The Perimenopause Solution Podcast

Is everyone really low in vitamin D? Or have we been sold a narrative that doesn't hold up under scrutiny?
In this mind-blowing episode, Tara sits down with Regina and Kristin, the investigative duo behind the Normal Curves podcast, to explore the truth behind the so-called "vitamin D deficiency epidemic." Spoiler: it may have been manufactured by outdated, flawed science—and driven by people with major conflicts of interest.
This is a must-listen for anyone taking vitamin D or worried about their levels. If you've been told your D is "low," this episode might change everything.
In this episode we cover:
How the original vitamin D reference ranges were set (and how they were quietly reversed in 2024)
Why testing vitamin D routinely may be doing more harm than good
The role of conflicts of interest in shaping clinical guidelines
What the latest randomized controlled trials (RCTs) actually show about supplementing vitamin D for disease prevention
Why observational data can mislead us, and how low D might be the consequence—not the cause—of illness
How much sun you actually need to make enough vitamin D (hint: it's a lot less than you think)
Why the "low D" narrative stuck around even after the science was overturned
If you're thinking about taking D, already taking D, or have been told your vitamin D is "low" (it likely isn't) then this one is for you.
 
WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE -https://www.youtube.com/@TaraThorne
 
Regina Nuzzo is a Gallaudet professor, award-winning science journalist, and co-host of the Normal Curves podcast. She brings statistics to life for students and audiences worldwide, often using sex-science examples to keep things lively. Her writing has appeared in Nature, The New York Times, Scientific American, and the Los Angeles Times, where she wrote a column on the science of sex and relationships. Alongside co-host Kristin Sainani, she penned a long-running statistics column for Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and now teaches a Stanford summer course on statistics for clinical informatics. Regina's work earned the American Statistical Association's Excellence in Statistical Reporting Award.
 
Kristin Cobb Sainani is a Stanford professor, science journalist, and co-host of the Normal Curves podcast. She brings statistics and scientific writing to students and audiences around the world. She also works as a statistician on sports medicine projects. Kristin has written widely about health, science, and statistics for both academic and popular audiences. She was a health columnist for Allure magazine for ten years and, alongside co-host Regina Nuzzo, penned a long-running statistics column for the journal Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. In 2018, she received Stanford's Biosciences Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching. Known for her statistical sleuthing and ability to cut through academic jargon, Kristin champions clear language and rigorous methods in science.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Normal Curves Podcast
https://www.normalcurves.com/vitamin-d-part-1-is-the-deficiency-epidemic-real/
 
 
https://www.normalcurves.com/vitamin-d-part-2-good-for-more-than-just-your-bones/
 
 
Normal Curves Website: https://www.normalcurves.com/
 
 
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Purchase Herbatonin here to get 15% automatically applied to your cart: https://symphonynaturalhealth.com/Tara
PIQUE TEA – These are some of Tara's favourite teas! They're crystal form, which makes them super unique and easy to transport in your purse, (they come in single use satchels!) and higher in polyphenols. They're made from high quality ingredients with triple toxin screening, (super important when it comes to your tea). Click HERE to visit the shop.
HRT Made Simple™ - Learn how to confidently speak to your doctor about the benefits of hormone replacement therapy so you can set yourself up for symptom-free, unmedicated years to come without feeling confused, dismissed, or leaving the medical office minus your HRT script.
Hair Loss Solutions Made Simple™ – This course will teach you the best natural, highly effective, and safe solutions for your hair loss so you can stop it, reverse it, and regrow healthy hair without turning to medications.
The Perimenopause Solution™ – My signature 6-month comprehensive hormonal health program for women in midlife who want to get solid answers to their hormonal health issues once and for all so they can kick the weight gain, moodiness, gut problems, skin issues, period problems, fatigue, overwhelm, insomnia, hair/eyebrow loss, and other symptoms in order to get back to the woman they once were.
[FREE] The Ultimate Midlife Perimenopause Handbook - Grab my free guide and RECLAIM your confidence, your mood, your waistline and energy without turning to medications or restrictive diets (or spending a fortune on testing you don't need!).


 

[BOOK A 30-MINUTE SESSION WITH TARA HERE]

Today is the Part 2 re-run of the vitamin D series, Tara moves beyond basic lab values and takes a closer look at what can happen when vitamin D supplementation goes too far — and why more is not always better.
She explains how today's standard reference ranges are built on shaky assumptions, how high-dose vitamin D can create real imbalances in the body, and why symptoms like mood changes, calcium shifts, mitochondrial stress, and even worsening autoimmune issues can sometimes be linked to over-supplementation.
Most importantly, Tara shares a smarter, root-cause approach to supporting healthy vitamin D levels without relying on megadoses that may do more harm than good.
 In Part 2, Tara covers:
• Why common vitamin D reference ranges may be misleading • Signs and symptoms of vitamin D overload • Why a "just take more" approach misses the bigger picture • The key cofactors your body needs to properly use vitamin D
If you've ever been told to simply increase your vitamin D without deeper investigation, this episode will help you ask better questions and take a more balanced, informed approach to your health.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
MegaSporeBiotic – Click HERE to grab this probiotic and use my practitioner code, which also gets you 10% off: TaraMegaSpore
Paleovalley – Grab your goodies as mentioned in this episode, HERE
Blue Light Blocking Glasses Recommendations:
Baxter Blue (Australian site) Save 15% when you use Tara's code: Tara15
Bon Charge Save 15% when you use Tara's code: TARA15
 
