Hormones and Brain Development in Women

This is a Fan Fav episode. Dr. Lisa Mosconi joins me on Women of Impact to completely reframe how we think about the female brain—and debunk the damaging myth that “bikini medicine” (the idea that women are just men with breasts and ovaries) should guide our health and treatment. We dig into why women are almost twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s, the striking gaps in research and medical care, and the massive ways that hormones, lifestyle, and stress impact women’s cognitive health, starting from puberty through menopause and beyond.

Dr. Mosconi unpacks the science behind everything from sleep and exercise to diet, stress, and pregnancy’s overlooked impact on brain plasticity. With practical advice, radical truths, and real hope, this episode is the playbook for every woman who wants to understand—and fiercely protect—her own mind.

SHOWNOTES

• Why women are nearly twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s—and why no one’s talking about it

• 00:01:04 – The myth of “bikini medicine” and the failure to study women’s brains

• How Ambien became a dangerous example of ignoring female biology in medical research

• 00:07:11 – XX brain basics: Why women’s brains don’t age—or respond—like men’s

• The unique risks women face: anxiety, depression, migraines, stroke, and autoimmune disorders

• Puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause: How women’s brains transform across a lifetime

• The impact of diet, exercise, caffeine, and hormones on the female brain (and what to do)

• Why exercise lowers dementia risk by 30% for active women after 35

  How stress sabotages women’s brains more than men’s—and real strategies to fight back

FOLLOW DR. LISA MOSCONI:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_mosconi/
Website: https://www.lisamosconi.com/

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