If you’ve been diagnosed with endometriosis, the big question is: What type of lesions? In this episode, Lara challenges long-held assumptions to explore: the three types of endometriosis lesions, emerging evidence that superficial lesions may not explain pain or other symptoms, alternative explanations for pelvic pain and infertility, including pelvic congestion, immune dysfunction, and gut microbiome imbalance, and an update on the bacterial contamination hypothesis. Links: Could pelvic conges...
May 27, 2025•16 min•Season 4Ep. 17
Is your low blood sugar a symptom of insulin resistance or mild dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system? In this episode, Lara returns 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 her concerns about continuous glucose monitoring. Links: Dr Andrew Maxwell's presentation about dysautonomia, hypermobility, and mast cell activation ....
Nov 19, 2024•13 min•Season 3Ep. 16
Symptoms of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar include light-headedness, headaches, and anxiety. Hypoglycemia can even feel like panic attacks. In this episode, Lara discusses: 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. Links: Prevalence of self-reported symptoms attributed to hypoglycaemia within a general female population of the UK Hypoglycemic symptoms in the absence of dia...
Jul 09, 2024•16 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Do you feel hungry all the time? Abnormally hungry? If so, it’s worth trying to figure out why. Potential drivers of abnormally high hunger include insulin resistance, gut and microbiome issues, low blood sugar, and food addiction—just to name a few. In this episode, Lara explores food addiction and some of the controversy around the term. She also discusses the next best steps on the road to recovery. Links: Lara's new book about metabolic health Poll: Addiction to highly processed food among o...
Apr 18, 2024•16 min•Season 3Ep. 14
For some women, stopping normal dairy products can relieve period symptoms. But why? In this episode, Lara discusses: the inflammatory effects of A1 casein how a mast cell histamine response can drive period problems such as premenstrual mood symptoms, heavy bleeding, and pain. Links: Successful mast-cell-targeted treatment of chronic dyspareunia, vaginitis, and dysfunctional uterine bleeding Childhood asthma, allergies and risk of premenstrual disorders in young adulthood Casomorphins and gliad...
Jan 22, 2024•16 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Did you know that what’s happening in your gut can affect your periods and hormones? In this episode, Lara discusses: small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and its role in IBS, how SIBO can drive or worsen endometriosis, insulin resistance, premenstrual mood symptoms, and the fibromyalgia of perimenopause, plus how to treat SIBO. Links: The curious link between estrogen, mast cells, and histamine Altered intestinal permeability in patients with primary fibromyalgia and in patients with co...
Apr 18, 2023•12 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Why do antihistamines cause weight gain? And how does hormonal birth control affect metabolism? In this episode, Lara looks at: how common medications affect metabolism why birth control that is *androgenic* is more likely to cause weight gain, and whether natural progesterone is more likely to cause weight gain or weight loss. Links: The histaminergic system as a target for the prevention of obesity and metabolic syndrome High H1-affinity antidepressants and risk of metabolic syndrome in bipola...
Jan 16, 2023•12 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Are you a morning person or an evening person? And could that affect your ability to lose weight? In this episode, Lara looks at chronotype , which is your individual disposition to be awake or asleep at certain times. And how that might affect your overall health and metabolism.
Nov 22, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 10
The supplement inositol is a superstar for treating polycystic ovary syndrome. It’s also been clinically trialled for weight loss, thyroid disease, anxiety, insomnia, and premenstrual mood symptoms. In this episode, Lara looks at: "what is inositol?" and how to get it from diet myo-inositol versus D-chiro-inositol, and why it's all a little confusing. One thing Lara forgot to mention is that to get results with inositol, you need to commit to it for at least three months. And if it works, you’ll...
Sep 30, 2022•10 min•Season 1Ep. 9
What do post-pill acne, hair loss, and weight gain all have in common? They can all be the result of a temporary surge in androgens when trying to come off certain types of hormonal birth control. In this episode, Lara discusses post-pill androgen symptoms including: why pills like Yasmin are the hardest to come off how androgens can cause weight gain, and natural treatments such as zinc, berberine, and cyclic progesterone therapy. Links: Ovulation is the main event of the menstrual cycle The ce...
Jul 11, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Are premenstrual mood symptoms caused by progesterone or helped by progesterone? And why do antihistamines give such relief? In this episode, Lara discusses premenstrual mood symptoms including: the role of histamine and mast cell activation progesterone sensitivity, and effective natural treatments such as magnesium, iodine, and body-identical progesterone. Links: Lara Briden's mailing list Magnesium in the gynecological practice: a literature review 8 Ways magnesium rescues hormones Taurine: 5...
Jun 01, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 7
There can be a strong hormonal component to abdominal weight gain. And in most people, that hormone is insulin. In this episode, Lara discusses insulin resistance including: why you could have insulin resistance even if your blood sugar is normal the role of mitochondria, and all the ways to lower insulin and improve metabolism. Links: Online workshop: Metabolic health and vitality for women over 40 Insulin resistance is a cellular antioxidant defense mechanism High-dose fructose can cause or wo...
May 10, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 6
If you're going to take hormone therapy, it's safer to take hormones that are identical to human hormones. In other words, hormones that are body-identical or bioidentical. The concept of bioidentical used to be controversial but is now conventional and mainstream. In this episode, Lara discusses hormone therapy including: why the concept of bioidentical was controversial when it didn't need to be oral micronized progesterone for heavy periods, mood, sleep, and perimenopausal migraines, and some...
Apr 05, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease that’s affected by hormones but is not caused by hormones. Instead, endometriosis is, at least in part, a disease of immune dysfunction. In this episode, Lara discusses some of the new endometriosis research including: the link with genes that increase the risk of autoimmune disease the role of a bacterial toxin called lipopolysaccharide or LPS, and new targets for natural immune-modulating treatment. Links to: Blog post: Immune treatment for endometriosi...
Mar 20, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Were you told you have polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS based on a pelvic ultrasound? That may or may not be an accurate diagnosis because PCOS cannot actually be diagnosed or ruled out with ultrasound. In this episode, Lara discusses PCOS including: why PCOS is an umbrella term the difference between polycystic ovaries and ovarian cysts, and why some women with undereating and endometriosis are being mistakenly told they have PCOS. Links to: Blog post: PCOS cannot be diagnosed (or ruled out) b...
Mar 08, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In a normal period, you should not lose more than about 80 mL of menstrual fluid over all the days of the bleed. That’s equivalent to about five tablespoons spread over all the days of the bleed. In this episode, Lara discusses heavy periods including: the role of hormone imbalance, mast cell activation, and insulin resistance, simple period-lightening strategies such as iron, zinc, and a dairy-free diet, and using body-identical progesterone to lighten periods. Links to: Blog post about heavy p...
Feb 18, 2022•11 min•Season 1Ep. 2
The pill is commonly prescribed to "regulate periods," but it can't actually do that because withdrawal bleeds from contraceptive drugs are not real menstrual cycles. In episode one of The Lara Briden Podcast, Dr Lara covers: what is a real menstrual cycle why there's no medical reason to bleed monthly on the pill, and the difference between contraceptive drugs and real hormones. Links to: Blog post about cyclic progesterone therapy for PCOS . Lara's forum where you can post a comment or suggest...
Feb 03, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 1
