The cost of being a host: Women suffer more from gastrointestinal distress during holidays, study reveals

It’s like the mantel above the fireplace — looks great, and all that jazz; but barely anyone notices it, or even cares about it!Women are no different during the holiday season.For us, it’s “that time of the year” when we dig out the old box of lights, posters, and random showpieces.

We dust everything off, spend hours scrolling through Pinterest for inspiration, dream of curating an elaborate moodboard to help our vision come to life, and try to pull together that perfect “Christmas vibe” — the cute, aesthetically pleasing, and Instagram-worthy one! Sure, we think of the Pinterest-coded pitch and prep a lot to pull that off, but let’s be honest — most of the time, we only tend to follow someone else’s lead.And that “someone else” — that’s mostly our moms! We might have ideas, but she becomes the executor-in-chief. We might have the ingredients, but it’s she who cooks up the storm! Moms are the captains of the ship, steering the whole operation, keeping it oiled and running. And even amidst that long, arduous, and tedious voyage, she delivers the much-needed fuel herself. Snacks, drinks, more snacks, and repeat — she basically becomes a one-woman catering service on top of everything else.

And even though it seems tiring enough already, that’s just the start for them. When the big day gets closer, or actually arrives, moms step up like they’re Wonder Women with 10 extra arms. Cooking, cleaning, last-minute decorations, making the house look amazing, greeting guests at the door — she does it all, and still manages to show up to play the part of the gracious, warm, and ever-smiling host when the guests arrive.Every December, it’s the same scene on repeat. Only the to-do lists get longer, the oven never gets a scope to cool down, the drawing room turns into a wrapping-paper war zone, and someone — usually a woman — keeps everything from falling apart. She makes sure nothing gets missed, that everyone’s happy and well-fed, and things run smoothly.

Sure, we throw around words of “appreciations” like confetti, talk about how innately nurturing women are, but let’s be real — we often miss the part that speaks to the exhaustion women encounter in order to pull off the holiday gatherings and parties.

And it’s not just about losing a little sleep or patience over all the planning and preparations. Research, in fact, shows that this enormous holiday workload takes a real toll, especially on women, and they end up carrying the weight every year, without fail.

Why do the holidays trouble the gut?

Most of us are well-versed with the feeling of an upset stomach after a big holiday meal. But here’s the thing: it’s more than just too much pie. The real culprit is stress — the kind that piles up when you’re constantly on a roll — working, shopping, traveling, dealing with relatives, and trying to be a joyous host at the same time.

More than the food fiesta itself, stress messes with your gut directly.Turns out, there’s a whole science behind it, called the gut-brain axis. Basically, your brain and your gut are in constant conversation. When stress hormones spike, everything from how your gut moves to how you feel pain can change. Your immune system shifts, and even the microbes in your intestines get thrown off. That’s why a stressful situation often leads you to take a dump.

Or a tense family gathering can leave you running to the bathroom or doubled over with cramps.

The science backs it up...

In a recent survey conducted by YouGov and Oshi Health, 76% of adults shared that their digestion takes a serious hit during the holidays. However, women are more prone to take the holiday brunt.How so?To begin with, women are much more likely to handle all the planning, shopping, cooking, cleaning, and hosting — researchers call it being the Holiday CEO. As per the survey, only 8% of men say they take on that role, but 20% of women are bestowed with that “homely” responsibility.

What’s more? Among parents, it jumps to 26% of mothers, compared to just 6% of fathers who say they “do it all.”And it’s not just unfair from the perspective of gender studies — it’s borderline unhealthy as well. Women who serve as the Holiday CEO are way more likely to get stomach troubles and fall sick than men in that role, or even women who aren’t running the show. In fact, about a third of Holiday CEOs (33%) say their gut problems get worse during the holidays, compared to just 21% of women who aren’t carrying all that extra weight.

Stress, schedules, and stomachs: Why the holidays hit hard

Doctors have long known how the gut and brain communicate with each other. When stress ramps up, your digestion either slows down or speeds up, leading to bloating, cramps, constipation, diarrhea, or heartburn. What’s striking about holidays are these days simply pile it on. Stress isn’t just “in your head” — it’s in your body and your calendar, too. Disrupted routines from travel, food splurges, financial worries, tense conversations, and lost sleep — all of them gang up on your nerves and your stomach.In a few points, here’s what the YouGov survey found:

Apart from all the prep panic women, especially moms, go through, another anxiety steals their sleep — it’s the financial strain. Although on the surface it looks like a “dad job” to worry about the money — thanks to patriarchy — this report suggests that women encounter way more stress and more stomach trouble tied to financial anxiety.Think about it — making a perfect list to ensure everyone receives their gifts, budgeting properly to accommodate all, planning a delicious meal according to the budget, keeping aside enough to decorate the house, or even remembering who has what allergies, and sourcing produce, keeping that in mind! The list looks almost never-ending!So yes — on top of running the ship and working as a full-time captain — she has to play the role of the purser as well.

