On this episode we talk about:
- New analysis revealing reductions in grey matter, white matter hyperintensities, and altered blood circulate throughout menopause
- Core drivers of mind fog – decreased cerebral blood circulate, continual irritation, and estrogen decline
- The gut-brain-hormone connection and the way the estrobolome influences circulating estrogen
- Methods for supporting mind well being, together with a nutrient-dense weight-reduction plan, bodily exercise, stress administration, and sleep.
- Which vitamins, meals, and botanicals might assist help mind well being throughout menopause
Present notes:
- “Nigella sativa seeds ease severity of premenstrual syndrome in girls: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled examine” by Afrin, F., et al.
- “Menopause results on verbal reminiscence: Findings from a longitudinal neighborhood cohort” by Epperson, C.N., Sammel, M.D., & Freeman, E.W.
- “Fecal microbial determinants of fecal and systemic estrogens and estrogen metabolite concentrations in postmenopausal girls” by Flores, R., et al.
- “Impact of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract on climacteric signs in girls throughout perimenopause: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled examine” by Gopal, S., et al.
- “The consequences of a saffron extract (Affron®) on menopausal signs in girls throughout perimenopause: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study” by Lopresti, A & Smith, S.J.
- “Omega-3 fatty acids, mind well being and the menopause” by Minihane, A.M.
- “Menopause impacts human mind construction, connectivity, vitality metabolism, and amyloid-beta deposition” by Mosconi, L., et al.
- “Flaxseed: Its bioactive elements and their cardiovascular advantages” by Parikh, M., Netticadan, T., & Pierce, G.N.
- “Menopause and mind structural adjustments: A bibliographic revision” by Rodríguez, A.P., et al.
- “Results of ashwagandha on reproductive well being: A scientific evaluation of sex-specific hormonal and fertility outcomes” by Roy, D., et al.
- The Menopause Society. (2025, October 21). How menopause restructures a lady’s mind [Press release].
- “Cognition and temper in perimenopause: A scientific evaluation and meta-analysis” by Weber, M.T., Maki, P.M., & McDermott, M.P.
- “Helpful results of docosahexaenoic acid on cognition in age-related cognitive decline” by Yurko-Mauro, Okay., et al
- Be taught extra in regards to the Adapt Naturals Core Plus bundle, Bio-Avail Omega+, Biome Defend, Regular Spirit, Luminous Thoughts, or take our quiz to see which merchandise greatest fit your wants
- When you’d prefer to ask a query for Chris to reply in a future episode, submit it right here
- Observe Chris on Twitter/X, Instagram, or Fb
Hey everyone, Chris Kresser right here. Welcome to a different episode of Revolution Well being Radio. When you’re a lady in your 40s or 50s, or you understand somebody who’s, you’ve most likely heard about mind fog throughout menopause. Perhaps you’ve skilled it your self. You stroll right into a room and neglect why you’re there. You battle to search out the precise phrase in a dialog. You learn the identical paragraph 3 times and nonetheless don’t keep in mind what it mentioned. It’s irritating, it’s unsettling, and for a lot of girls, it’s been extremely isolating as a result of for years, these signs have been dismissed or minimized by healthcare suppliers.
New analysis offered simply final month at The Menopause Society’s annual assembly confirms what girls have been saying all alongside. Menopause mind fog is actual. It’s not all in your head. It’s not simply stress or growing older. It’s not one thing you need to simply settle for and reside with. This analysis exhibits precise, measurable structural adjustments within the mind throughout menopause – adjustments in grey matter quantity, blood circulate, in white matter of the mind, and we will see it on mind scans. By understanding the mechanisms behind mind fog [and] what’s truly taking place within the mind, we will develop higher, extra focused interventions. We are able to tackle the basis causes as a substitute of simply suppressing signs with drugs that always don’t work and include important negative effects.
