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, Prof. 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 for 10% off with code PODCAST

Follow ZOE on Instagram here.

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

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.