As the health of Americans comes into sharper focus with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, women’s health needs to be a priority, says one expert.
Functional medicine provider Dr. Austin Lake of Tulsa, Oklahoma, specializes in treating women with hormonal imbalances, autoimmune conditions and chronic diseases.
In an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital, Lake said that before the MAHA movement, he met with many “frustrated” women who suffered chronic health problems, as well as mothers and grandmothers who worried about their children’s health. (See the video at the top of this article.)
“When RFK came on the scene … and started to give it a title, Make America Healthy Again just made sense,” he said.
“There’s plenty of stats and evidence that indicates there is a huge need for a movement like this, because our people are struggling,” added Lake.
President Donald Trump, from left, actress Cheryl Hines, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), during a ceremony in the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 13, 2025. (Jason C. Andrew/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
For women in particular, Lake highlighted a few key issues the MAHA movement is likely to tackle.
Pesticide exposure
Exposure to glyphosate, an herbicide that is often sprayed on crops as a pesticide, could block the body’s ability to fight off cancer, according to Lake.
“Not only does it strip minerals and key nutrients from our food, it also takes away key healing components that would prevent something like cancer from being formed,” he noted.
Glyphosate, which is sprayed on some crops as a pesticide, can have adverse health effects, according to experts. (iStock)
“One of the chemotherapy drugs they use to fight off cancer is in our food, but it’s blocked by glyphosate.”
The doctor suggested that local farmers should protect their crops in a way that is safer for consumers.
Fluoride in water
While cancer impacts both men and women, fluoride in U.S. water sources could have a more severe effect on women’s health, Lake suggested.
Amid continued debate about the pros and cons of fluoride, new research has shown that ingesting the chemical can lead to lower IQs in children and can be harmful to the thyroid, which is a common issue among women.
Fluoride in U.S. water sources could have a more severe effect on women’s health, suggested one doctor (not pictured). (iStock)
“[Fluoride] reduces iodine in the human body because it competes for absorption, so now all of a sudden you have more of these thyroid problems,” the doctor said.
While thyroid medication is one of the most prescribed drugs in the world for women, Lake noted, “it doesn’t actually fix the problem.”
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“But if you look at things like fluoride and the deficiency of minerals in our food, and then you start to compound that with poor air quality, high stress, a lot of workload and family life and inability to make ends meet … it becomes a pretty big, noticeable problem,” he said.
Infertility and reproductive issues
With high stress levels among American women, Lake predicted there will be a “continuation of infertility” without larger efforts to protect women’s health.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the birth rate in America has dropped to a historic low, decreasing by 3% since 2022.
One major concern among women is severe symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), Lake noted.
The birth rate in America has hit a historic low, according to research, as reproductive challenges in women arise. (iStock)
“We’ve normalized severe PMS,” he said. “I think a lot of women have figured [that it’s] pretty common – having menstrual cramping right before a cycle or having debilitating pain or the inability to feel energized leading up to a cycle … But that’s not normal stuff.”
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Many women’s health conditions can be linked to lifestyle factors, including inflammatory foods and chronic stress, Lake said.
Certain deficiencies can “directly influence a woman’s fertile window and how she feels leading up to it and her ability to make life,” he noted.
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More American women are also being diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which causes a variety of symptoms such as irregular periods, weight gain, and difficulty becoming or staying pregnant.
Lake said that an imbalance in hormonal pathways can increase PCOS risk. “For most women with PCOS, the underlying root cause is insulin resistance, which means your body is unable to properly manage energy.”
PCOS can be linked to insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, causing a variety of symptoms. (iStock)
PCOS is also linked to chronic inflammation, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, which can then worsen insulin resistance.
Food, environmental factors, sleep, high stress and deficiencies can lead to oxidative stress and inflammation, Lake noted — leading to an “inability to detox properly so that your body is not getting rid of these things.”
“It’s my belief that God created our bodies to heal. Like He says, ‘Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made.’”
“[Women] are exposed to the same foods and environmental challenges that men are, but they have these added components, specifically with their adrenal glands, that then affect their output of things like progesterone,” he said — which is “super important for hormonal balance.”
Unhealthy food choices
Better food choices for Americans should start in schools and hospitals, Lake suggested, where decisions can be made to stop serving what’s cheapest and start serving what’s best for young children, elderly people and those with illnesses.
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“There’s no question that it’s worth investing in good, healthy food, but a lot of people have just been sold the lie that food doesn’t have a huge impact on your health and that there must be some genetic component as to why they’re struggling,” he told Fox News Digital.
“We have to start to bring more awareness to this and make sure people are shown that their actions have consequences — and that their good choices also have positive consequences.”
Certain deficiencies can “directly influence a woman’s fertile window” and her “ability to make life,” Lake said. (iStock)
People should know their bodies have the capability to heal themselves, Lake emphasized.
“If you feel hopeless, your ability to put effort into making these small changes is going to be really diminished,” he said.
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“It’s my belief that God created our bodies to heal. Like He says, ‘Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made.’”
Ultimately, Lake said, leading healthier lifestyles becomes easier with the support of the government and corporations that are “actually making good products.”