On this episode, I’m going to stroll you thru what this new analysis discovered, clarify the three primary mechanisms that contribute to mind fog throughout menopause, speak about a connection between your intestine well being and your hormone ranges, and share evidence-based methods you should use to help your mind well being throughout this transition. By the tip of the episode, you’ll perceive why mind fog occurs, and also you’ll have a roadmap for what you are able to do about it. Let’s dive in.
The Analysis – Mind Fog is Actual
Let’s begin with the science. In October 2025, researchers from Ponce Well being Sciences College in Puerto Rico offered a complete evaluation on the Menopause Society’s annual assembly. They analyzed latest research mind structural adjustments throughout menopause. First, they documented constant reductions in grey matter quantity in key areas of the mind. We’re speaking in regards to the frontal cortex, which is concerned in govt perform and determination making, the temporal cortex, which performs a task in language and reminiscence processing, and the hippocampus, which is vital for reminiscence consolidation. These are precisely the areas you’d anticipate to see affected if somebody is experiencing forgetfulness, bother concentrating, and problem with word-finding. These volumetric losses or reductions in grey matter have been straight correlated with declines in cognitive efficiency. Ladies in these research scored decrease on checks measuring verbal reminiscence and visuospatial reminiscence. So we’re not simply seeing adjustments on a mind scan, we’re seeing purposeful impacts on the cognitive skills girls report fighting.
The researchers additionally discovered one thing known as white matter hyperintensities. These present up as shiny spots on MRI scans, and so they point out tissue injury within the white matter of the mind. White matter is just like the communication highways in your mind. It connects completely different areas and permits them to speak to one another. When you could have injury to those pathways, it impacts pondering, reminiscence, and temper. These white matter hyperintensities have been extra pronounced in two teams of ladies: those that went by means of early menopause, and those that had frequent sizzling flashes and night time sweats. That tells us one thing essential in regards to the mechanisms at play.
Earlier than you begin worrying that that is everlasting injury, the analysis additionally discovered proof that grey matter quantity might partially recuperate after menopause. The mind confirmed indicators of adapting and reorganizing itself. That is neuroplasticity in motion. Your mind is resilient and it could bounce again. Dr Stephanie Faubion, who’s the medical director of The Menopause Society, emphasised that there’s no proof that menopause mind fog is related to later danger of dementia. So when you’re experiencing mind fog throughout perimenopause or menopause, it doesn’t imply you’re on a path to Alzheimer’s. These are non permanent, transitional adjustments, particularly when you get the precise help.
The Three Mechanisms
So what’s driving these adjustments? Based mostly on the analysis and what we all know from purposeful drugs, there are three primary mechanisms at play: decreased blood circulate, irritation, and hormone decline. Let me break every of those down beginning with blood circulate. These white matter hyperintensities I discussed? They’re primarily brought on by decreased blood circulate to the mind’s white matter. Consider your mind like a metropolis, and the blood vessels are the roads that ship provides – oxygen, glucose, and vitamins – to all of the neighborhoods. When visitors slows down, sure areas don’t get what they should perform optimally. Throughout menopause, there are adjustments in cerebrovascular reactivity. That’s a elaborate manner of claiming that the blood vessels in your mind don’t reply as properly to the mind’s calls for for elevated blood circulate. That is particularly pronounced in girls who’ve frequent sizzling flashes. Scorching flashes aren’t only a temperature regulation downside. They replicate vasomotor instability – dysfunction in how your blood vessels constrict and dilate. And that very same instability impacts blood circulate to the mind. Consider your mind’s blood vessels like adjustable hoses in a backyard. Usually, they’ll widen or slim primarily based on which components of the backyard want extra water. However throughout menopause, these hoses get a bit stiff. They don’t regulate as readily. So some areas of the backyard, or on this case, your mind, don’t get the water they want, particularly throughout occasions of excessive demand.
