The Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Women’s Hormones

Understanding Intermittent Fasting and Women’s Hormones

Intermittent fasting has been a popular eating pattern for over a century with many people using it as an approach to weight loss. However, alternating between eating and fasting may have varying impacts on one’s endocrine system depending on factors like gender and fasting duration. Therefore, it is essential to understand the potential effects of intermittent fasting on women’s hormones.

Although more research is needed, many people think intermittent fasting affects women’s hormones. Because of the potential effects on cortisol levels and other important hormones, women may need to approach fasting differently than men to ensure their overall health.

Consider the following tips to thoroughly explore the relationship between intermittent fasting and women’s hormones. Then, you should consult a board-certified nutritionist and expert health coach to determine if you should be intermittent fasting for weight loss based on your nutritional needs and other unique circumstances affecting your health.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is an umbrella term for eating patterns that alternate between intervals of eating and food abstinence. Intermittent fasting focuses more on when to eat rather than what to eat, leaving it up to the individual to ensure they consume enough macronutrients and micronutrients during the allotted times.

Intermittent fasting can take different forms due to the variety of fasting schedules that have been solidified over the years. Some examples of common eating patterns that qualify as intermittent fasting are:

• 16/8 method – This approach involves eating your daily caloric total within a strict 8-hour window and fasting for the other 16 hours of the day.
• 5/2 method – This strategy instructs individuals to consume a regular calorie-dense diet five days a week while fasting or restricting food intake for two non-consecutive days.
• Alternate day fasting – Practicing this method demands switching between days of normal eating and days of fasting or minimal calorie consumption.

Intermittent fasting is believed to have many benefits, but the abovementioned eating patterns can yield different results for everyone who tries them. Still, most people who practice intermittent fasting aim to lose weight, improve blood sugar control, and reduce inflammation.

How Intermittent Fasting May Affect Women’s Hormones

Even though some people may experience progress toward their weight loss goal after trying intermittent fasting, the disruption this eating pattern can cause to your body may outweigh the potential benefits, especially for women, due to the uniqueness of their endocrine system.

Although members of the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago believe there needs to be more research performed for total certainty, there is a possibility that intermittent fasting significantly impacts women's hormones, particularly those regulating reproductive functions.

For example, prolonged food deprivation may stimulate a stress response in the body, drawing a connection between intermittent fasting and cortisol. Excessive amounts of this key stress hormone can disrupt the balance of estrogen and progesterone. In fact, elevated cortisol may be able to suppress gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), potentially spurring menstrual irregularities and fertility issues. 

Moreover, the reduced calorie intake accompanying fasting practices might lower dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels, further influencing hormonal health for some individuals. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between intermittent fasting and women's hormones.

Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Hormones with Various Conditions

The effects of intermittent fasting on women's hormones can vary on a case-by-case basis, especially if an individual has been diagnosed with any of the following health conditions.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is characterized by hormonal imbalances that can lead to irregular menstrual cycles. Some experts suggest that PCOS diets should avoid intermittent fasting as a method of weight loss—the strain it places on the body may not yield visible, long-lasting results. People may consume too many calories during the times when eating is permitted, potentially affecting insulin sensitivity and weight management efforts.

Menopause

Typically, estrogen and progesterone levels decline during menopause, which can contribute to various symptoms, such as:

• Hot flashes or night sweats
• Unexplained mood swings
• Disturbed sleep cycles
• Vaginal dryness
• Decreased libido
• Joint pain
• Breast tenderness
• Fatigue
• Digestive complications

Intermittent fasting may incite an additional progesterone-altering effect, intensifying the naturally declining progesterone that occurs during menopause and potentially exacerbating some of the symptoms above. However, postmenopausal women might experience more stable hormone levels, suggesting that after menopause, ovulation and menstruation may not be substantially affected by intermittent fasting. However, individual responses can vary, so approaching fasting cautiously is crucial.

Hypothyroidism

Having an underactive thyroid gland can lead to a slower metabolism, meaning hypothyroidism may contribute to weight gain and long-lasting fatigue. Intermittent fasting may further inhibit thyroid function, potentially worsening these symptoms and negating the eating pattern’s alleged weight loss benefits. Therefore, women with hypothyroidism should consult healthcare providers before trying a new fasting regimen.

Insulin Resistance

When somebody's cells become less responsive to the hormone insulin, glucose from the bloodstream may not be efficiently absorbed by the cells for energy. Sometimes, the pancreas tries to produce more insulin to compensate for this, leading to elevated insulin levels in the blood.

Consistently high blood sugar and elevated insulin levels can contribute to a variety of health problems. For example, the pancreas may not be able to keep up with the demand for insulin, fueling a decline in insulin production that can lead to type 2 diabetes or complications with metabolic function or weight management.

Intermittent fasting may improve insulin sensitivity, facilitating blood sugar control for some individuals. Nonetheless, each individual should consider the balance between fasting benefits and potential metabolic stress to ensure intermittent fasting is right for them.

