Half of the world’s population will go through menopause. Yet research shows that a large proportion of women do not feel informed and equipped for menopause. In this episode, we reveal the results of a brand new study that highlight the impact of diet on menopause symptoms.
Davina McCall is a British household name and much-loved TV presenter on a mission to change this. Her 2022 book Menopausing provided a roadmap for women to be fearless in tackling this stage of life. She has her own very personal menopause story and today, she shares it with us.
Together with ZOE’s Chief Scientist Dr. Sarah Berry, we’re having an honest and open conversation about perimenopause and menopause.
🤲 MenoScale Calculator - Track your menopause symptoms with our free tool 👉 zoe.com/menoscale
🥑 Learn how your body responds to food 👉 https://zoe.com/podcast for 10% off
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Timecodes
00:00 Every woman goes through this
02:20 Quickfire questions
04:25 Davina’s menopause experience 
14:16 What happens during menopause
15:20 The impact of estrogen decline
17:40 How long does perimenopause last?
18:30 Is there a blood test for menopause?
24:20 What menopause symptoms are most common?
32:35 Does everyone get symptoms?
35:54 Does menopause increase disease risk?
39:15 Should you consider HRT?
45:30 Davina’s life changing experience
47:40 ZOE’s new study on diet and menopause
52:33 Can ZOE membership improve menopause symptoms?
54:26 Can supplements improve menopause symptoms? 
56:21 Gut microbiome health in perimenopause
58:26 Davina’s tips for exercise in menopause

Free resources from ZOE:


Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition 

Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks

MenoScale Calculator - learn about your symptoms


Mentioned in this episode:


Menopause is associated with postprandial metabolism, metabolic health and lifestyle: The ZOE PREDICT study (2022), published in eBioMedicine



Sex and Menopausal Status Modulate the Impact of Meal Timing on Postprandial Glucose: Data From the ZOE PREDICT 1 Study (2024), published in Current Developments in Nutrition



Management of menopause: a view towards prevention (2022), published in The Lancet: Diabetes and Endocrinology 



Menopause: a cardiometabolic transition (2022), published in The Lancet: Diabetes and Endocrinology 



Treating menopause — MHT and beyond (2022), published in Nature



The Menopause Transition: Signs, Symptoms, and Management Options (2020), published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism



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Episode transcripts are available here.