OvaryActive

We have an announcement! OvaryActive has a Patreon! Help support the show — become a patron for as little as $5/month! patreon.com/cw/OvaryActive
Perimenopause has officially entered its supplement era, and apparently every capsule on the internet is promising to fix your metabolism, your wrinkles, your joints, your brain, and maybe your credit score. 
In the third installment of the Swallow This series, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch sort through another round of popular supplements with their trademark mix of evidence, skepticism, and just enough sarcasm to make reading medical studies almost fun.
This episode tackles berberine, glucosamine, CoQ10, collagen, and NAD+, separating promising science from clever marketing. Rebecca and Amy explain why the quality of a study matters just as much as the headline, how industry-funded research can paint a very different picture than independent studies, and why "natural" doesn't automatically mean effective, or even safe.
Listeners will learn which supplements may have a role for specific medical conditions, which ones don't live up to the hype for perimenopause, and why the phrase "more research is needed" is sometimes the most honest answer in medicine. 
What you'll hear in this episode:
[0:55] Berberine buzzkill
[3:05] Natural GLP-1... maybe?
[6:32] Leave your liver alone
[8:03] Dog joint medicine? Glucosamine reality check
[14:21] CoQ10 heart talk
[20:00] Collagen vs. wrinkles
[25:17] Lasers in the vag (please don't)
[29:34] NAD+ hype train
[32:43] DON'T INJECT RANDOM STUFF!
[33:47] Cowboy hats for the Wild West
[35:29] Social media vs. science
 
Studies Mentioned:
Gianturco SL, Mattingly AN. Distinguishing between compounding facilities and the development of the 503B bulk drug substance list. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). Jan-Feb 2021;61(1):e8-e11. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2020.06.024
A 2-yr Randomized Controlled Trial on Creatine Supplementation during Exercise for Postmenopausal Bone Health. Philip D Chilibeck et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc.2023.
Prokopidis K, Witard OC. Understanding the role of smoking and chronic excess alcohol consumption on reduced caloric intake and the development of sarcopenia. Nutrition Research Reviews. 2022;35(2):197-206.
Prokopidis K, Giannos P, Triantafyllidis KK, Kechagias KS, Forbes SC, Candow DG. Effects of creatine supplementation on memory in healthy individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Rev. Mar 10 2023;81(4):416-427. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuac064
Avgerinos KI, Spyrou N, Bougioukas KI, Kapogiannis D. Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Exp Gerontol. Jul 15 2018;108:166-173. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2018.04.013
Ye Y, Liu X, Wu N, Han Y, Wang J, Yu Y, Chen Q. Efficacy and Safety of Berberine Alone for Several Metabolic Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Front Pharmacol. 2021 Apr 26;12:653887.
 
Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube | perimenopausedrs.com/ovaryactive
Estrogen, Interrupted by Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su & Dr. Amy Voedisch
Support the show: patreon.com/cw/OvaryActive
 
Meet the Docs:
More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su: 
Gennev:  www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su
LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su
 
More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:
Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html
This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

We have an announcement! OvaryActive has a Patreon! Help support the show — become a patron for as little as $5/month! patreon.com/cw/OvaryActive
Perimenopause is apparently the new Black Friday for supplement marketing, and this episode is here to check the receipt. 
In part two of the Swallow This supplement series, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch dig into the body-building-adjacent products showing up all over social media, including peptides, creatine, and the many "miracle" promises aimed at people who are tired, foggy, sweaty, and understandably over it.
They start with peptides, the trendy injectable alphabet soup being marketed for healing, metabolism, anti-aging, and performance. The verdict? Big no. We think you'll understand once you hear what peptides actually are and why FDA-approved peptide medications are very different from what is being sold online. Then the Docs turn to creatine, which thankfully has more information and science behind it and does not immediately need to be thrown into the medical dumpster fire. 
This episode covers what looks promising, what looks sketchy, what is probably safe, and what should absolutely not be injected into your body unless you are in an actual doctor's office and not a cash-pay wellness cave.
What you'll hear in this episode:
[0:29] Supplements, again
[1:39] Influencer red flags
[2:57] Peptides: alphabet soup and a hard nope
[10:17] Safety risks and compounding
[13:47] Creatine enters politely dressed as muscle sprinkles
[22:27] Kidney caveat
[24:37] Supplement quality roulette
[25:35] Please don't inject things



Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube | perimenopausedrs.com/ovaryactive
Estrogen, Interrupted by Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su & Dr. Amy Voedisch
Support the show: patreon.com/cw/OvaryActive

Meet the Docs:
More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su: 
Gennev:  www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su
LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su
 
More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:
Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html
 