The second mechanism is irritation. As you most likely know by now, irritation is a standard, wholesome response to harm or an infection. The issue is when irritation turns into continual and widespread, and that’s what occurs for a lot of girls in the course of the menopause transition. Estrogen has highly effective anti-inflammatory results all through the physique, together with within the mind. When estrogen ranges decline, you lose a few of that pure anti-inflammatory safety. On the identical time, many ladies are coping with different sources of irritation [like] poor weight-reduction plan, lack of sleep, continual stress, intestine dysfunction, and many others. All of this provides up. Continual irritation within the mind doesn’t simply injury tissue straight. It additionally impacts the perform of neurons. It interferes with neurotransmitter manufacturing and signaling. It impairs the mind’s skill to make new connections. And it contributes to that feeling of psychological fog, the place all the things simply feels tougher and slower than it ought to be. Consider irritation like static on a radio station. The sign’s there, but it surely’s tougher to choose up clearly. Your neurons are attempting to speak with one another, however the irritation creates interference.
The third mechanism is the decline of estrogen itself. Estrogen isn’t only a reproductive hormone. It has receptors all through the mind and performs essential roles in mind perform. Estrogen boosts the exercise of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which have an effect on temper and cognition. It helps the vitality metabolism of neurons, serving to them generate the ATP they should perform. It promotes the expansion and branching of neurons, which is crucial for studying and reminiscence, and it has neuroprotective results, defending mind cells towards injury. So when estrogen ranges plummet throughout menopause, the mind loses all of those advantages. It’s like eradicating a key participant from a staff. The staff can nonetheless perform, however not as easily or successfully. It’s also possible to consider estrogen as a upkeep crew to your mind. It retains issues working easily, repairs injury because it happens, and ensures all of the programs are properly equipped. When that upkeep crew abruptly leaves, issues begin to break down. The backup programs kick in, that’s the adaptive response we see with elevated estrogen receptor density, but it surely takes time for the mind to regulate to this new regular, and it doesn’t at all times regulate properly.
Battling psychological “fuzziness” throughout perimenopause or menopause? You’re not alone. This episode explains what’s taking place in your mind, why it’s not an indication of dementia, and the evidence-based steps you may take to regain readability, reminiscence, and focus. #RHRpodcast #menopause #ChrisKresser
The Intestine-Hormone Connection
There’s a connection between your intestine well being and your hormone ranges that doesn’t get talked about sufficient in mainstream drugs. It includes what we name the estrobolome. The estrobolome is the gathering of intestine micro organism which can be able to metabolizing estrogen. These micro organism produce an enzyme known as beta-glucuronidase, which may reactivate estrogen that the physique was attempting to get rid of. When your physique is finished utilizing estrogen, your liver packages it up for elimination. It attaches a molecule known as glucuronic acid to the estrogen, which makes it water-soluble so it may be excreted in urine or stool. This course of is known as conjugation. The conjugated estrogen will get despatched to your intestines to be eradicated, however the intestine micro organism are available. In case you have sure varieties of micro organism in your intestine, they produce beta-glucuronidase, which may detach that glucuronic acid molecule. This reactivates the estrogen, permitting it to be reabsorbed again into circulation as a substitute of being eradicated. So the composition of your intestine microbiome – which micro organism are current, and in what portions – can considerably affect your estrogen ranges. In case you have intestine dysfunction, when you’ve got the unsuitable steadiness of micro organism, or when you’ve got injury to your intestine lining, this will have an effect on how a lot estrogen is reabsorbed versus eradicated.
That is a part of what I name the gut-brain-hormone axis. Your intestine well being impacts your hormone ranges. Your hormone ranges have an effect on your mind perform, and your mind perform impacts all the things else. It’s all related. That is additionally why a few of the foundational life-style interventions I’m going to speak about are so essential. Once you help intestine well being, you’re not simply serving to your digestion, you’re doubtlessly influencing your hormone steadiness, which in flip impacts your mind.
