Liz Earle

Supplements are supplementary to the rest of life and can definitely support, but they're not going to replace your oestrogen.

Now you talk about being worried about weight gain because you say that's what hormones usually do.

You know, the data does not confirm that.

It really doesn't.

You know, most research is suggesting that HRT is definitely not a cause of weight gain.

You might get a little bit of bloating in the beginning when your body starts to get used to having its hormones back naturally.

But that's not the same as laying down fat reserves.

Our changes around midlife in terms of our weight are much more related to natural aging, loss of muscle mass, changes in our metabolism, sleep disruption, stress levels.

You know, all of those things are affecting our weight.

And even something as simple as improving how we sleep and the quality of sleep can keep us at a healthier weight for longer.

So, for example, if you replace your oestrogen and you find that you're sleeping better, then you should find that over time your weight is better regulated.

And when you find that symptoms like night sweats that you've mentioned improve, you will wake up feeling more energetic and better able to maintain healthy habits.

So individual experiences are obviously going to vary and it may take a bit of tweaking to get things right.

But please don't be dismissive of HRT just because you think it might cause weight gain, because that is not what the science is saying.

Libido, that is a significant issue here.

And I think it's important to say that during perimenopause, the two hormones that can fluctuate really significantly are oestrogen and testosterone.

So I've covered off oestrogen, but actually testosterone, which women also produce.

In fact, interestingly, you may not know this, but we make more testosterone in our ovaries than we do oestrogen.

And it does play an important role in libido, but also in things like confidence and mood and energy and motivation.

So when our hormones start to shift, it's very common for libido to drop.