In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy, Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center, dives deep into estrone, one of the three key estrogens, and explains why understanding it is crucial for women’s health.

Learn about:

• The differences between estradiol, estriol, and estrone

• How estrone levels shift during perimenopause and menopause

• Why oral estrogen can dramatically increase estrone

• The impact of lifestyle factors like diet, body fat, stress, alcohol, and sedentary behavior on estrogen balance

• Practical tips to support healthy estrogen metabolism naturally

Dr. McCarthy breaks down complex biochemistry in a clear, actionable way so you can take charge of your hormonal health.

Citations: 1. Bulun, Serdar E., et al. “Aromatase and Estrogen Biosynthesis in Adipose Tissue.” Endocrine Reviews, vol. 23, no. 3, 2002, pp. 305–342. 2. Labrie, Fernand, et al. “Importance of the Intracrinology of Estrogen Synthesis in Peripheral Tissues in Postmenopausal Women.” Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, vol. 118, nos. 4–5, 2010, pp. 273–279. 3. Sasano, Hironobu, and Toshihiko Harada. “Differential Expression of Aromatase and 17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Isoenzymes in Human Tissues.” Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, vol. 86, no. 3–5, 2003, pp. 327–333. 4. Yager, James D., and Nancy E. Davidson. “Estrogen Carcinogenesis in Breast Cancer.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 354, no. 3, 2006, pp. 270–282. 5. Cavalieri, Ercole L., and Eleanor G. Rogan. “Depurinating Estrogen-DNA Adducts, Mechanisms of Formation, and Prevention.” Clinical Cancer Research, vol. 16, no. 3, 2010, pp. 596–602. 6. Suba, Zsuzsanna. “Circulating Estrogens and Estrogen Metabolism in Obese Women.” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 98, no. 11, 2013, pp. 4336–4344. 7. Simpson, Evan R., and Konstanze C. Pike. “Aromatase Expression in Adipose Tissue: Relationship to Obesity and Insulin Resistance.” Endocrinology, vol. 156, no. 9, 2015, pp. 3422–3435. 8. Key, Timothy J., et al. “Circulating Sex Hormones and Breast Cancer Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women: Reanalysis of 13 Studies.” British Journal of Cancer, vol. 105, no. 5, 2011, pp. 709–722. 9. Stanczyk, Frank Z., et al. “Oral, Transdermal and Injectable Hormone Therapy: Pharmacokinetics and Effects on Estrone/Estradiol Ratios.” Menopause, vol. 24, no. 9, 2017, pp. 1080–1090. 10. Santen, Richard J., et al. “Estrogen Bioidentical Hormone Therapy: Route of Administration and Risk.” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 105, no. 7, 2020, pp. 2062–2074. 11. Zeleniuch-Jacquotte, Anne, et al. “Postmenopausal Levels of Estrone, Estradiol, and Estrone Sulfate and Breast Cancer Risk.” Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, vol. 23, no. 8, 2014, pp. 1531–1539. 12. Dall, Gabriella V., and Christine L. Clarke. “Local Estrogen Biosynthesis and Signaling in Breast Cancer Progression.” Steroids, vol. 78, no. 7, 2013, pp. 639–646. 13. Heald, Anthony H., et al. “Relationships Between Serum Estrone, Insulin Resistance, and Adiposity in Postmenopausal Women.” Clinical Endocrinology, vol. 67, no. 3, 2007, pp. 340–345. 14. Kuiper, George G. J. M., et al. “Estrogen Receptor β Selectivity of Estriol and Implications for Tissue-Specific Effects.” PNAS, vol. 94, no. 17, 1997, pp. 9105–9110. 15. Michnovicz, Joseph J., et al. “Dietary Indoles and Estrogen Metabolism: Effects of Cruciferous Vegetable Intake.” Journal of Nutrition, vol. 134, no. 12, 2004, pp. 3479S–

Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.

👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.

📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604

📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:

Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy

Website: www.protealife.com

💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

In this heartfelt episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy dives deep into why women are turning away from conventional medicine and seeking care in alternative spaces.

He explores the growing Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) and Make America Medical Again (MAMA) movements, sharing his perspective as a naturopathic medical doctor trained in both conventional and integrative medicine.

Dr. McCarthy discusses empathy in healthcare, accountability to patients, and the importance of bridging the gap between modern medicine and natural approaches. This episode is an honest look at what real medicine should feel like—human, compassionate, and deeply connected.

🔹 Topics Covered:

Why women are leaving conventional medicine

The rise of MAHA and MAMA movements

How empathy and validation heal where prescriptions can’t

Building accountability and integrity in patient care

Bridging the divide between natural and conventional medicine

Citations: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R7oRXvuVDl5pW-pGXtfXXs0Ue3L11whZ/view?usp=sharing

Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.

👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.

📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604

📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:

Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy

Website: www.protealife.com

💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

In this powerful episode, Dr. McCarthy continues his “Make America Healthy Again” series — exploring how conventional medicine has failed women through dismissal, invalidation, and profit-driven care. He discusses why so many women are turning to online influencers and alternative medicine for answers, and how we can begin to reconcile modern medicine with true, compassionate healthcare.

👉 Topics covered:

The systemic dismissal of women’s symptoms

How short medical visits and profit models harm patients

The rise of “Make America Healthy Again” culture

The dangers of influencer-driven supplement marketing

Why reconciliation between women and medicine is essential

🎧 A thoughtful, research-backed conversation that challenges the system — and advocates for women’s health, time, and trust.

Citations: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AygX2JSGLMyDrQt5WW6v3Xk4m1lhPblE/view

Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.

👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.

📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604

📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:

Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy

Website: www.protealife.com

💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

In this episode, I dive deep into “Mama vs. Maha” — the Make America Medical Again movement versus the Make America Healthy Again movement — and explore how both emerged from a broken medical system. We’ll trace how modern medicine drifted from its original purpose, focusing more on economics than empathy, and how that shift has profoundly impacted women’s health over the past 60 years. From the “Valium era” to SSRIs and Ambien, I break down how systemic neglect, profit motives, and regulatory failures alienated women from traditional care — and what it will take to restore trust.

This episode is personal, reflective, and at times somber — but it’s an important conversation about accountability, reconciliation, and rebuilding the heart of medicine.

References: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mQKU7VpiT5KhXCFFLYtdVoWFAjKRi16J/view?usp=sharing

Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.

👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.

📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604

📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:

Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy

Website: www.protealife.com

💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

Join Dr. Brendan McCarthy, as he dives into Part 2 of our series on understanding the divide in modern medicine.

In this episode, Dr. McCarthy explores:

How education, corporate influence, and lobbying have shaped medicine and nutrition advice

The history and impact of the food pyramid and dietary guidelines

Why trust in traditional medicine has eroded and how alternative approaches gained popularity

The role of pharmaceutical advertising and conference influence on medical practice

Steps to rebuild trust and prioritize patient-centered care

Dr. McCarthy emphasizes accountability, understanding science objectively, and always keeping the patient’s well-being at the center of care.

📌 Citation / References: Steinman, Michael A., and Jerome P. Kassirer. “Is Continuing Medical Education a Drug-Promotion Tool? YES.” Canadian Family Physician, vol. 53, no. 10, 2007, pp. 1650–1652. PMC, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2231419. ⸻ 2. Bowman, Marjorie A., and David L. Pearle. “Changes in Drug Prescribing Patterns Related to Commercial Company Funding of Continuing Medical Education.” Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, vol. 8, no. 1, 1988, pp. 13–20. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, https://journals.lww.com/jcehp/fulltext/1988/08010/changes_in_drug_prescribing_patterns_related_to.3.aspx. ⸻ 3. Bowman, Marjorie A., and David L. Pearle. “Industry-Sponsored Grand Rounds and Prescribing Behavior.” Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 283, no. 3, 2000, pp. 373–380. ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12077958_Industry-Sponsored_Grand_Rounds_and_Prescribing_Behavior. ⸻ 4. Fickweiler, Frederike, Udo Fickweiler, and Klaus Urbach. “Interactions between Physicians and the Pharmaceutical Industry Generally and Sales Representatives Specifically and Their Association with Physicians’ Attitudes and Prescribing Habits: A Systematic Review.” BMJ Open, vol. 7, no. 9, 2017, e016408. BMJ Publishing Group, https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/9/e016408. ⸻ 5. Fugh-Berman, Adriane. “May I Have the Sting? Cutting CME’s Ties to Pharma.” AMA Journal of Ethics, vol. 8, no. 6, 2006, pp. 356–360. American Medical Association, https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/may-sting-bit-cutting-cmes-ties-pharma/2006-06

Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.

👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.

📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604

📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:

Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy

Website: www.protealife.com

💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy, Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center, opens up about why so many patients lose trust in traditional, insurance-based medical care—and why they often turn exclusively to alternative medicine.

Dr. McCarthy shares personal experiences and patient stories that reveal the deeper issues in today’s healthcare system: short appointment times, lack of empathy, profit-driven models, and the powerful role of storytelling in alternative health.

This conversation is about more than medicine—it’s about empathy, validation, and radical transparency in how we care for one another.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why patients often reject pharmaceuticals (even when safe & effective)

• The role of empathy and time in building trust

• How alternative medicine wins hearts through stories

• Why managed care models fail both patients and providers

• How we can rebuild trust in healthcare through radical transparency

Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.

👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.

📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604

📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:

Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy

Website: www.protealife.com

💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

In this episode, I open up about my personal journey into medicine, how my son’s health crisis during medical school shaped the doctor I am today, and why I believe in practicing medicine with time, care, and accountability. As a licensed naturopathic medical doctor and primary care provider, I share how I balance conventional treatments with holistic approaches, and why I think medicine needs both science and humanity.

You’ll hear:

The personal story that drove me to become the kind of doctor I am today

Why I spend extra time with patients and focus on building trust

The strengths and challenges of both conventional and alternative medicine

How patients can learn who to trust in today’s confusing healthcare world

Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.

👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.

📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604

📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:

Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy

Website: www.protealife.com

💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

In this powerful series finale, Dr. Brendan McCarthy, Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center, shares a personal story about the humble beginnings of his practice—and then dives deep into a critical but often overlooked topic in medicine: self-silencing in women and how it profoundly impacts health.

In this episode, you'll learn:

How emotional suppression and chronic stress affect weight gain, fertility, autoimmunity, and thyroid function

Why simply telling women to “eat less” or “relax” is not real medicine—and what actually works

The role of intermittent fasting, hormonal support, and therapy in restoring health

How to identify self-silencing behaviors and start healing from the inside out

A discussion of GLP-1s, LDN, cold plunges, testosterone, thyroid labs, and more

A call for modern medicine to return to true, whole-person care

Whether you're a patient, physician, or just curious about the future of compassionate medicine—this one’s for you.

Citations: https://academic.oup.com/mend/article/15/11/1864/2747880 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2012.00177/full

Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.

👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.

📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604

📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:

Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy

Website: www.protealife.com

💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!