Have you been struggling with gut issues for years, or suddenly have bloating, weird pain or digestive problems now that menopause is here? Are you one of those who cut out gluten hoping for relief, only to feel just as lousy (or worse)?

We cover:

• Why your gut goes a little haywire in menopause, and why it has nothing to do with “just getting older”

• The gluten truth that made me rethink everything I put in my mouth (most of us get this completely backwards)

• How simply believing a food will hurt you can physically make it hurt you, and what that means for your power to change it

• A free international study you can join from your couch if you’re dealing with IBS

• The one simple shift that beats probiotics and cutting out foods for a calmer gut

Associate Professor Jessica Biesiekierski is Head of Human Nutrition at the University of Melbourne and one of Australia’s leading researchers in gut health, diet, and gut–brain interaction. Jess leads large international randomised controlled trials investigating how dietary and psychological interventions can improve gut conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Her work has been published in top journals including The Lancet, Gastroenterology, and The American Journal of Gastroenterology. She is internationally recognised for her research on non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, the low FODMAP diet, and how gut–brain mechanisms shape food-related symptoms. She currently leads the world-first head-to-head study comparing the low FODMAP diet with exposure-based cognitive behavioural therapy in people with IBS, recruiting across Australia and the USA.

Clinical trial — the Exclude or Expose Study in IBS — which is actively recruiting adults with IBS in both Australia and the USA.

The trial compares two leading, evidence-based IBS treatments head-to-head for the first time: the low FODMAP diet (an exclusion-based dietary approach) versus exposure-based cognitive behavioural therapy (which works by helping the brain respond differently to gut symptoms and feared foods).

Both are delivered entirely online over 12 weeks, free of charge, with one-on-one support from a dietitian or psychologist throughout. Many women experiencing gut symptoms around menopause may qualify.

Trial website: www.gutresearchstudy.com

NERVA app (gut-directed hypnotherapy): https://www.nervahealth.com/eu

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