HRT Made Simple™ - Learn how to confidently speak to your doctor about the benefits of hormone replacement therapy so you can set yourself up for symptom-free, unmedicated years to come without feeling confused, dismissed, or leaving the medical office minus your HRT script.
Hair Loss Solutions Made Simple™ – This course will teach you the best natural, highly effective, and safe solutions for your hair loss so you can stop it, reverse it, and regrow healthy hair without turning to medications.
The Perimenopause Solution™ – My signature 6-month comprehensive hormonal health program for women in midlife who want to get solid answers to their hormonal health issues once and for all so they can kick the weight gain, moodiness, gut problems, skin issues, period problems, fatigue, overwhelm, insomnia, hair/eyebrow loss, and other symptoms in order to get back to the woman they once were.
[FREE] The Ultimate Midlife Perimenopause Handbook - Grab my free guide and RECLAIM your confidence, your mood, your waistline and energy without turning to medications or restrictive diets (or spending a fortune on testing you don't need!).


 

[BOOK A 30-MINUTE SESSION WITH TARA HERE]

Today's episode is a rerun of one of the most important conversations I've ever shared on the podcast, all about vitamin D. As the podcast library grows, some truly foundational episodes can get buried, and this is information that's simply too important to lose. This is part one of a two-part series, and if you've never listened (or even if you have), it's well worth revisiting.

Is your vitamin D "deficiency" actually a misdiagnosis? In this eye-opening episode, Tara dives into one of the most misunderstood nutrients in functional medicine: vitamin D.
While most practitioners rush to prescribe high doses of vitamin D based on a single lab marker (25(OH)D), Tara challenges the status quo and breaks down why this approach can be both misleading and harmful, especially for women in perimenopause. 
She explains the critical difference between 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)₂D, why elevated active vitamin D (1,25) often goes unnoticed, and how it can actually suppress your vitamin D storage while driving up inflammation, calcium loss, and even contributing to autoimmune conditions and bone loss.
This episode is a must-listen if you've ever felt confused about whether to supplement or if you've been taking vitamin D long-term without fully understanding how it works in your body.
In this episode we cover:
The difference between storage vs. active vitamin D (and why you must always test both but your practitioner likely hasn't)
The issues with vitamin D testing that scientists are hotly debating (can you even trust your lab result?)
What is the optimal reference range for vitamin D? And why ranges are terribly inflated and many are not to be trusted.
What really drives down vitamin D in the body and how to come at this from a root-cause perspective instead of drowning yourself in vitamin D supplements
If you're thinking about taking D, already taking D, or have been told your vitamin D is "low" (it likely isn't) then this one is for you.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
🔍 Formula to convert your 25,OH,D leve from ng/dL to nmol/L:  25(OH)D in nmol/L = 25(OH)D in ng/dL X 25
EQUIP PRIME PROTEIN – Click HERE to grab yours and use my code: TARA20 to get 20% off
Purchase Herbatonin here and use Tara's discount code for 15% off, which is Tara15: https://symphonynaturalhealth.com/TaraHerbatonin
PIQUE TEA – These are some of Tara's favourite teas! They're crystal form, which makes them super unique and easy to transport in your purse, (they come in single use satchels!) and higher in polyphenols. They're made from high quality ingredients with triple toxin screening, (super important when it comes to your tea). Click HERE to visit the shop.
HRT Made Simple™ - Learn how to confidently speak to your doctor about the benefits of hormone replacement therapy so you can set yourself up for symptom-free, unmedicated years to come without feeling confused, dismissed, or leaving the medical office minus your HRT script.
Hair Loss Solutions Made Simple™ – This course will teach you the best natural, highly effective, and safe solutions for your hair loss so you can stop it, reverse it, and regrow healthy hair without turning to medications.
The Perimenopause Solution™ – My signature 6-month comprehensive hormonal health program for women in midlife who want to get solid answers to their hormonal health issues once and for all so they can kick the weight gain, moodiness, gut problems, skin issues, period problems, fatigue, overwhelm, insomnia, hair/eyebrow loss, and other symptoms in order to get back to the woman they once were.
[FREE] The Ultimate Midlife Perimenopause Handbook - Grab my free guide and RECLAIM your confidence, your mood, your waistline and energy without turning to medications or restrictive diets (or spending a fortune on testing you don't need!).