Menstrual Cycle Irregularity

Excessive fasting practices that demand extreme calorie restriction can strain the body and possibly disrupt the menstrual cycle, ultimately reducing the frequency of periods by limiting DHEA. Since some intermittent fasting patterns may affect ovulation and hormone production, women should be aware of the potential changes food abstinence can have on cycle regularity and fertility.

Consulting medical providers, board-certified nutritionists, and expert health coaches is the best way to explore your unique conditions and get insight into how intermittent fasting may affect your specific body.

The Impacts of Stress on Hormones

As suggested above, stress plays a significant role in hormonal health. Physical or psychological stressors, including restrictive diets or prolonged fasting periods, may activate the HPA axis, which can trigger the release of cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels can disrupt the balance of reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Long stints of fasting-induced stress may lead to various symptoms, such as:

• Mood swings
• Sleep disturbances
• Menstrual irregularities
• Reduced fertility
• Decreased libido
• Fatigue

Therefore, choosing a fasting method that minimizes stress responses and supports your overall well-being is essential.

How Are Hormones and Metabolism Linked?

Hormones are integral to regulating metabolism, the chemical processes that convert food into energy and build or break down molecules needed for bodily functions. Two examples are:

• Thyroid hormones, specifically triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), regulate the body's metabolic rate by manipulating how cells convert oxygen and nutrients into energy.
• Insulin regulates blood sugar levels by promoting glucose uptake into cells for energy and facilitating its storage as glycogen in the liver. 

Disruptions in hormonal balance can lead to metabolic issues that can change the way food is stored or broken down, potentially affecting weight management and energy levels. 

Intermittent fasting can speed up metabolisms in the short term for some individuals. However, fasting for too long can actually slow them down. Always consult a qualified professional before introducing new dietary practices like intermittent fasting to preserve hormonal balance and metabolic efficiency.

How Women Can Safely Fast

Women can try intermittent fasting more safely by approaching it slowly and ensuring their bodies are still getting the nutrients they need to thrive. Some examples of strategies that may minimize health risks during intermittent fasting are:

• Avoiding extreme fasting – Introduce fasting gradually by starting with short-to-moderate fasting intervals and then adjusting your eating schedule as needed to avoid putting excessive stress on the body.
• Choosing appropriate timing – Consider how you feel during different parts of the day before deciding when to fast. Try to align fasting periods with times of lower physical and mental stress to avoid excessively high cortisol.
• Maintaining balanced nutrition – Since it is about when you eat and not what you eat, fasting should not come at the cost of your overall nutritional intake. Ensure you are consuming a well-rounded diet during eating periods.
• Seeking support from peers – For added help with accountability, you should consider joining supportive communities or asking your loved ones to check in on your progress toward your eating-related goals.

In addition to the above-mentioned strategies, you should consult qualified healthcare providers or board-certified nutritionists to get personalized guidance on your journey. They can help you monitor your body's responses to fasting efforts and help you adjust practices as needed to ensure your overall well-being. 

Other Ways to Take Care of Your Hormonal Health

Thankfully, women can implement many other strategies and lifestyle changes to strengthen or preserve hormonal health aside from intermittent fasting. For example, engaging in physical activity regularly can help regulate hormones and support metabolic health. Additionally, practicing stress management can be helpful—incorporate relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga to help lower cortisol levels. Be sure to maintain healthy eating habits, get sufficient sleep, and stay hydrated to support natural bodily functions, including hormone-related operations.

Consider Intermittent Fasting Alternatives

Research from the Medical College at Qingdao University in Qingdao, China, shows that intermittent fasting is roughly as effective as continuous calorie restriction for weight loss. Since there may be no significant difference in weight loss outcomes between the two dietary approaches, many people may be able to avoid hormonal complications by opting for ongoing calorie restriction rather than entirely abstaining from food consumption for set periods.

Still, everyone’s body is different. Weight loss approaches should be tailored to the unique needs of each individual. The board-certified nutritionists and expert health coaches at re:vitalize can use biometric impedance technology and then use the Body Composition & Metabolic Age Analysis results to tailor weight loss initiatives to the specific member. Plus, our team can provide accountability and support throughout the member’s wellness journey.

Discuss Your Options with re:vitalize

In many cases, intermittent fasting does affect women’s hormones by raising cortisol and disrupting the balance of estrogen and progesterone. So, it is crucial to explore other, more sustainable weight loss approaches that do not deliver hormonal side effects. 

The Flexible Weight Loss program and Weight Loss & Metabolic Reset programs at re:vitalize are designed to help members make realistic, long-term lifestyle changes, such as consuming or avoiding certain nutrients, to achieve sustainable weight loss without having to worry about intermittent fasting and women’s hormones.

Schedule a virtual or in-person consultation with re:vitalize to learn the best way to achieve your health and wellness goals.