Perimenopause & Menopause: How Hormones Reshape Your Body & Mind

Hormones, the Brain and Neurological Well-being

Your hormones don’t just shape your body, they shape your brain. Through perimenopause and menopause, shifts in oestrogen and progesterone can influence mood, memory, focus, and emotional resilience.

How Hormones Influence the Brain

Your hormones are deeply connected to your neurological health, shaping how you think, feel, and respond to the world around you.

Two key hormones: oestrogen and progesterone work in harmony to support emotional balance, focus, memory, and inner calm.

Hormones play a powerful role in your brain health, influencing mood, focus, memory, and overall well-being.

Oestrogen: ‘The Mood Regulator’

Oestrogen affects two key neurotransmitters:

Serotonin - the “feel-good” chemical that stabilises mood.
Dopamine - linked to motivation, pleasure, and reward.

It also supports BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein vital for the growth and protection of brain cells.
Healthy BDNF levels are essential for learning, memory, and emotional resilience, while low levels are linked to anxiety and depression.

Progesterone: ‘The Calming Hormone’

Progesterone and its metabolites interact with GABA receptors, promoting calmness, reducing stress, and supporting restful sleep.
It also helps protect the myelin sheath, the insulation around nerves that keeps your brain and nervous system functioning smoothly.

The Balance Between Oestrogen & Progesterone

The balance between these hormones is crucial for mental clarity, mood, sleep, and overall neurological health.
When oestrogen or progesterone levels fluctuate, as they naturally do during the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, or menopause, you may notice changes in mood, cognition, and energy.

Perimenopause & Menopause: How Hormones Reshape Your Body and Mind

During perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause) and menopause itself, oestrogen and progesterone levels decline.
These hormonal shifts can affect both body and mind influencing mood, memory, sleep, and even long-term brain health.

Common symptoms include:

Mood swings, anxiety
Low motivation
Sleep disturbances and hot flashes
Increased risk of depression and memory decline
Greater vulnerability to neurodegenerative conditions (e.g., Alzheimer’s)
Research suggests hysterectomy may accelerate cognitive decline

It’s not just in your head, these symptoms have a real biochemical basis.

Supporting Hormonal & Brain Health

Nutrition

A nutrient-dense, balanced nutrition supports hormone regulation and brain function.
Focus on whole foods, healthy fats, lean proteins, and antioxidants to nourish your body during hormonal transitions.

Lifestyle

Stress management and regular movement are key.
Healthy adrenal function supports balanced thyroid and sex hormones. Mind-body practices like Pilates, walking, and breath-work can help regulate the nervous system.

Supplementation & Therapy

Targeted nutraceuticals can aid hormonal balance and brain health.
Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) may ease symptoms and offer neuroprotective benefits.
Always discuss the risks and benefits with a qualified healthcare provider.

Other Health Considerations

Cholesterol & Statins

As oestrogen declines, cholesterol and blood sugar levels can rise.
While statins are often prescribed, it’s worth noting that cholesterol is a building block for hormone production.
In some women, statins may further reduce oestrogen levels, potentially worsening symptoms.

Immune Function

Hormonal changes can increase inflammation and the risk of autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s or rheumatoid arthritis.

Heart Health

Lower oestrogen raises the risk of heart disease, now the leading cause of death in women worldwide.

Thyroid Health

Thyroid imbalances become more common during menopause and can mimic menopausal symptoms such as fatigue and mood swings, making diagnosis tricky.

Understanding Your Body

Menopause is a natural stage of life, not an illness.
By understanding how hormonal shifts affect your brain and body, you can take proactive steps to support long-term vitality, clarity, and emotional balance.

At LITHE, we explore how movement, nourishment, and nervous system regulation can support your hormonal and neurological wellbeing through every life stage.

Testing:

The DUTCH test is a valuable tool for checking hormone levels in women.
It provides a detailed, 24-hour overview of key hormones like oestrogen, showing not only how much is present in the body but also how it’s being processed and cleared - which can offer insight into breast cancer risk. It also assesses stress hormones (such as cortisol) and how well they are functioning.
Blood serum levels

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