What You Can Do About It
Now that we perceive the mechanisms, let’s speak about options. In purposeful drugs, we at all times search for methods to handle root causes relatively than simply suppressing signs. And in relation to menopause mind fog, there are evidence-based interventions that may make an actual distinction. I arrange these into what I name the 4 pillars: weight-reduction plan, bodily exercise, stress administration and sleep. These are foundational. They’re not non-obligatory, and so they’re important for supporting mind well being in the course of the menopause transition.
Let’s begin with weight-reduction plan. An anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense entire meals weight-reduction plan is essential. You need to emphasize meals that help each mind well being and hormone steadiness. Which means loads of meats, organ meats, greens, particularly leafy greens and colourful greens wealthy in antioxidants, wild-caught fatty fish and seafood for omega-3s, pasture-raised eggs, nuts and seeds, some fruit, particularly berries, and wholesome fat like olive oil and avocado. You additionally need to reduce meals that promote irritation and disrupt blood sugar steadiness. This implies chopping again on refined carbohydrates, processed meals, industrial seed oils and extra sugar. These meals don’t simply trigger irritation all through the physique, in addition they disrupt intestine well being, which, as we simply mentioned, can have an effect on hormone ranges.
Common bodily exercise is one other non-negotiable. Train has a number of advantages for mind well being. It will increase blood circulate to the mind, which, as we mentioned earlier, could be impaired in girls with menopause. It reduces irritation. It stimulates the manufacturing of BDNF, or brain-derived neurotropic issue, which promotes the expansion of recent neurons and connections between neurons. And it improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic well being, that are essential for mind perform. You don’t must develop into a marathon runner. We’re speaking about 150 minutes per week of reasonable exercise, which may very well be brisk strolling, yoga, swimming, biking, [or] power coaching, punctuated ideally by some intervals of extra intense exercise [like] sprints, weight coaching, or extra intense glycolytic exercise. The hot button is consistency, and discovering one thing you get pleasure from to stay with.
Stress administration is vital as a result of continual stress amplifies all of the mechanisms we talked about. It will increase irritation, it impairs blood circulate to the mind, and it could disrupt hormone steadiness even additional. There are lots of efficient stress administration methods, meditation and mindfulness practices have good proof behind them, deep respiratory workouts, time in nature, significant social connections, the precise approach issues lower than discovering one thing that works for you and doing it often.
Sleep is vital. That is usually the toughest one throughout menopause as a result of sizzling flashes and night time sweats disrupt sleep. However sleep is when your mind does its housekeeping. It clears out metabolic waste merchandise, it consolidates reminiscences, [and] it repairs injury. Once you don’t sleep properly, cognitive perform suffers. Prioritize sleep hygiene. Hold your bed room cool and darkish, keep a constant sleep schedule, [and] restrict display time earlier than mattress. If sizzling flashes are disrupting your sleep, that’s one thing it’s essential tackle, whether or not by means of life-style interventions, pure compounds, or if wanted, hormone remedy.
Past these 4 pillars, there are particular vitamins that may help mind well being throughout menopause. Omega-3 fatty acids, notably EPA and DHA, are essential. Your mind is made up of about 60 p.c fats, and DHA is likely one of the most plentiful fat in mind tissue. Omega-3 helps wholesome inflammatory steadiness, which is crucial given what we learn about irritation’s position in mind fog. In addition they help cognitive perform and temper. Analysis particularly on menopause and omega-3s continues to be rising, however the proof is promising. Research present that omega-3 supplementation can enhance reminiscence, focus, and general cognitive perform. And in girls going by means of menopause, omega-3s might assist with the cognitive signs related to hormonal adjustments.
