The 12-Year Clock: Birth Control Shuts Down Hormone Maturity (AND Fertility)
Today I’m joined by Dr. Lara Briden, a naturopathic doctor, best-selling author, and internationally recognized expert in women’s hormones for a wide-ranging conversation on cycle health and why ovulation is a vital sign of wellbeing.
We talked about how monthly ovulation creates hormones that support bones, metabolism, and brain function, and what happens when that rhythm is disrupted by stress, restrictive eating, or birth control. Dr. Briden explains why natural estradiol and progesterone are so protective, how they differ from synthetic hormones, and what that means for both younger women and women approaching perimenopause.
She also shares her perspective on missing periods, hypothalamic amenorrhea, and the four functional types of PCOS, along with the growing role of insulin resistance in hormone imbalance. We talk about how to track ovulation, what lab markers to look for, and why restoring cycles is one of the most powerful steps for long-term health.
Chapters
02:24 – Ovulation as a vital sign of female health
05:21 – Impact of hormonal birth control on ovulation and hormones
10:15 – Benefits of natural estrogen and progesterone
12:11 – Perimenopause and importance of hormones in young women
14:13 – Benefits of estradiol and progesterone
20:01 – Dysregulated or missing periods
22:14 – Anovulatory cycles and tracking ovulation
25:14 – Lag time for menstrual cycle disruption and recovery
29:14 – Differentiating between hypothalamic amenorrhea and PCOS
33:42 – Four different types of PCOS
38:49 – Lab markers for insulin resistance
01:01:17 – Recommendations for managing insulin-resistant PCOS
Guest’s socials + website
Website: https://www.larabriden.com/about/
Instagram: @larabriden
Kayla's social + website
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Website: https://www.kaylabarnes.com/
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