Show notes
I am delighted to welcome Dr. Felice Gersh for part two of our conversation on progesterone, brain health, and cognition. Dr. Gersh is a valued colleague, friend, and mentor. She is a board-certified OBGYN in integrative medicine. She taught at the USC Keck School of Medicine for 12 years and is the founder and director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine.
Today, we continue our conversation by exploring the liver's role in detoxification, dosing, and alternative routes of administration for progesterone. We cover the effects of allopregnanolone, the timing hypothesis, how to optimize hormones during perimenopause and menopause, the impact of cycling hormones in menopause, optimal estradiol levels, progesterone intolerance, and paradoxical effects. We also discuss growth factors in estrogen cycling, mitochondrial health and inflammation, how shift work disrupts circadian rhythms, and immune system changes in menopause.
This is a conversation you will definitely want to revisit. Dr. Gersh truly challenged my thinking about hormone therapy with her simple but powerful message about the importance of considering the bigger picture when it comes to hormone replacement therapy.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
How reproductive hormones influence cognition, mood, and focus
The cognitive changes, brain fog, and memory lapses that occur during menopause
How allopregnanolone, progesterone’s metabolite, can either support calm and sleep or potentially accelerate cognitive decline over time
How different routes of progesterone administration (oral, vaginal, rectal) produce very different outcomes
Dr. Gersh challenges the assumption that static hormone dosing aligns with the evolution of female physiology.
How localized symptoms act as indicators of what could be happening in the brain, bones, and cardiovascular system
The benefits of using progesterone in cycles rather than continuously
How estradiol and progesterone decline in menopause can lead to low-grade inflammation, shifts in immune function, and reduced mitochondrial efficiency
How shift work disrupts circadian rhythms
Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn
Check out Cynthia’s website
Submit your questions to [email protected].
Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow.
Cynthia’s Menopause Gut Book is on presale now!
Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book
The Midlife Pause Supplement Line
Connect with Dr. Felice Gersh
On YouTube and Instagram
The Integrative Medical Group of Irvine