Female adaptability and reproductive trade-offs

In this episode of the You Are Not Broken podcast, Dr. Kelly Casperson sits down with Dr. Christine Maren to explore one of the most under-recognized truths about women’s bodies: female physiology is exceptionally adaptable—and that adaptability comes with trade-offs.

Women’s bodies evolved to support reproduction, and that evolutionary priority shaped a physiology that can adjust rapidly to stress, environment, and demand. But that same flexibility can come at a cost, especially in today’s world of chronic stress, environmental exposures, and constant pressure.

Together, Dr. Casperson and Dr. Maren unpack how this rapid adaptability may contribute to issues like thyroid dysfunction, hormone imbalance, gut disruption, and infertility—and why understanding these patterns is essential for improving women’s health care.

• Why female physiology is uniquely adaptable—and how reproduction shaped that design

• How rapid physiological adaptation can stress systems like the thyroid

• The links between chronic stress, hormones, gut health, and fertility

• How environmental factors interact with women’s biology

• Why adaptability can be both a powerful strength and a vulnerability

• The importance of recognizing these trade-offs in modern women’s health care

Women’s bodies are not “broken.” They are highly responsive systems doing exactly what they evolved to do—often in environments that no longer support them. Understanding the costs of adaptation is the first step toward more compassionate, effective, and science-based care.

Dr. Maren's Website

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