Do Women Need Periods?
With the 2019 news that women don’t need pill bleeds came the assurance that “women don’t need periods.” But is that accurate?
It’s true that women don’t need monthly pill withdrawal bleeds because they’re not periods, but women do need (or at least benefit from) monthly natural menstrual cycles because that’s how women make the hormones estradiol and progesterone.
How Science Got It Wrong About Progesterone
Progesterone has been both ignored and wrongly blamed for side effects it does not cause. How did that happen?
For one thing, progesterone was discovered shortly after estrogen. Thus missing the opportunity to be part of the tidy hormone dichotomy of “testosterone for men and estrogen for women.” Also, progesterone could not (at first) be made into an oral medication, so was replaced by progestins.
Decoding Hypoglycemia: Is It Insulin Resistance or Dysautonomia?
Is your low blood sugar a symptom of insulin resistance or mild dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system?
In episode 16 of my podcast, I return to the topic of hypoglycemia to discuss the difference between insulin resistance and dysautonomia, why unstable blood sugar does not automatically mean insulin resistance, and my concerns about continuous glucose monitoring.
Hypoglycemia in Young Women: The Science Behind “Hangry”
Symptoms of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar include light-headedness, headaches, and anxiety. Hypoglycemia can even feel like panic attacks.
In my latest podcast and YouTube video, I discuss why young women are more prone to hypoglycemia, the importance of the autonomic nervous system and a “blunted glucagon response,” and what you can do to feel better.
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The Secret Powers of Ovulation (It’s Not Just to Make a Baby)
The ovarian hormones estradiol and progesterone are beneficial for general health. That means natural ovulatory menstrual cycles are beneficial because ovulation is how women make those hormones.
How Birth Control Affects Hormones
Almost all types of hormonal birth control switch off ovarian function and, therefore, switch off the ovarian hormones estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone. Here’s a bit more about each method.