Restoring hormonal balance can improve brain, bone and heart health, leading to a healthier life — so why are so many women still struggling instead of being prescribed the hormones they’re lacking? Hormone expert Dr Louise Newson draws on decades of clinical experience to empower women in her new book, The Power of Hormones

Why did it feel so important to write this book?

There’s so much misinformation and medical misogyny, and so many stories from women who have been medicalised with the wrong treatment. When you talk about hormones, everyone thinks, ‘Oh, it’s HRT, it’s going to give me breast cancer.’ They don’t think about the basics of hormones and how they work in the body. I wish I’d written this book 10 years ago, because it would have unpicked and cut through a lot of the noise. It felt like the right time to write about everything that I’ve learned over the last 20 years from the scientific literature, but also from my wealth of clinical knowledge and experience.

What shocked you the most during your research?

Over the years I’ve kept asking: ‘Why are women given antidepressants instead of hormones? Why are people scared of HRT? Why are we giving younger people contraception for acne and bloating?’ I looked at the history of why we’re in such a mess, and the commercialisation of these drugs really shocked me. Hormonal contraception doesn’t even contain natural hormones. Why is it that so many doctors are resistant to prescribing HRT, but they’ll happily prescribe synthetic hormones that have far more risks and long-term problems? It feels like a double standard. 

Clinician and hormone expert, Dr Louise Newson

How can addressing hormone deficiencies influence long-term health?

If you understand how hormones work in the body, you understand how they reduce inflammation – and so many diseases are inflammatory. They can reduce the risk of heart disease because when they work together, they lower cholesterol, blood pressure and help your heart to pump better. 

What does a hormonally healthy life look like? 

When your hormones are balanced, it’s great, because then everything else in life feels easier – the yoga practice, the meditation, the healthy eating. A lot of people are trying to do it all without hormones, and it’s impossible. It’s like trying to run a car without oil.

Getting the right dose of oestradiol, testosterone and progesterone is very important, as is making sure you take natural body identical hormones. I started my HRT when I was perimenopausal, and my hormones were still a bit all over the place. I’m 55 now and my ovaries aren’t producing any hormones, so my dose has changed over the years. 

What role can testosterone play in women’s health?

Since the 1940s, we’ve had studies to show that wellbeing and mental health improves when women are on testosterone. People are still worried about side effects, but if you give the right dose of testosterone to someone who wants it, it can be absolutely transformational. It’s just a natural hormone, and it should have the same weight as the other hormones.

Do you have any daily wellness essentials?

I have a daily infrared sauna session at home. I get migraines, so anything that can reduce their frequency, severity and reduce inflammation in my body is helping my future health. I look at health very holistically – I’ve balanced my hormones, but if I didn’t do yoga most mornings or eat healthily, I definitely wouldn’t be feeling very great.

How can women advocate for themselves if they feel unheard by their doctors?

With knowledge comes power. I hope this book will give people the confidence to work out hormones themselves, then make sure they see someone who can understand them. I really want doctors and clinicians to read the book, because it’s so referenced and goes into a lot of detail. I feel that more than ever, women need to advocate for themselves and for each other. 

The Power of Hormones by Dr Louise Newson is out now (Hodder & Stoughton)