Early findings on mood, gut health, and the overlap between hormone shifts and weight-loss medication side effects

If you're a woman in perimenopause or menopause who's also taking a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro, you may have noticed that you're dealing with similar symptoms coming from two different origins.

For example, GLP-1 medications slow gastric emptying; that alone can bring on bloating, reflux, and constipation regardless of what's happening hormonally. At the same time, perimenopause and menopause bring their own digestive changes along with the mood and cognitive shifts that come with fluctuating estrogen.

This overlap prompted MPOWDER founder Rebekah Brown to look more closely at how her existing formulations, Mood Food and Gut Instinct, were performing for women navigating both transitions at once.

To explore this, MPOWDER partnered with Juniper, a leading digital prescriber of weight-loss medication, to run a survey with 30 women per formulation, all age 37 or older, all around four months into their weight-loss medication journey—far enough in to be seeing results, but still managing symptoms that sit at the intersection of hormone fluctuation and GLP-1 side effects. 

Participants tracked their symptoms over 30 days while using MPOWDER. Note that this is a brand-led survey: it's smaller in scale than a clinical trial and based on self-reported symptoms rather than lab measures. But as a real-world signal of what women are actually experiencing, we think it's very exciting and well worth sharing. Here's what Rebekah found.

Ayla: So many women in perimenopause and menopause are on a GLP-1 right now, so we were excited to learn about this study. How did it come together?  

Rebekah: We partnered with Juniper, the leading digital prescriber of weight loss medication in the UK, and recruited 30 women per formulation: 30 for Mood Food, 30 for Gut Instinct. Everyone was 37 or older and around four months into their weight-loss medication journey, seeing results, but struggling with symptoms associated with hormone fluctuations—the same ones commonly experienced as a side effect of GLP1s, too.

Our study was simple. Each participant filled out a screener before we introduced MPOWDER into her routine. We then gifted the product and asked her to track her symptoms via a short survey every 7 days.

Ayla: Let's start with Mood Food. What did you find?

Rebekah: At the end of 30 days —

84.5% of participants reported improved concentration and focus
81.4% said they were better able to accomplish daily tasks
80% reported less impatience and irritability with others
78% reported a reduction in feelings of anxiety

What was particularly telling was what women wrote in their own words. One participant told us, "My focus has significantly improved to the extent that I ordered more and sent it to friends." Another said, "More positive mood, brain fog has eased — I notice when I haven't taken the supplement." And one woman put it simply: "Calmer, easier to cope, less reactive."

Ayla: That last one is so often what's missing when you're juggling a medication transition on top of a hormonal change—feeling like yourself again, with more capacity to cope.

And Gut Instinct? GLP-1s can affect digestion significantly, so we expect these results were encouraging, too.

Rebekah: Yes. After 30 days —

74% of participants reported improvements in bloating after eating
69% reported reduced gassiness and gut discomfort
69% reported less reflux and heartburn
63% saw improvements in constipation
65% saw improvements in stomach pain or cramping

Again, the comments told the fuller story. One woman wrote, "My digestion feels more settled and predictable, and constipation is gone." Another said, "Lack of reflux, bloating, and less constipation." A third said, "Better mood and waking up feeling more rested."

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As always, we'd like to point out that this is not a substitute for medical guidance, and it isn't a reason to start or stop any medication or supplement without talking to your doctor (especially if you're managing other health conditions or taking medications that could interact with botanical ingredients).

But for those of you who are already navigating GLP-1 side effects on top of perimenopause or menopause, it's an encouraging early signal that targeted, well-formulated support from trusted brands like MPOWDER may ease some of that load.

If you think they might be helpful for you, too, you can learn more about Mood Food here and Gut Instinct here.