Studies show that low-carbohydrate diets help in weight loss and improve metabolic health, these being beneficial for some people, although not so much for others. And it is that doing a low carbohydrate diet for a long time could alter the hormones in our body, especially if you are a woman.
Keep in mind that hormones are released into the blood by glands, which are very abundant in our body. They have a very important function that is to monitor all the situations that happen within our body. For example, bad mood and weight are regulated by hormones.
Learn how low-carbohydrate diets affect female hormones and what health problems they can pose.
Can a low carbohydrate diet be harmful for women?
Women’s hormones are regulated by three main glands: hypothalamus (located in the brain), pituitary (located in the brain), and adrenal glands (located in the upper part of the kidneys). These three are responsible for keeping hormones in balance, causing a hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, known as HPA.
The hormonal glands are very sensitive to calorie intake, stress and physical exercise, which is why a low carbohydrate diet could significantly affect us, being reflected in our attitudes. On the other hand, it is not a secret that long-term stress is harmful to our body, since the overproduction of cortisol and norepinephrine creates an imbalance in our body and increases pressure on the hypothalamus and adrenal glands.
In turn, this pressure leads to a dysfunction of the HPA axis, referring to adrenal fatigue. One of the most common symptoms is fatigue, a weakened immune system, and an increased risk of health problems.
In this sense, a study also found that, regardless of weight loss, a low-carbohydrate diet increases cortisol levels compared to a moderate one of fat, thus being able to deduce that this type of diet could alter our functions. women’s stress levels, among other variables.
What problems can low carbohydrate diets cause?
In addition to the alteration of stress levels, eating few carbohydrates can affect our health, because if you do not consume enough you will experience irregular menstrual cycles or amenorrhea (menstrual cycle absent for 3 months or more).
On the other hand, low levels of leptin (a hormone produced by fat cells) is another possible cause of amenorrhea and irregular menstruation, as several studies suggest that women need a certain level of leptin to maintain normal menstrual function.
In this way, if your calorie or carbohydrate intake is very low, you will completely suppress leptin levels causing an irregularity in your menstruation. In particular, underweight women almost always suffer from low levels of this hormone. In turn, other studies report that amenorrhea tends to appear as a side effect in women who follow a low-carbohydrate diet for a long period of time.
How many carbohydrates should a woman eat?
Not everyone has the same body and the same diet or exercise routine does not work for everyone, so the optimal amount of carbohydrates varies for each individual .
Many nutritionists recommend that you consume between 15-30% of total calories in the form of carbohydrates, this equates for most women to about 75-150 grams per day. However, some may also find a higher or lower carbohydrate intake beneficial.
On the other hand, certain women may consume a slightly higher amount of carbohydrates (around 100-150 grams per day). This includes women who meet the following characteristics:
- They have been on a very low carbohydrate diet for a long time.
- They want to recover after hard training.
- They want to lose weight or, conversely, start gaining weight.
- They have stopped menstruating.
- Are breastfeeding or pregnant.
Only for these types of women is a moderate diet beneficial, as it will maintain a good level of mood and provide them with a lot of energy to face their daily activities, as well as normal menstrual function and better sleep. Other types of women, such as athletes, can eat more than 150 grams of carbohydrates.
Conclution
A diet must always be balanced, in addition to adapting to your needs. That is why it is not advisable to search the internet to discover some diets, instead it is much better to make an appointment with a specialist and have him advise you, because depending on your situation or how you feel he can make you the diet you need and thus allow you to maintain a good Health.
Reference
- Brown, MJ Do Very Low-Carb Diets Mess Up Some Women’s Hormones? For Authoritynutrition [Revised November 2016]