 

[BOOK A 30-MINUTE SESSION WITH TARA HERE]

Heavy periods are one of the most common, and most disruptive symptoms women experience as they move through perimenopause. Flooding, clots, changing tampons constantly, disrupted sleep, rising anxiety… these changes often show up together, and they're not random.
In this episode, Tara breaks down what's actually happening hormonally in midlife and why low progesterone is so often at the root of heavy periods.
She explains the critical differences between natural bioidentical progesterone and synthetic progestins, and why progestins (like those found in birth control or IUDs) are not the solution many women are led to believe they are.
In this episode:
Why heavy periods are often a progesterone problem in perimenopause
Why natural bioidentical progesterone is the solution - not herbs, not wild yam cream, not "wait and see"
Why progestins (birth control, Mirena, Slinda, etc.) are not the same thing and can actually make symptoms worse
Why many doctors underdose progesterone (or pull it away too quickly) because they aren't trained in HRT
How adequate progesterone can lighten periods, improve sleep, reduce anxiety, calm the nervous system, and protect your brain, bones, breasts, and heart

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE, LISTEN TO THESE NEXT:
EPS 99: Everything you need to know about progesterone & replacing it, with Carol Petersen
EPS 113: Welcoming back Carol Petersen, RPh, CNP! She's answering all your progesterone questions! 
EPS 127: Are you taking a fake, potentially harmful progestin (fake progesterone?). Find out in this episode & what to do instead. 



Mentioned in this episode:
HRT Made Simple™ - Learn how to confidently speak to your doctor about the benefits of hormone replacement therapy so you can set yourself up for symptom-free, unmedicated years to come without feeling confused, dismissed, or leaving the medical office minus your HRT script.
Hair Loss Solutions Made Simple™ – This course will teach you the best natural, highly effective, and safe solutions for your hair loss so you can stop it, reverse it, and regrow healthy hair without turning to medications.
The Perimenopause Solution™ – My signature 6-month comprehensive hormonal health program for women in midlife who want to get solid answers to their hormonal health issues once and for all so they can kick the weight gain, moodiness, gut problems, skin issues, period problems, fatigue, overwhelm, insomnia, hair/eyebrow loss, and other symptoms in order to get back to the woman they once were.
[FREE] The Ultimate Midlife Perimenopause Handbook - Grab my free guide and RECLAIM your confidence, your mood, your waistline and energy without turning to medications or restrictive diets (or spending a fortune on testing you don't need!).


 

[BOOK A 30-MINUTE SESSION WITH TARA HERE]

Weight loss in midlife has become so confusing, emotional, and frankly? Full of misinformation and trends that do more harm than good. 
 
Women are being told calories don't matter, fat can't make you gain weight, or that low sex hormones, low thyroid function, insulin resistance or cortisol issues are the culprit and that fixing hormones will magically melt fat away. NONE of this is true!
 
In this episode, Tara strips away the noise and talk honestly about what actually drives fat loss in perimenopause. This isn't about shame, extremes, or quick fixes. It's about clarity, realism, and understanding how your body works at this stage of life so you can stop spinning your wheels.
   
 
Here's what is covered:
 
• Why weight loss really is simple (but absolutely not easy)
• The role calories play, whether we like it or not
• Why hormones don't magically make you gain fat, but do affect how and where you store it
• The two biggest mistakes I see women making when trying to lose weight
• Why tracking can feel hard; and why that doesn't mean you're failing
• How tools like GLP-1 medications and fasting may have a time and place
• Why building muscle is non-negotiable for long-term health and staying at a healthy weight
 
Enrollment in The Perimenopause Solution™ is open until January 13th - Join now to get $700 OFF
 
Mentioned in this episode:
HRT Made Simple™ - Learn how to confidently speak to your doctor about the benefits of hormone replacement therapy so you can set yourself up for symptom-free, unmedicated years to come without feeling confused, dismissed, or leaving the medical office minus your HRT script.
Hair Loss Solutions Made Simple™ – This course will teach you the best natural, highly effective, and safe solutions for your hair loss so you can stop it, reverse it, and regrow healthy hair without turning to medications.
The Perimenopause Solution™ – My signature 6-month comprehensive hormonal health program for women in midlife who want to get solid answers to their hormonal health issues once and for all so they can kick the weight gain, moodiness, gut problems, skin issues, period problems, fatigue, overwhelm, insomnia, hair/eyebrow loss, and other symptoms in order to get back to the woman they once were.
[FREE] The Ultimate Midlife Perimenopause Handbook - Grab my free guide and RECLAIM your confidence, your mood, your waistline and energy without turning to medications or restrictive diets (or spending a fortune on testing you don't need!).


 

[BOOK A 30-MINUTE SESSION WITH TARA HERE]