perimenopause and menopause, but what happens when the real issue goes deeper? Cynthia shares her personal story, including a serious gut health crisis that nearly led to unnecessary surgery, and how it reshaped the way she approaches women’s health. We break down the microbiome, the gut-ovary connection, and how shifts in estrogen and progesterone impact everything from digestion to immunity. We also get into why foods you used to tolerate suddenly don’t work anymore, what “leaky gut” really means, and how inflammation plays a role in midlife changes. 🔗 Links and Resources (Provided by Dr. Youn): I know you’ll love the BON CHARGE Red Light Face Mask as much as I do… order yours today at https://boncharge.com/products/red-light-face-mask and use my exclusive promo code DRYOUN at checkout. On This Episode We Cover:  → 00:00:00 - Introduction  → 00:00:11 - Reformed Adrenaline Junkie  → 00:02:49 - Menopause + The Gut  → 00:05:03 - The Gut Crisis That Changed Everything → 00:11:55 - What Is the Microbiome? → 00:15:56 - Leaky Gut + Immune System Changes → 00:20:19 - Perimenopause vs Menopause → 00:22:59 - The Microgenderome Explained → 00:24:54 - Gut-Ovary Axis + Aging → 00:28:51 - Trauma + Microbiome Health  → 00:30:02 - The Menopause Gut Plan + Recipes → 00:33:36 - Animal vs Plant Protein → 00:35:24 - Seed Oils, What the Science Says → 00:41:46 - Dairy + Inflammation  → 00:45:37 - Alcohol + Aging  → 00:50:20 - Intermittent Fasting in Menopause Watch This Next!  Menopause Isn’t the End — It’s the Upgrade! With Dr. Mindy Pelz 📍The Menopause Gut on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lKrNTN 📍Cynthia Thurlow, NP Website: https://www.cynthiathurlow.com/ 📍 Check out Dr. Youn’s skincare products and nutritional supplements -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://younbeauty.com 📍 Download his FREE eGuide: "What to Eat to Look Younger" -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discover.younbeauty.com/what-to-eat-to-look-younger-1⁠⁠ 📍 Download his FREE eGuide: 10 Things Every Plastic Surgery Patient Must Know: ⁠⁠https://discover.younbeauty.com/10-things-1⁠⁠ 📍 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YOUN Beauty Retinol Moisturizer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📍 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YOUN Beauty Retinol Eye Cream⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📍 Follow Dr. Youn on Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tonyyounmd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📍 Follow Dr. Youn on YouTube -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/tonyyounmd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📍 Follow Dr. Youn on TikTok - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@doctoryoun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📍 Follow Dr. Youn on Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dryoun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with Cynthia Thurlow to unpack a piece of menopause that almost no one is talking about, the gut. We often hear about hormones during perimenopause and menopause, but what happens when the real issue goes deeper? Cynthia shares her personal story, including a serious gut health crisis that nearly led to unnecessary surgery, and how it reshaped the way she approaches women’s health. We break down the microbiome, the gut-ovary connection, and how shifts in estrogen and progesterone impact everything from digestion to immunity. We also get into why foods you used to tolerate suddenly don’t work anymore, what “leaky gut” really means, and how inflammation plays a role in midlife changes. 🔗 Links and Resources (Provided by Dr. Youn): I know you’ll love the BON CHARGE Red Light Face Mask as much as I do… order yours today at https://boncharge.com/products/red-light-face-mask and use my exclusive promo code DRYOUN at checkout. On This Episode We Cover:  → 00:00:00 - Introduction  → 00:00:11 - Reformed Adrenaline Junkie  → 00:02:49 - Menopause + The Gut  → 00:05:03 - The Gut Crisis That Changed Everything → 00:11:55 - What Is the Microbiome? → 00:15:56 - Leaky Gut + Immune System Changes → 00:20:19 - Perimenopause vs Menopause → 00:22:59 - The Microgenderome Explained → 00:24:54 - Gut-Ovary Axis + Aging → 00:28:51 - Trauma + Microbiome Health  → 00:30:02 - The Menopause Gut Plan + Recipes → 00:33:36 - Animal vs Plant Protein → 00:35:24 - Seed Oils, What the Science Says → 00:41:46 - Dairy + Inflammation  → 00:45:37 - Alcohol + Aging  → 00:50:20 - Intermittent Fasting in Menopause Watch This Next!  Menopause Isn’t the End — It’s the Upgrade! With Dr. Mindy Pelz 📍The Menopause Gut on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lKrNTN 📍Cynthia Thurlow, NP Website: https://www.cynthiathurlow.com/ 📍 Check out Dr. Youn’s skincare products and nutritional supplements -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://younbeauty.com 📍 Download his FREE eGuide: "What to Eat to Look Younger" -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discover.younbeauty.com/what-to-eat-to-look-younger-1⁠⁠ 📍 Download his FREE eGuide: 10 Things Every Plastic Surgery Patient Must Know: ⁠⁠https://discover.younbeauty.com/10-things-1⁠⁠ 📍 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YOUN Beauty Retinol Moisturizer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📍 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YOUN Beauty Retinol Eye Cream⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📍 Follow Dr. Youn on Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tonyyounmd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📍 Follow Dr. Youn on YouTube -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/tonyyounmd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📍 Follow Dr. Youn on TikTok - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@doctoryoun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📍 Follow Dr. Youn on Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@dryoun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Menopause Gut: What No One Is Telling Women About Aging with Cynthia Thurlow, NP

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This episode was published on April 27, 2026.

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In this episode, I sit down with Cynthia Thurlow to unpack a piece of menopause that almost no one is talking about, the gut. We often hear about hormones during perimenopause and menopause, but what happens when the real issue goes deeper? Cynthia...

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