Curcumin, the lively compound in turmeric, is one other nutrient that may assist help wholesome inflammatory steadiness. The problem with curcumin is it’s not properly absorbed in commonplace preparations, so that you want a extremely bioavailable type to get significant advantages. For enhancing blood circulate to the mind, ginkgo biloba has good proof. Ginkgo comprises compounds that enhance cerebral circulation, permitting extra oxygen and vitamins to achieve mind cells. A number of research have proven that ginkgo can improve reminiscence, focus, and general cognitive efficiency, notably in individuals experiencing age associated cognitive adjustments. Some girls will even profit from pure compounds that promote hormonal steadiness. Botanicals like black cohosh, crimson clover, vitex, shatavari, and schisandra have been used historically for menopausal signs, and there’s analysis supporting their advantages. For intestine well being particularly, embody fermentable carbohydrates like candy potatoes and root greens that feed helpful micro organism. Fermented meals like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and yogurt introduce helpful microbes. Bone broth offers amino acids like glutamine that help the intestine lining. And prebiotic-rich meals like garlic, onions, and asparagus nourish the micro organism that assist regulate estrogen metabolism.
I need to point out just a few merchandise we’ve developed at Adapt Naturals that tackle these mechanisms. Bio-Avail Omega+ combines extremely pure fish oil with extremely bioavailable curcumin, 185 occasions extra bioavailable than commonplace types, plus black seed oil or Nigella sativa. Every serving offers about one gram of EPA and DHA to help wholesome inflammatory steadiness, cognitive perform, and temper. A 2025 examine discovered that Nigella sativa, which is black seed oil, considerably elevated estrogen ranges in girls and improved hormonal steadiness. Luminous Thoughts is our cognitive help system with ginkgo biloba to advertise blood circulate to the mind, plus bacopa, lion’s mane, citicoline, and different vitamins that work collectively to spice up focus, reminiscence, and psychological readability. Biome Defend is our four-in-one intestine well being system with prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and polyphenols. It comprises tributyrin, which is a bioavailable type of butyrate for intestine barrier perform, bacillus coagulans probiotic, FortiPhage prebiotic, and a polyphenol mix. Since intestine well being impacts hormone metabolism by means of the estrobolome, supporting your microbiome is a vital piece of the puzzle. And final, Regular Spirit is our stress and temper help system with clinically studied doses of ashwagandha and saffron. Latest analysis exhibits each considerably improved psychological signs, sleep high quality, and cognitive perform in perimenopausal girls. It additionally contains L-theanine, lemon balm, and holy basil for full stress administration. You may study extra at AdaptNaturals.com, and test along with your healthcare supplier to ensure these are applicable to your specific circumstances.
All proper, let’s recap what we’ve coated as we speak. Menopause mind fog is actual. It’s not in your head. It’s not one thing you simply have to simply accept. New analysis exhibits measurable structural adjustments within the mind throughout menopause, adjustments in grey matter quantity, white matter integrity, and blood circulate. These adjustments are pushed by three primary mechanisms: decreased blood circulate to the mind, elevated irritation, and declining estrogen ranges. Your intestine well being additionally performs an essential position by means of the estrobolome, which impacts how a lot estrogen is reabsorbed versus eradicated. The excellent news is the mind is remarkably adaptive. Grey matter quantity can partially recuperate after menopause, and there are proof primarily based interventions you should use to help your mind throughout this transition, which we simply mentioned. Begin with the 4 pillars: an anti-inflammatory weight-reduction plan, common bodily exercise, stress administration, and prioritizing sleep. For intestine well being particularly, embody these fermented meals, bone broth, and many others, to help a wholesome microbiome and optimize estrogen metabolism. Then think about focused vitamins like omega-3s to help wholesome inflammatory steadiness, curcumin for added help, ginkgo to advertise blood circulate to the mind, and adaptogens like ashwagandha and saffron for stress, temper, sleep, and cognitive help.
This isn’t about simply accepting mind fog as an inevitable a part of growing older. It’s about understanding what’s taking place in your physique and your mind and taking steps to handle the basis causes. You have got extra management over this than you may assume. When you’re going by means of perimenopause or menopause and experiencing mind fog, you’re not alone. Tens of millions of ladies are going by means of the identical factor, and now we’ve got the science to validate what you’ve been experiencing and the instruments that will help you really feel higher. Thanks for listening. You could find the present notes and references for this episode at ChrisKresser.com and till subsequent time, be properly.