 Estrogens during menopause are associated with increased risk of anxiety, depression, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Depleting estrogens in rodents by overrectomy, combined with a high-fat diet, HFD, increases anxiety and adiposity. Estrogen and dietary interventions can both affect anxiety and metabolism. Increasing estrogen levels reduces anxiety-like behaviors in female mice, while reducing estrogen levels increases these behaviors. Additionally, estrogen can reduce neuronal activation in brain regions related to anxiety and metabolism. Gut microbiota may play a role in these effects as well, certain bacteria found in the gut have been linked to anxiety-like behaviors, while others have been shown to be associated with improved metabolic health. Finally, estrogen supplementation has been shown to alter gut microbial communities, suggesting that gut microbiota-based therapies could be used to treat anxiety and metabolic disorders associated with declining estrogens in menopausal women.