140: Unpacking estrogen: myths, realities and menopause and midlife health with Lara Briden

Send a textIn this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, host Ann Marie McQueen is joined by naturopathic doctor and women’s health expert, Lara Briden. With decades of clinical experience, she is the author of three books: Period Repair Manual, Hormone Repair Manual, and her newest release, Metabolism Repair for Women. Lara’s work focuses on empowering women with evidence-based knowledge to navigate their hormonal health, including through perimenopause and menopause. Together, they unravel the intricate world of estrogen, its role in women’s lives and how it connects to the challenges and opportunities of midlife health. From estrogen metabolism to hormone therapy myths and best practices, Lara provides actionable insights and science-backed advice to empower women on their health journeys.Key topics: Why estrogen is both celebrated and misunderstood.The evolution of hormone therapy and what’s changed since the Women’s Health Initiative.How progesterone fits into the midlife health equation.The relationship between estrogen metabolism, gut health, and lifestyle factors like diet and alcohol.Lara’s perspective on a renewed need to find  balance in modern hormone therapiesExplainer: Dr Ray Peat, who passed away in 2022,  was an American biologist and researcher, and he believed metabolism was a foundation of health – helping to spawn the pro-metabolic movement. He was a progesterone researcher who believed estrogen is an inflammatory stress hormone that causes more health problems than it helps. The term we spoke about where you feel you need more and more of something that is actually making you feel worse is tachyphylaxis, and it's something that the British Menopause Society issued a warning about in 2023.When Lara mentions a “four-fold” increase in dementia risks, she is referring to studies associated with heavy, long-term use. Other studies have found lower risks. If you are concerned about whether the medication you are taking is anti-cholinergic, and by how much, check out the Anticholinergic Burden Calculator. Thank You To Our Sponsors For Making This Episode Possible:Timeline: Use code HOTFLASH33 for 33% off your order of Mitopure at Timeline Nutrition.The Hotflash inc Podcast has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 60 Menopause Podcasts on the web.Guest linksWebsite: larabriden.comInstagram: @larabridenX: @LaraBridenJoin the Hotflash inc perimenoposse: Web: hotflashinc.comNewsletter: Hotflash inc. on SubstackTikTok: @hotflashincInstagram: @hotflashincX: @hotflashinc Episode website: Hotflashinc Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Substack See hotflashinc.com/privacy-policy for privacy information