Dr Louise Newson is back on the podcast, and this time we're talking about progesterone, the hormone most of us were told only matters for the womb.

It's made in the brain. Louise explains how it calms inflammation, helps brain cells repair and is one of the first hormones the body produces after a head injury or stroke. Yet if you've had a hysterectomy, you've probably been told you don't need it.

I asked Louise the questions you keep sending me, including a few I've lived myself (nearly 25 years on Depo-Provera, then a long battle to get my progesterone dose right).

In this episode

Why progesterone is far more than a womb hormone
How your cycle works, and why low progesterone can start in your teens
PMS and PMDD, and why Louise doesn't accept symptoms on any day of the month as normal
Progesterone versus synthetic progestogens: the mini pill, Depo-Provera and the Mirena coil
Bleeding on HRT, the cancer pathway, and why stopping your HRT isn't the only answer
Mood, bloating and anger on progesterone, and the 3 ways it can be taken
Why women in their 70s can still have cyclical symptoms
Medical misogyny, Katharina Dalton, and Louise's outstanding CQC rating
The 4 things Louise would ask the government to do for women's health right now

Chapters

00:00 Welcome back, Dr Louise Newson
00:10 The biggest lie about progesterone
00:43 What progesterone does in the brain
01:45 Progesterone, estradiol and testosterone
03:00 Your cycle, explained
04:13 Low progesterone in young women
04:54 PMS and PMDD
05:52 Progesterone versus synthetic progestogens
06:36 Graphite, diamonds and the strawberry sweet
08:30 Nearly 25 years on Depo-Provera
10:27 Bleeding on HRT and the cancer pathway
14:05 Mood, bloating and anger on progesterone
15:45 3 ways to take progesterone
17:01 Hormones in your 60s and 70s
17:55 Louise's live show
19:48 Medical misogyny
21:15 Katharina Dalton
24:00 The Mirena coil
27:13 An outstanding CQC rating
29:07 What the government should do now
33:50 Estradiol and testosterone
35:55 Hormones as chemical messengers
37:01 Thank you, Louise

More with Dr Louise Newson

Why Testosterone is a Game Changer in Menopause: listen here
Dr Louise Newson talks all things Menopause: listen here
Louise's live show, Breaking the Cycle, free in full on her YouTube: watch here
Watch this episode on YouTube: watch here

Links

Dr Louise Newson: drlouisenewson.co.uk
The Power of Hormones by Dr Louise Newson: get the book

KWEENS: Happiness Decoded by Penny Dee: buy the book

This podcast is proudly sponsored by SkinGoal Skincare, a luxury, clinical grade, vegan skincare brand created by Penny Dee: skingoal.co.uk

This episode is for information only and isn't medical advice. Please speak to your own doctor before starting, stopping or changing any treatment.

In this episode, Penny is joined by writer, broadcaster and commentator Ada Akpala for a fearless conversation about British culture, multiculturalism, integration and identity.

Having moved to Britain from Nigeria as a child, Ada brings the perspective of both an immigrant and an astute observer of British life. She argues that Britain is increasingly becoming a country of parallel societies, with different communities living by different cultural expectations. The question is not whether people of different ethnicities can live together. It is whether a society can thrive without a shared culture, common standards and a sense of national belonging.

Penny and Ada also explore DEI, positive discrimination and the danger of treating people as identity groups rather than individuals. They ask whether class and socioeconomic disadvantage have been pushed aside in favour of skin-deep diversity, and whether equality of opportunity has been confused with equality of outcome.

The conversation moves into free speech, the backlash faced by women who challenge fashionable orthodoxies, and Ada's refreshingly simple explanation of why criticism does not frighten her.

They discuss:
What British culture actually means
The difference between a multi-ethnic society and multiculturalism
Integration, ghettoisation and parallel communities
Why a shared culture matters for social cohesion
DEI, quotas and the loss of individuality
Why class belongs at the centre of the equality debate
Merit, opportunity and cultural fit
The demonisation of straight white men and the bullying of women
How to challenge ideas without being consumed by the culture war
Finding a community that gives you the courage to speak

Ada Akpala creates conversations about Britain, politics and culture. Find her work on YouTube at @adaakpala, on Instagram and X at @ada_akpala.

NOTE this episode was recorded on 5 May 2026

Subscribe to The Penny Dee Podcast for more honest conversations about culture, women, free speech and the ideas shaping modern Britain.

Find Penny Dee:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pennydeeofficial/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pennydeespeaker

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pennydee

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennydee/

One year after the Supreme Court ruling on sex and single sex spaces, Penny Dee is joined by Baroness Claire Fox for a timely and wide ranging conversation about what has happened since, and what has not.

Together they look at the gap between legal clarity and real world implementation, asking why so many institutions still appear reluctant to act. From the Girl Guides and the Darlington nurses to free speech, public sector culture, rushed legislation, and the politics of fear, this episode examines what happens when common sense collides with institutional self protection.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ Why Claire Fox says the Supreme Court ruling was a clarification of the law, not a new law.
✔️ How delayed guidance has allowed some organisations to avoid implementing obvious changes.
✔️ Why public sector bodies have found it harder to reverse course after years of ideological training and policy capture.
✔️ How free speech has been chilled by fear, reputational risk, and the threat of punishment.
✔️ Why rushed lawmaking and weak scrutiny are becoming a much bigger democratic problem.

PLUS, We Discuss:
💡 The Girl Guides and the safeguarding implications of admitting boys into girls' spaces.
💡 The Darlington nurses case and the simplicity at the heart of the conflict.
💡 The IOC decision and why it matters for women's sport.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
🔗 Battle of Ideas
🔗 Academy of Ideas
🔗 X Baroness Claire Fox

Quote of the Episode:
"We've got to be prepared to have some brutally honest conversations with each other."

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors:
📖 Penny's book Kweens
💜 SkinGoal Skincare
📧 hello@pennydee.co.uk

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🎙️ This is a conversation for anyone who cares about women, truth, and the future of free speech.