Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn
Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn is a podcast dedicated to empowering women and promoting breast health through a functional medicine lens. Dr. Jenn is a leading functional medicine practitioner specializing in restoring health to the breast cancer population. She explores a range of topics related to breast health, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and holistic approaches to support overall well-being.
Whether you're a breast cancer survivor, a woman seeking to improve your breast health, a caregiver supporting a loved one, or you are just looking to thrive in this complicated world, this podcast is designed to meet your needs. Discover how functional medicine approaches can complement conventional treatments, support hormone balance, enhance nutrition, manage stress, optimize lifestyle choices, and promote overall well-being. Tune into Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn to gain the knowledge, tools, and resources to take control of your breast health journey. Remember, at the end of the day, breast health is health!
Note: The Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for personalized guidance and treatment recommendations.
Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn
129: Diagnosed but Still Not Better: What’s Being Missed in Women’s Hormone Care with Dr. Eugene Shippen
In this episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons is joined by Dr. Eugene Shippen, hormone specialist best known for his early work in bioidentical hormone therapy and for authoring The Testosterone Syndrome. Together, they explore the overlooked biology behind endometriosis, breast cancer, and persistent hormonal imbalance, focusing on how aromatase-driven inflammation links these conditions and why standard treatments often miss the root cause.
The conversation covers individualized vitamin D dosing, iodine’s role in thyroid and breast health, testosterone in women, and a clear, evidence-based approach to hormone replacement therapy, who it’s right for, who should avoid it, and why many women are being denied care unnecessarily.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- How estrogen and inflammation drive hormone-positive breast cancer
- Why breast tumors produce their own estrogen and what treatment often overlooks
- What endometriosis reveals about aromatase activity and breast cancer biology
- Why vitamin D functions as a hormone and how deficiency impacts breast cancer risk and outcomes
- The role of iodine in breast tissue, dense breasts, and fibrocystic disease
- When hormone replacement therapy may be appropriate after breast cancer and when it is not
Episode Timeline
00:00 Introduction to Hormonal Health
05:06 Understanding Endometriosis
12:28 Endometriosis and Breast Cancer Connections
17:33 The Coimbra Protocol and Vitamin D
22:15 Vitamin D's Role in Disease Prevention
27:55 Individualized Vitamin D Dosing
35:39 Monitoring Health Conditions
37:03 The Role of Testosterone in Women's Health
42:46 Understanding Iodine and Its Importance
50:50 Hormone Replacement Therapy: Current Perspectives
01:00:18 Breast Cancer and Hormone Replacement
01:03:39 Environmental Factors Influencing Breast Cancer Rates
To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working privately with RHMD, visit:
https://jennsimmons.simplero.com/page/377266?kuid=327aca17-5135-44cf-9210-c0b77a56e26d&kref=vOKy0sAiorrK
To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide
To purchase the auria breast cancer screening test go here https://auria.care/ and use the code DRJENN20 for 20% Off.
Connect with Dr. Jenn:
Website: https://www.jennsimmonsmd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons