Why Women Struggle with Insomnia, Weight Gain, and Debilitating Symptoms During Perimenopause and Menopause and What to Do About It with Dr. Sarah Berry

Nov 6, 2024

Dr. Sarah Berry, a leading nutrition researcher from King’s College London and Chief Scientist at ZOE, discusses the multifaceted challenges women face during perimenopause and menopause. She highlights the impact of hormonal changes on sleep disturbances, weight gain, and metabolism. Dr. Berry explores how maintaining muscle mass and managing blood sugar can alleviate these symptoms. Personal dietary interventions and the role of gut health are also emphasized, along with the importance of informed choices and resources like the Menno Scale.

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INSIGHT

Weight Gain and Metabolism in Perimenopause

Weight gain and slowed metabolism are top perimenopausal concerns, often linked to estrogen changes.
Estrogen impacts fat distribution, shifting it from hips to belly, increasing visceral fat.

INSIGHT

The Perfect Storm of Menopausal Weight Gain

Estrogen decline affects various processes, including fat storage, hunger, sleep, and mood.
These interconnected factors create a perfect storm that can lead to weight gain during menopause.

INSIGHT

BMI and Menopause Symptoms

Higher BMI correlates with worse menopause symptoms, creating a challenging cycle.
The symptoms make weight loss harder, necessitating kindness and understanding during this time.

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This episode is brought to you by Bioptimizers, Bon Charge, and Lumebox.

We know that perimenopause brings a host of symptoms for women entering this stage of life. These symptoms can disrupt sleep, affect mental health, and cause weight gain, often leading to a decreased quality of life. Today’s guest shares insights from her nutritional research to help women reduce these symptoms' impact and feel empowered through this transition.

Today on The Dhru Purohit Show, Dhru sits down with Dr. Sarah Berry to discuss a recent study led by her team on the impact of diet in reducing common symptoms for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Dr. Berry shares the most commonly reported symptoms and the lifestyle factors contributing to them. She also explains the research behind why muscle mass serves as a protective barrier during this stage of life and discusses the role of blood sugar and a healthy gut microbiome in managing symptoms.

Dr. Sarah Berry is a Professor at King’s College London and has run more than 35 human nutrition studies. Notably, she is the Chief Scientist at ZOE, the science and nutrition company. She’s the lead nutritional scientist for the ZOE PREDICT study — the world’s largest in-depth nutritional research program and leads research across menopause, microbiome, and sleep. She's often featured as a guest on ZOE's own podcast, ZOE Science and Nutrition.

In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Berry dive into:

Weight gain and slow metabolism are the top concerns in perimenopause (1:00)
BMI the correlation between more severe symptoms (6:00)
Dr. Berry’s study (12:26)
The worst drivers of symptoms in women (17:09)
What is a MenoScale (24:49)
Muscle mass as a protective measure (30:07)
Why do blood sugar and insulin sensitivity matter (34:12)
Breakfast that can cause huge dips in blood sugar (38:37)
How does gut microbiome change as we age (42:00)
Doubling down on the basics (56:32)
Being cautious about supplementation (01:05:22)

Also mentioned in this episode:

Zoe Nutrition Study

For more on Dr. Sarah Berry, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or her Website.

This episode is brought to you by Bioptimizers, Bon Charge, and Lumebox.

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