women's health

372 videos

Our food choices may play a significant role in health issues affecting women, including menstruation and menopause, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and risk for certain types of cancer.

Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. To demonstrate how dramatically lifestyle choices may impact breast cancer risk, researchers followed about 30,000 postmenopausal women with no history of breast cancer for about seven years. Limiting alcohol, eating mostly plant foods, and maintaining a normal body weight was associated with a 62 percent lower risk of breast cancer.

Remarkably, eating a plant-based diet along with walking every day may improve our cancer defenses within just two weeks. Researchers attributed this effect to a decrease in levels of a cancer-promoting growth hormone called IGF-1, likely due to the reduced intake of animal (meat, egg white, and dairy) protein.

What about carcinogens in cooked meat? Women who eat more grilled, barbecued, or smoked meats over their lifetimes may have as much as 47 percent higher odds of breast cancer.

Consumption of animal-based products have also been implicated in earlier onset of puberty for girls, which had begun when girls were on average 16 or 17 until the 20^th century, but now we see significant numbers of girls starting to grow breasts before they’re 8 years old, and increased risk of infertility.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), potentially the most common hormonal abnormality among young women in the United States and a common cause of infertility, menstrual dysfunction, and excess facial and body hair—may also be affected by diet. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) may contribute to the cause of PCOS and infertility. So, in addition to not smoking, we should decrease consumption of foods high in protein and fat, and rich in AGEs, such as meat, cheese, and egg yolks, and increase intake of foods high in antioxidants, such as berries, herbs, and spices.

Plant-based diets appear to offer relief from a variety of menstrual symptoms, including bloating and breast pain (cyclical mastalgia), and women suffering with dysmenorrhea—painful, crampy periods—who switch to a plant-based diet experience significant relief in menstrual pain intensity and duration.

The information on this page has been compiled from Dr. Greger’s research. Sources for each video listed can be found by going to the video’s page and clicking on the Sources Cited tab. References may also be found at the back of his books.

All Videos for Women's Health

Dr. Greger and the presentation title on a blue background

How Not To Age – Live Presentation

In this live lecture, Dr. Greger offers a sneak peek into his latest book, How Not to Age.

Soy Foods for Menopause Hot Flash Symptoms

Soy can be considered a first-line treatment for menopausal hot flash and night sweat symptoms.

woman touching shirt and having hot flash

Menopausal Hot Flashes Are Not Inevitable

Why do 85 percent of menopausal women suffer hot flashes in some countries but only 15 percent in others?

Coffee beans spilled on white with rosemary leaves in the background

Caffeine Shampoo and Rosemary Oil for Hair Growth

I cover natural topical treatments for hair growth, including pumpkin seed oil, caffeine, green tea, pyrithione zinc, ginger, Chinese knotweed, and rosemary.

Closeup soy bean in sack and white cup of soy milk with green nature background

Soy Milk for Vaginal Menopause Symptoms

Soy foods may explain why Japanese-American women not only have the lowest rates of hot flashes in the United States but also have the lowest rates of vaginal dryness.

A white and turquoise cream tube with some cream spreading out

Hormone Treatment (Estrogen Pills and Creams) for Vaginal Menopause Symptoms

Does vaginal estrogen carry the same risk as oral estrogen?

An intimate lubricant in a female hand on a blue background

The Best Moisturizers and Lubricants for Vaginal Menopause Symptoms

I discuss the first-line management of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (vulvovaginal atrophy).

Close up of person stretching and holding foot

The Side Effects of Yoga

What is the rate of yoga injuries compared to other activities?

Yoga Put to the Test for IBS, Inflammatory Bowel, Menopause, and Osteoporosis

A study using sham acupuncture underscores the necessity of controlling for expectancy effects.

Close up of hands in a meditative pose on a beach

Yoga Put to the Test for MS, Back Pain, Neck Pain, Insomnia, and Breast Cancer

Is yoga better than other types of exercise, better than nothing but similar to other physical activity, or not beneficial even when it’s compared to doing nothing at all?

How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep Without Sleeping Pills

Taking less than just 18 Ambien-class sleeping pills in an entire year may triple the risk of dying prematurely.

Is Soy Milk the Most Nutritious Non-Dairy Milk?

Soy milk is compared to dairy milk and other plant-based milks.

Targeting Angiogenesis to Lose Weight

Expanding body fat releases blood supply-generating factors that may end up hooking up tumors, too.

