Bone loss doesn’t start when fractures happen — it begins years earlier.

In this episode, we explore how bone aging accelerates during menopause and the emerging role of the gut microbiome as a driver of skeletal decline. Dr. Kara Fitzgerald speaks with research scientists from Sōlaria biō, the company behind Bōndia, about their work studying plant-derived microbes, microbial synergies, and the connections between gut health, inflammation, and bone loss in peri- and postmenopausal women.

We also review findings from a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial examining a microbiome-based intervention for bone health — and discuss why bone loss may need to be addressed earlier, systemically, and beyond hormones alone.

Full show notes + references: https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/fxmed-podcast/

GUEST DETAILS

Alicia Ballok, Ph.D. is Director of Discovery at Sōlaria biō, leading research on plant-derived synbiotics for inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases. Trained in Microbiology and Immunology at Dartmouth, with postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, her work focuses on translating host–microbe science into therapeutic innovation.

Mark Charbonneau, Ph.D. is Vice President of R&D at Sōlaria biō. He earned his Ph.D. in Computational and Systems Biology at Washington University in St. Louis, studying infant microbiome development and undernutrition. His work spans microbiome research, bioinformatics, and live biotherapeutic innovation.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR

Sōlaria biō: http://bit.ly/SolariaBio

EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR NEW FRONTIERS LISTENERS

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