Gut Microbiome & Healthy Aging: Menopause, GLP-1s & Gut Health with Dr. Julia Malkowski | E190

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What if healthy aging is influenced not only by the number of birthdays you’ve celebrated, but also by the ecosystem living inside your gut?
In this insightful episode of Made for Health, Dr. Aaron Hartman sits down with Dr. Julia Malkowski, ND, DC, a naturopathic doctor, doctor of chiropractic medicine, and clinical educator at Doctor’s Data whose work focuses on the gut microbiome and functional diagnostics.
Dr. Malkowski’s path into medicine began with a deeply personal experience. When her infant son developed a persistent skin rash, she sought answers beyond the explanations she had been given. She shares how seeing his skin improve after a dietary change redirected her career and inspired her to pursue naturopathic medicine.
Today, that same curiosity shapes her work exploring “biome aging”—the idea that changes in the gut microbiome may offer insight into biological aging and health across the lifespan. Together, she and Dr. Hartman discuss microbiome diversity, inflammation, estrogen metabolism, perimenopause, menopause, GLP-1 medications, intestinal barrier function, and the influence of food and environmental exposures.
The conversation ultimately returns to a practical message: supporting gut health begins with everyday foundations. From greens, beans, and berries to movement and time outdoors, Dr. Malkowski shares the habits she prioritizes before reaching for more complex interventions.
Key Topics Covered
The personal experience that led Dr. Julia Malkowski into naturopathic medicine
What she means by “biome aging” and the gut’s biological clock
Microbiome diversity and changes across the lifespan
Gut health, inflammation, telomeres, and epigenetic aging clocks
Why perimenopause is an important transition in her approach to gut health
The estrobolome, estrogen metabolism, and beta-glucuronidase
Menopause-associated changes in cholesterol and metabolic health
Fiber as a foundation for feeding the gut microbiome
Naturally produced GLP-1 versus GLP-1 medications
Why nutrition quality still matters when appetite decreases on GLP-1 therapy
Fiber, polyphenols, and maintaining beneficial gut bacteria
Keystone microbes, including Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
Akkermansia muciniphila and its role in the gut ecosystem
Short-chain fatty acids and how microbes support one another
What microbiome testing can reveal—and why repeat results need context
Intestinal permeability, zonulin, tight junctions, aging, and stress
The speakers’ clinical experiences and research questions involving peptides
Questions about food additives, environmental exposures, and gut health
Dr. Malkowski’s research comparing microbiome patterns across regions
Early-life microbiome development, birth mode, and maternal influences
Simple food priorities: greens, beans, and berries
Movement, outdoor exposure, and social connection
Vitamin D, turmeric, olive oil, and individualized probiotic considerations
GI360 stool testing and interpreting findings with a qualified clinician
In This Episode, You Will Learn
How her son’s health experience changed Dr. Malkowski’s career and approach to medicine
What she means by a gut microbiome’s “age,” and why she pays attention to diversity rather than chronological age alone
How she connects estrogen metabolism, microbial diversity, and intestinal barrier function when thinking about perimenopause and menopause
Why she emphasizes feeding the microbiome with fiber and polyphenol-rich foods during a GLP-1 medication journey—not focusing only on protein or reduced appetite
How thinking about the microbiome as an interconnected ecosystem changes the conversation about individual bact...