Endo Fertility Podcast
Dr. Lizzie Alexander, PhD

Dr. Lizzie Alexander, PhD

Certified Integrative Nutrition and Health Coach

EF#28: Research into the Estrobolome & Endometriosis with Lara Thieme

Lara Thieme in her laboratory

Lara Thieme is my guest today and she is a postdoctoral researcher from Germany. We met doing Nicole Jardim’s Fix Your Period Apprenticeship a couple of years ago. Back then I didn’t quite get the link with the gut microbiome, the “estrobolome” and Endometriosis, or why Lara was talking about how she planned to research the connection between them. She was specifically talking about the “estrobolome”, a sub-group within the gut microbiome and its really important connection with Endometriosis. At the time she was attending some really cool research seminars about the microbiome including the estrobolome. Lara has Endometriosis herself and so she has her own personal struggles and knowledge of the disease, and because of this her personal story has really driven her interest to merge her research specialism and Endometriosis. I know it is women like Lara that will make the difference in the future into Endometriosis research and ways to better diagnose, understand and heal it. Research into Endometriosis is massively under researched because it is not ‘critical or exciting’, something we discuss in the podcast.

Lara is a scientist by training and is currently doing her PhD in the field of antibiotic resistant bacteria and biofilms at the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control in Germany. Managing and healing her endometriosis holistically for three years, she has experienced first-hand the importance of a healthy gut and balanced microbiome to control pain and inflammation of this debilitating disease. To contribute to the much-needed research of endometriosis, Lara is planning a research project analysing the connection between endometriosis and the estrobolome.

In this episode we talk about:

  • Lara’s personal story with Endo on how it has influenced her research career
  • How difficult it is to conduct research studies on women with Endo, especially during Covid
  • Infertility rate increases
  • Toxic burden in the environment
  • Correlation vs causation in research
  • Need and difficulty of evidence-based research into Endometriosis
  • Why good gut health is so important in women with Endo
  • Connection between inflammation and the gut
  • How your gut army is being challenged to “new unknown enemies”
  • Immune system relationship with the gut
  • Hygiene hypothesis and the importance of “dirt”
  • Good and bad bacteria within the gut connected to Endo
  • Biofilms and antibiotic resistance
  • What the “estrobolome” is and the importance for Endo and fertility
  • Gut and reproductive microbiome
  • Link between gut, Endo, histamine intolerance and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
  • Ways to improve your microbiome

I promise we didn’t get too geeky, which I could have done! I think you will find this useful to hear from someone who works in the research community but who has suffered from agonising pain. Though Lara doesn’t suffer anymore as she has used natural ways to give her body the tools it has needed to heal many of her symptoms.

Mentioned links

Connect with Lara

Relevant podcast episodes:

Relevant blogs:

Further Endo Fertility resources:

This episode is sponsored by the Endo Fertility Resource Library where you can get your 3 amazing freebies: E-Book:

  • 5 Things I Learnt to Drop My Pain & Optimise My Fertility,
  • Your Guide to Super Sperm
  • 88 Ways I Dropped My Pain and Got Pregnant.

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any future episodes – which will be out weekly on Wednesdays – ready to download for your commute! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a rating and a review? Thanks! 

If you want to be on the podcast or have feedback please email: info@endofertilityspecialist.com

This podcast is for educational purposes only. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud and check out the Podcast Page.

I would SO APPRECIATE a REVIEW, because it is the biggest way to help the podcast grow and reach more women that need help! If you enjoyed this episode or others, an iTunes review goes a long way ❤️

2 thoughts on “EF#28: Research into the Estrobolome & Endometriosis with Lara Thieme”

  1. Pingback: EF#30: Reproductive Microbiome, Endo and Fertility - The Endo Fertility Specialist

  2. Pingback: EF#31: Listeners Endo Fertility Q&A Session - The Endo Fertility Specialist

Comments are closed.

if you love this post please Share it!

Join my Endo Fertility community

If you liked this article why not sign up to my mailing list and get notified of my latest blog posts and recipes? You will receive a fortnightly newsletter ‘Your Endo Fertility News’ with my latest recipes and blog articles, health tips and hormonal hacks, book, paper and product reviews, and other little goodies and freebies to start your healing journey. Plus get insider access on any upcoming workshops, programs, E-books etc that I will be releasing. You can unsubscribe at any time and I won’t share your details with anyone.