ZOE Science & Nutrition Podcast

Episode Recap: Davina McCall’s Menopause Experience

Date: August 26, 2025
Host: Jonathan Wolf (ZOE)
Guests: Davina McCall, Dr. Sarah Berry, and others

Main Theme

This recap episode dives into television presenter Davina McCall’s personal experience with menopause, her journey from confusion to advocacy, and ZOE’s latest research on the impact of diet on menopause symptoms. Scientific insights are combined with Davina’s unfiltered storytelling to help listeners understand menopause as a profound, often misunderstood transition — and how lifestyle choices, particularly diet, can help manage symptoms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Davina McCall’s Menopause Journey

• Onset and Early Symptoms

  • Davina describes her first clear physical menopausal symptom: severe night sweats at age 43, which she first experienced while abroad for work.
    • "I woke up in the middle of the night and I was drenched, my hair was wet. It wasn’t like just, you’re a little bit hot in bed... It was bottom sheet soaked right through." (Davina, 00:48)
  • Psychological symptoms arrived earlier but were harder to identify: loss of joy, frequent crying, anxiety, and memory lapses.
    • "How come I didn’t feel any joy anymore? How come? I just was kind of flatlining through life." (Davina, 02:07)

• Social & Emotional Struggles

  • Davina details feeling isolated, with little to no generational guidance due to her mother’s own menopause journey being complicated by illness and stigma.
    • "I had no one to talk to... It was embarrassing. And I thought, I’m too young. I don’t really want to talk about it because I feel like it’s gonna age me." (Davina, 05:29)
  • She reflects on the grief associated with her body transitioning out of fertility, even though she didn’t want more children.
    • "I didn’t want any more children, but I hated the fact that my body was telling me that I couldn’t." (Davina, 05:58)

• Cultural Taboos and Self-Perception

  • The stigma of menopause as an “old woman’s issue” contributed to reluctance in acknowledging her own experience.
    • “I don’t really want to talk about it because I feel like it’s gonna age me... Aging in terms of feeling like a sexy lady wasn’t good.” (Davina, 05:29)

Scientific Research: Diet & Menopause Symptoms

• ZOE’s Predict Cohort Study (Overview at 07:14)

  • Dr. Sarah Berry shares findings from a study following 5,000 peri-menopausal women, monitoring diet changes and menopause symptoms over 18-20+ weeks.
  • The study found a roughly 34% reduction in overall menopause symptom burden through dietary improvements.
    • "What we found was around a 34% reduction in overall menopause symptom burdens...by following a healthier diet." (Dr. Sarah Berry, 09:19)

• Study Limitations & Significance

  • Not a randomized controlled trial — more of a longitudinal observational study.
  • Even modest improvements in diet delivered significant symptom relief.
    • “We are actually seeing relatively small shifts, but very meaningful shifts. And even just when people were having small shifts, we still saw a huge impact.” (Sarah Berry, 09:46)

• Dietary Recommendations

  • Emphasize adding, not restricting:
    • Increase intake of unprocessed, plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables, pulses, whole grains)
    • Oily fish and healthy oils recommended.
  • Reduce ultra-processed foods and refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, rice).
    • “The great news is that where we see the biggest benefit is actually by what you’re adding in.” (Sarah Berry, 10:51)

Supplements: Evidence for Soy Isoflavones

• Soy Isoflavones

  • Evidence supports that supplements containing at least 15mg of genistein (a soy isoflavone) can noticeably reduce menopause symptoms.
    • “If you take a supplement that contains...above about 15 milligrams of a particular soy isoflavone called genistein, that has a significant impact on reducing symptoms.” (Sarah Berry, 12:22)
  • Populations with higher dietary soy (e.g. East Asia) show lower rates of menopausal symptoms.

• Microbiome and Symptom Variation

  • Response to soy isoflavone supplementation is influenced by the individual’s microbiome profile.
  • Gut microbiome composition shifts post-menopause, with increased species linked to negative health outcomes (e.g., higher inflammation, more belly fat).
    • "What we found was that the composition of the microbiome, peri and postmenopause, was actually quite different to premenopausal." (Sarah Berry, 13:26)
    • "...if we can target that, it might be that we can partially reduce some of those unfavourable side effects." (Sarah Berry, 14:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Davina’s Emotional Revelation

  • "I’d look at my daughters who would be having hysterics, crying with laughter about something, and I’d think, I can’t remember the last time I did that. I’d lost the joy." (Davina, 02:07)

• On Stigma and Silence

  • “I don’t really want to talk about it because I feel like it’s gonna age me. And aging in... wasn’t good.” (Davina, 05:29)

• Host’s Shift in Perspective (on diet)

  • “I have to say that five years ago... I would have thought that reducing menopause symptoms with diet... sounded like crazy.” (Host, 06:46)

• Skepticism to Surprise: Scientific Integrity

  • “I wasn’t really expecting to see much in this, if I’m honest, but actually, even I was surprised...I asked the researcher to go back and redo the stats.” (Sarah Berry, 09:02)

• Supplements and Microbiome

  • “It’s incredibly rare for, say, I think, to ever say anything positive about a supplement. So I agree that is really interesting.” (Host, 13:10)
  • "Your response to soy isoflow bones is determined by your microbiome. And this is fascinating.” (Sarah Berry, 13:23)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Davina’s Night Sweats & Early Symptoms – 00:48–03:30
• Emotional/Mental Health Impact – 02:07–03:30
• Stigma, Family History & Talking About Menopause – 03:30–05:43
• Grief and Acceptance of Menopause – 05:58–06:41
• Dietary Interventions & Study Overview – 07:14–09:46
• Dietary Recommendations – 09:46–12:03
• Soy Isoflavones & Supplements Evidence – 12:03–13:19
• Microbiome & Personalized Interventions – 13:19–14:32

Takeaways

• Menopause can cause profound physical, mental, and emotional changes — often leaving women feeling isolated.
• Small, positive dietary changes can yield significant reductions in menopause symptoms, even outside of hormone therapy.
• A Mediterranean-style diet and inclusion of plant-based foods show the most promise.
• Soy isoflavone supplements may help certain women; individual microbiome differences likely affect this response.
• Open conversation and ongoing research are crucial for empowering women during menopause and beyond.

This summary distills the episode’s narrative and scientific heart, reflecting the honest, supportive, and evidence-driven tone of the ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast.