For decades, aging has been framed as an inevitable decline, a slow surrender to fatigue, brain fog, hormonal chaos, and chronic disease. But according to Dr. Mani Kukreja, that narrative is not only outdated, but it’s also wrong.
In a powerful episode of “A Healthy Point of View” podcast, Sam Tejada, CEO and Founder of Liquivida®, sat down with Dr. Mani Kukreja, a women’s health expert with over a decade of experience in oncology, clinical research, and integrative longevity medicine. What followed was a deeply insightful conversation that reframed aging, hormones, prevention, and women’s health through a proactive, science-backed lens. Dr. Mani’s core message is simple yet transformative: aging is not a breakdown, it’s a window for optimization.
Women Are Aging Too Fast… And No One Is Talking About This | Dr. Mani Kukreja | Ep. 113
From Oncology to Prevention: A Career Shaped by Data
Born and raised in India, Dr. Mani completed medical school before moving to the United States, where she pursued advanced training in women’s health and clinical research. After earning her Master’s in Public Health and leading clinical research for nearly 14 years in metabolic disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, one pattern became impossible to ignore. People were intervening far too late.
“I kept seeing the same thing again and again,” she explained. “The data showed that early intervention made the biggest difference, yet most people only addressed their health once the disease had already set in.”
That realization prompted a major pivot. During the COVID era, Dr. Mani transitioned from traditional research into concierge, integrative care, focusing on education, prevention, and personalized optimization, particularly for women.
The “Golden Decade” Every Woman Needs to Know About
Dr. Mani describes ages 35 to 45 as the “decade of golden transformation.” It’s the period when subtle changes begin, slower metabolism, hormonal shifts, and decreased cellular repair that are often dismissed as “normal aging.”
But these early signals matter. “This decade determines what your health looks like in your 50s, 60s, and beyond,” she emphasized. “If you take care of your health here, you dramatically improve your future.”
Instead of accepting fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, or weight gain as unavoidable, Dr. Mani urges women to see these signs as action points, not endpoints.
Why Aging Happens And Why It Accelerates
Biologically, aging is driven by three major forces:
- Oxidative stress
- Chronic inflammation
- Declining cellular repair mechanisms
Every cell in the body produces energy (ATP), and in the process, generates reactive oxygen species (ROS). When the body can’t efficiently clear these byproducts, oxidative damage accumulates, accelerating aging and disease.
The good news?
Only 20% of chronic disease risk is genetic. The remaining 80% is driven by lifestyle and environment. That means aging and many age-related diseases are highly modifiable.
The Modern Aging Accelerators We Can’t Ignore
Today’s world exposes the body to unprecedented stressors:
- Environmental toxins and pesticides
- Microplastics in food and water
- UV radiation and pollution
- Chronic psychological stress
Mental stress, in particular, plays a major role. Persistent elevation of cortisol drives inflammation, disrupts hormones, impairs sleep, and accelerates cellular aging.
“The mind isn’t separate from the body,” Dr. Mani explained. “Every thought creates a hormonal response.”
Health Optimization Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive
While biohacking technology gets a lot of attention, Dr. Mani is clear: the foundations matter most, and they’re free.
Her four non-negotiable pillars:
- Deep, consistent sleep
- Strength training and movement
- Anti-inflammatory nutrition
- Stress regulation
“These are long-term decisions,” she said. “Not quick fixes, but they sustain health for decades.”
Bone Health: The Overlooked Cornerstone of Longevity
One of the most eye-opening discussions centered on bone health, an area often ignored until it’s too late. Estrogen begins declining as early as age 30, and women lose approximately 1% of bone density per year. By menopause, many have already lost 20% often without realizing it.
Bones aren’t just structural. They:
- Influence cognition through BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factors)
- Regulate mood, motivation, and neurotransmitters
- Support immune function through bone marrow
Dr. Mani strongly advocates for DEXA scans starting at age 40, not just to assess osteoporosis risk, but to evaluate muscle mass and visceral fat, key predictors of long-term health.
Hormones, Birth Control, and a Misguided System
A critical topic addressed was the widespread use of birth control pills in young girls, sometimes as early as age 12. “These are synthetic hormones,” Dr. Mani explained. “They’re not bioidentical, and they don’t optimize health; they suppress natural function.”
Long-term use has been linked to inflammation, clotting risks, fertility challenges, and hormonal dysregulation later in life. In contrast, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), when properly tested and dosed, supports brain health, bone density, cardiovascular function, libido, and overall vitality.
Recent conversations around removing outdated black-box warnings on hormone therapy further validate what integrative medicine has long known: optimized hormones protect women; they don’t harm them.
Women Need Testosterone Too
One persistent myth Dr. Mani dismantled: testosterone is only for men.
In reality, women need small, personalized doses for:
- Muscle strength and recovery
- Cognitive clarity
- Confidence and motivation
- Libido and sexual health
“Hormones work in harmony,” she explained. “When one is missing, everything suffers.”
Women’s sexual health is deeply interconnected with hormones, circulation, mental well-being, and lifestyle. Common issues like vaginal dryness, recurrent UTIs, low libido, and pelvic floor dysfunction often stem from hormonal decline, poor blood flow, and chronic inflammation, not just aging.
Targeted hormone support, nitric oxide optimization, strength training, and stress regulation can dramatically restore function and quality of life.
Cancer, Metabolism, and Lifestyle
With her oncology background, Dr. Mani offered a grounded perspective on cancer.
“Cancer is uncontrolled cellular growth,” she explained. “And chronic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction create the environment for it.” Excess sugar, poor sleep, stress, and visceral fat damage DNA, proteins, and hormones, increasing mutation risk.
While genetics play a role, lifestyle remains the dominant driver.
Sleep: The Ultimate Longevity Tool
Sleep emerged as one of the most critical pillars of health.
During deep sleep:
- The brain clears toxins via the glymphatic system
- Growth hormone spikes
- Immune repair accelerates
- Hunger hormones reset
Chronic sleep deprivation increases dementia risk, weakens immunity, disrupts metabolism, and shortens lifespan.
Dr. Mani’s simple sleep rules:
- No food 3 hours before bed
- No fluids 2 hours before bed
- No screens 1 hour before bed
- Morning sunlight exposure to reset the circadian rhythm
Community, Purpose, and Faith Matter
Health isn’t just biological, it’s social and emotional. Community, connection, and purpose elevate oxytocin levels, reduce stress, and improve longevity. Aging well means staying engaged, valued, and fulfilled, not just symptom-free.
Dr. Mani’s book, Age Stronger, Live Longer, reflects her philosophy perfectly. Aging is inevitable, but how you age is a choice.
The goal isn’t simply to live longer, it’s to live with strength, confidence, clarity, and vitality.
Because the last decades of life shouldn’t be spent in hospitals, they should be lived fully.