Naturally, the cost of keeping the holidays running smoothly without hiccups or hurdles falls hardest on them, inside and out.

The role of gender in digestive sensitivity

If that wasn’t proof enough, even science shows that digestive hazards affect women more than men. Research published in publications like The Lancet shows that women are more likely to struggle with chronic gut problems, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Study after study finds women reporting about IBS and constipation more often than men.

And what’s noteworthy is how there’s no single reason behind this — it’s a mix of biology (hormones, immune system quirks), psychology (higher anxiety and stress), and social stuff (being the go-to caregiver, actually seeking help).If you track women’s GI symptoms over time, stress and emotions show up as major culprits. Whether it’s women with IBS or those who are generally healthy, things like daily stress or emotional exhaustion make gut problems worse.

In fact, on a biological level, women deal with more GI symptoms and problems than men, irrespective of holidays.

Why the gap?First of all, hormones play a big part. In women’s bodies, hormones like estrogen and progesterone can mess with how the gut moves and how it reacts to stress. In fact, studies show that fluctuating or low hormone levels (e.g., during menses or menopause) can lower the pain threshold, making the gut more sensitive to normal stimuli and stress.Besides, the gut’s bacteria look different in women, too, and that seems to affect how strong or frequent symptoms get.Plus, women’s nervous systems are often more sensitive than men's, leading to crank up the stomach trouble when life gets stressful.Thanks to all these driving factors, women already start the holidays a little more vulnerable, and the added pressure of pleasing everyone just pushes their symptoms over the edge.

The parental burden

Things get worse for the parents, especially moms of young kids. If their day-to-day lives weren’t draining enough, the holidays often turn up the volume on the pressure.According to the YouGov survey, 86% of parents with kids under 18 said they felt both stressed and uncomfortable in their gut during the holidays, compared to 76% of everyone else. About 62% blamed this on disrupted routines — think weird sleep schedules, constant travel, and zero personal time.

That’s a much higher number than among non-parents.Truthfully, parenting during the holidays, while catering to the extended family’s needs, is a whole different production. What should be quick errands get complicated, because you’re juggling travel, planning meals for picky eaters, keeping up with school breaks, all while trying to make everything feel like holiday miracles! This nonstop pace keeps them, especially women, on their toes, which triggers the stress hormones, and those hormones at a high level mess with digestion, making stomach issues even worse.

The bigger picture

And all this holiday chaos doesn't just end with the holiday itself — it raises a larger and looming question on an ongoing crisis: women’s digestive health is still not getting the attention it needs. Too often, doctors wave off symptoms as “just stress” or “part of being a woman.” Diagnoses like that leave a lot of people suffering in silence, with no real help available at their disposal. Even research is testament to the fact that disorders like IBS hit women harder and more often than men — and still, they’re mostly left underdiagnosed and undertreated.

Stress, diet, sleep, hormones — it’s all connected. And it’s high time that we look at women’s gut health in a more holistic way, treating both the body and the mind.

Strategies of survival

We can’t shoo away the holidays. Nor can we dial down on the celebrations. But what we can do is be more compassionate for the women of the family — our mothers, aunts, house helps, and maybe even big sisters. If you’re a woman who’s reading (and relating hard), here are some practical hacks for you:

1. Try stress-busting routines like mindful breathing, meditation, or even a short walk. Little things like stretching or guided breathing help calm the gut-brain connection and keep flare-ups in check.2. Eat with some intention. Instead of skipping meals for a long stretch and then taking too big a bite, go for balanced servings — fiber, lean protein, water. In case you notice you’re eating because you’re stressed, not hungry, it helps to pause before overdoing it.3. Don’t take on everything yourself. Share the load, delegate work, set some boundaries, and let go of the compulsion of making everything “perfect.” Chasing perfection just adds to the stress and paves the path for stomach trouble.4. Prioritize sleep and downtime, sincerely. They aren’t luxuries — they’re extremely necessary. Skipping rest throws your hormones and digestion out of whack, making symptoms worse.5. If your symptoms stick around beyond a few days or get worse over time, don’t delay in consulting a professional healthcare provider. Sometimes there’s something else going on — like IBS or food intolerances — and that needs urgent professional attention.Finally, for the rest of us, let’s be honest: holidays often put women at the center of a storm of expectations. And when that happens, the toll isn’t linear — it leads to physical illness, mental burnout, and more serious issues — and often those issues are interconnected.Emerging research is finally connecting the dots, showing how gender roles, stress, and biology all pile on to make this time of year especially tough for women and their digestive systems.In this case, acknowledgement is the first step of awareness, and awareness makes room to provide support, as well as to seek the same — not just during the holidays, but all year.Sure, holidays are all about celebrating family, friends, and folks. But it’s also about showing up for people we care for. So, as everyone gathers for a big meal, remember: well-being isn’t just about what’s on the table — it’s about who’s doing all the work, and how that work shows up in their bodies.If we start noticing these hidden health costs and share the responsibilities a bit more, the burden on women lightens, and maybe that way, we can make the holidays healthier — and genuinely happier — for everyone.