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Today, I’m honored to reconnect with Dr. Jolene Brighten. She’s an award-winning, board-certified naturopathic endocrinologist, nutrition scientist, and leading voice in women’s health. She’s the author of Beyond the Pill, Healing Your Body Naturally After Childbirth, and her latest book, ADHD and Women: A Guide to Optimizing Your Hormones and Thriving with ADHD, which represents an expansion of her core thesis that women’s symptoms get chronically misattributed when the hormone piece is left out of the picture, which she now applies to ADHD. She also hosts The Dr. Brighten Show.
In today’s conversation, we look at why ADHD symptoms surface or worsen at hormonal transitions, the mental health effects of oral contraceptives and synthetic hormones, and the gut-brain connection to ADHD. We explore how gut dysbiosis dysregulates vagal nerve signaling; how butyrate and other short-chain fatty acids influence it; what endobelly is and how it affects histamine and mast cell degranulation; and emerging research on GLP-1s and endometriosis. We also discuss rejection sensitivity disorder and masking, nutritional and o lifestyle recommendations for improving symptomatology, and how key supplements like cytochrome and saffron can improve memory and mitochondrial health.
Stay tuned for a truly insightful conversation with Dr. Jolene Brighten and a deeper look at ADHD and Women.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
How perimenopause can amplify ADHD symptoms
Why ADHD in some women remains unidentified until midlife
How gut dysbiosis can influence vagal nerve signaling in the ADHD brain
Why butyrate and resistant starches may be important for the ADHD brain
The connection between endometriosis, ADHD, and the gut
How Dr. Brighten guides neurodivergent women through HRT conversations
How rejection sensitivity dysphoria can affect women with ADHD
Dr. Brighten shares lifestyle recommendations for women with ADHD
Bio:
Dr. Jolene Brighten is a hormone expert, nutrition scientist, and founder of Dr. Brighten Essentials. Board-certified in naturopathic endocrinology, a certified menopause specialist, and sex counselor, she is the bestselling author of Beyond the Pill, Is This Normal?, and the forthcoming ADHD and Women. She is dedicated to helping women optimize their hormone, brain, and sexual health through evidence-based education.
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