Pregnant person holding a white bowl of whole food

Plant-Based Pregnancy Outcomes and Breast Milk

The composition of breast milk is compared between vegetarian and nonvegetarian women.

Person holding hand in front of mouth breathing out

Can Stress Cause Halitosis (Bad Breath)?

How can stress and menstrual cycles affect the smell of our breath?

Round bowl of beans, greens, and other whole foods on a white surface

The Impacts of Plant-Based Diets on Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer

Why do people who eat more plants get less breast and prostate cancer?

Teacup with steam rising in front of a serene nature background

Does Coffee Inhibit Iron Absorption? What Are the Effects of Having Too Much Iron?

Coffee and common herbal teas impair iron absorption, which may help explain some of their benefits.

Gloved hand doing a finger prick on another person’s hand

Vinegar for Blood Sugar Control and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Treatment

Apple cider vinegar may help with ovulatory function in those with PCOS.

Woman holding upper shoulder as if in pain

The Best Diet for Fibromyalgia and Other Chronic Pain Relief

Anti-inflammatory diets can be effective in alleviating chronic pain syndromes.

Assorted bowls with beans, tomato, and kiwi

The Best Diet for Cancer Patients

What diet should oncologists recommend?

Potential Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency Risks on a Vegan Diet

What is the best way to get the nutrients of concern on a plant-based diet?

Diet and Lifestyle for Cancer Prevention and Survival

What kind of diet should cancer patients eat?

Vitamin D May Explain Higher Bone Fracture Risk in Vegans

A combination of low calcium intake and low vitamin D exposure may explain higher bone fracture rates in British vegans.

Selection of fruits, vegetables, and nuts

Dietary Approach to Naturally Treating Menopause Symptoms

Specific foods have been shown in randomized controlled trials to improve symptoms like hot flashes.

Spoon of fenugreek seeds on wooden table

The Benefits of Fenugreek for Preventing and Treating Diabetes

The spice fenugreek contains 4-hydroxyisoleucine, a peculiar amino acid that may explain its benefits for controlling blood sugar.

Fasting-Mimicking Diet Before and After Chemotherapy

How might we replicate the protective effects of fasting with food?

Fasting Before and After Chemotherapy Put to the Test

Do the benefits of short-term fasting during cancer therapy found in the lab translate into the clinical setting?

homemade kimchi in jars in a bright white kitchen

The Role of Kimchi and H. Pylori in Stomach Cancer

What explains the Achilles’ heel in certain Asian diets?

fenugreek seeds and powder over wood surface

Fenugreek Benefits for Sexual Function, Painful Periods, and Milk Production

The hormonal benefits of fenugreek extend beyond the muscle-bulking testosterone boost.

Weight Bias: Hating Their Guts

How common is weight stigmatization in health care?

roasted pumpkin seeds on cloth over black surface

Food for Hair Growth

Hot peppers, soy foods, and pumpkin seeds may help with hair loss.

middle aged man with hair loss looking in mirror

Pills for Hair Growth

What are the pros and cons of finasteride (sold as Propecia) and minoxidil (sold as Rogaine) for hair loss?

Natural Dietary Remedy for Insomnia

Lactucin, the hypnotic component of lettuce, is put to the test in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of lettuce seeds.

How Much Cancer Does Processed Meat Cause?

I quantify the risks of colon and rectal cancers from eating bacon, ham, hot dogs, sausage, and lunch meat.

flatlay image of assorted cheese and milk

Breast Cancer and the Bovine Leukemia Virus in Meat and Dairy

Exposure to the bovine leukemia virus from meat and dairy (or a blood transfusion from those who eat meat or dairy) is a risk factor for cancer.

milk containers with bovine farm in the background

Bovine Leukemia Virus as a Cause of Breast Cancer

As many as 37 percent of breast cancer cases may be attributable to exposure to bovine leukemia virus.

Plant foods high in fiber with whole wheat pasta, nuts, fruit and vegetables on a rustic background

Fighting the Ten Hallmarks of Cancer with Food

The foundation of cancer prevention is plants, not pills.

farmer with machine spraying chemical or fertilizer on green rice field

Pesticides and Cancer Risk

Does choosing organic over conventional foods protect against cancer? The effects of pesticides on cancer risk.

Fresh plant based diet ingredients on light countertop

Plant-Based Eating Score Put to the Test

How can you get a perfect diet score?

natural organic onions of different varieties

Are Onions Beneficial for Testosterone, Osteoporosis, Allergies, and Cancer?

What did randomized controlled human trials find about the ways we may—or may not—benefit from eating onions?

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