SCIENCE EPISODE
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SCIENCE EPISODE
Menopause isn’t just about hot flashes – that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Women report everything from brain fog and mood swings to weight gain and zero energy.
And yet, research on this phase of life? Still super limited.
By 2030, over 1 billion women will be in peri- or post-menopause. It’s time we talked about what’s really going on—and how to feel better.
In our 40s or 50s, our ovaries start slowing down their production of estrogen and progesterone.
This leads to irregular periods (aka peri-menopause) and eventually, when you haven’t had a period for a whole year—you’re officially post-menopausal.
The average age for this to happen is 51 years old.
Unlike most mammals, human females live long past their reproductive years. Only a few species—like orcas, belugas, and some wild chimpanzees—experience menopause and live decades beyond it (read study).
Scientists don’t fully understand why, but it’s a clear sign that post-menopausal women play a vital role in society. Evolution wouldn’t have kept us around otherwise.
It’s not just hot flashes. According to the 2024 ZOE PREDICT 3 study, nearly 100% of women experience symptoms (read study).
How many symptoms? In peri-menopause, 66% have more than 12 symptoms; in post-menopause, 41% have more than 12 symptoms.
And here are some of these symptoms:
One of the most overlooked changes in menopause is how the body processes glucose. A 2022 ZOE PREDICT study showed that the same food causes a 42% bigger glucose spike after menopause compared to before. And that means more fatigue, more irritability, more cravings, more inflammation, and even more brain fog. (read study)
These big glucose spikes don’t just affect how you feel—they’re linked to heart disease, diabetes, and worse menopause symptoms overall.
The upside? A few smart changes to how (and when) you eat can flatten those spikes and help you feel a lot better.
Our adrenals—those little guys sitting on top of your kidneys—are usually in charge of making stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. After menopause, they also step in to produce small amounts of female hormones: estrogen and progesterone.
But when our glucose levels spike (which they do more after menopause), our adrenals get overwhelmed trying to manage both stress hormone and female hormone production.
Scientists believe that excess glucose and insulin can wear down the adrenals, making them less efficient. This overload can lead to what’s often called “adrenal fatigue”. Studies show that women with higher glucose and insulin levels were more likely to experience menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats (read study), and flattening our glucose curves is associated with fewer menopause symptoms such as insomnia (read study).
The same PREDICT study mentioned earlier showed that symptoms like cravings can improve by up to 30% when diet is adjusted and glucose levels are brought back into balance. (read study)
The takeaway? We need to support our adrenals by keeping our glucose levels steady. It’s not just about avoiding sugar crashes—it’s about lightening the load on your whole hormonal system.
When in peri- or post-menopause, learning to balance your glucose levels is absolutely KEY.
But you don’t need to give up your favorite foods—just tweak how you eat them:
Check out my free glucose hacks PDF to get you started.
As estrogen levels decline during and after menopause, several important changes happen in the body:
Estrogen plays a key role in maintaining and building muscle. With less estrogen, muscle mass decreases, and it becomes harder to build new muscle. This affects overall strength, mobility, and physical safety as we age.
Muscle helps us manage food more efficiently—less muscle means more calories are stored as fat. Many people notice sudden weight gain after menopause due to this shift. Fat is also more likely to be stored in the belly rather than the hips, which is linked to increased health risks.
Estrogen supports strong bones; lower levels lead to weaker bones. This increases the risk of fractures and other injuries, especially as we get older.
All this needs to be counterbalanced by:
Check out my protein calculator to find out how much protein you need to help support your muscles.
Bermingham K M et al., “Menopause is associated with postprandial metabolism, metabolic health and lifestyle: The ZOE PREDICT study.” EBioMedicine 85 (2022): 104303. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9669773/
Gangwisch J E et al., “High glycemic index and glycemic load diets as risk factors for insomnia: analyses from the Women's Health Initiative.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 111, no. 2 (2020): 429-439. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31828298/
Pellegrino A et al. “Mechanisms of Estrogen Influence on Skeletal Muscle: Mass, Regeneration, and Mitochondrial Function.” Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) 52, no. 12 (2022): 2853-2869. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35907119/
Pounis G et al. “Diet Quality Is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Menopausal Symptoms: The ZOE PREDICT 3 Study.” Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 83.OCE4 (2024): E368. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/diet-quality-is-associated-with-lower-prevalence-of-menopausal-symptoms-the-zoe-predict-3-study/B464A466C696846923BE693F72B9DE36
Thurston R C et al. “Vasomotor symptoms and insulin resistance in the study of women's health across the nation.” The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 97, no. 10 (2012): 3487-94. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22851488/
Wood B M et al., “Demographic and hormonal evidence for menopause in wild chimpanzees.” Science (New York, N.Y.) 382, no. 6669 (2023): eadd5473. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37883540/
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