This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

Perimenopause is already a strange little carnival of bleeding patterns, hot flashes, hormone debates, and wondering whether your body has joined a group chat without you. 
Dr. Kemi Doll, gynecologic oncologist, uterine cancer scientist, and author of A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing joins this episode of OvaryActive. Together the docs zoom out from the usual menopause chaos to talk about something bigger: the hidden crisis in gynecologic care, especially for Black women, and why "you're fine" has done a truly Olympic amount of damage.
They get into it all, the stories, science, and systemic failures behind disparities in fibroids, endometriosis, heavy bleeding, uterine cancer, and routine gynecologic care. Dr. Doll shares why maternal mortality is only the tip of the iceberg. And she also shares how Black women are often conditioned to minimize pain and symptoms and why doctors need to stop asking vague questions like, "Any problems with your period?" when someone may be casually working from a bathtub in an adult diaper. 
Listeners will learn how language shapes care, why "normal" bleeding is not always normal, how misinformation finds its opening, and why better questions, better data, and better listening can literally change outcomes. 
Also: nuance is not as catchy as a wellness influencer selling chamomile DNA rearrangement, but unfortunately for the internet, it matters.
What you'll hear in this episode:
[0:34] Meet Dr. Kemi Doll
[3:03] Beyond maternal mortality
[5:22] Uterine cancer and menopause
[7:00] Power of patient stories
[10:25] Dismissal and invisibility
[13:22] Asking better questions
[19:30] Rebranding birth control
[29:01] Why write?
[32:04] Endometriosis misdiagnosis story
[38:38] Nuance over quick fixes
[45:37] Bleeding patterns and cancer risk
[48:38] Let's talk HRT, unopposed estrogen, and estrogen cream
[56:39] Myths! We always have to cover myths!
[1:04:28] Wrap up
Links: 
kemidoll.com
kemidoll.com/book
@kemidoll on Instagram
@kemidollcoach on Facebook
@kemidoll on LinkedIn
 
Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube | perimenopausedrs.com/ovaryactive
Estrogen, Interrupted by Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su & Dr. Amy Voedisch



Meet the Docs:
More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su: 
Gennev:  www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su
LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su
 
More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:
Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html
 
This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

In this special bonus episode of OvaryActive, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch celebrate the arrival of their new book, Estrogen, Interrupted and share an excerpt from the audiobook.
This preview introduces their candid, science-backed approach to perimenopause: the symptoms no one warned you about, why "it's normal" is not a treatment plan, and why women deserve better information, better care, and a lot less medical shrugging.
Listen in for a first taste of the book, including what perimenopause really is, why it can feel so unpredictable, and how Rebecca and Amy are working to make this stage of life less confusing, less isolating, and slightly less "why are my pants suddenly attacking me?
Links: 
Get your copy of Estrogen, Interrupted: bit.ly/Estrogen-Interrupted-preorder
 
Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube | perimenopausedrs.com/ovaryactive
Estrogen, Interrupted by Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su & Dr. Amy Voedisch
This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

Perimenopause is already handing out enough surprises without the internet yelling that menopausal hormone therapy is either a miracle cardiology cape or a one-way ticket to doom. 
In this episode of OvaryActive, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch take on the very confusing question of whether hormone therapy can help prevent cardiovascular disease in menopause.
They walk through the history of hormone therapy and heart health, from large observational studies like Framingham and the Nurses' Health Study to the much-debated Women's Health Initiative, a study that launched roughly a thousand menopause panic spirals. 
The doctors explain why timing matters, why older hormone therapy data does not always apply to today's estradiol options, and why oral versus transdermal estrogen is more nuanced than "patch good, pill bad."
So yes, hormones can be fabulous. But no, they do not replace exercise, lipid screening, diabetes care, statins when needed, or the deeply annoying truth that lifestyle still matters.
What you'll hear in this episode:
[2:45] Where the "estrogen protects the heart" idea came from
[5:02] The Women's Health Initiative and why timing matters
[6:31] Plaque, blood clots, and starting hormones later
[7:26] The timing hypothesis and "window of opportunity"
[7:59 Older hormone therapy studies don't always match current treatments…why?
[12:04] What we know about oral estradiol, transdermal estrogen, and the liver
[16:40] Medicare data, mortality claims, and why database studies are tricky
[18:37] Can MHT prevent cardiovascular disease?
[20:37] Proven heart-health strategies that matter most
[22:42] What hormones can help with, and what they CAN'T promise
 
Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube | perimenopausedrs.com/ovaryactive
Estrogen, Interrupted by Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su & Dr. Amy Voedisch
 
Meet the Docs:
More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su: 
Gennev:  www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su
LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su
 
More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:
Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html

This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.