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Learn about the benefits and risks of intermittent fasting for women
Intermittent fasting is known to have several health benefits, including weight loss and reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes.
However, studies have suggested that intermittent fasting may affect men and women differently. In addition to causing changes in insulin, norepinephrine, and human growth hormone levels, intermittent fasting may have a unique effect on female sex and hunger hormones.
Intermittent fasting is known to have several health benefits, but it may affect women differently. Learn about the benefits and risks of intermittent fasting for women.
Why does intermittent fasting affect women differently?
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that alternates between periods of fasting and periods of eating.
Studies have shown that intermittent fasting may be less effective in some women because their bodies have higher levels of kisspeptin, which makes them more sensitive to dietary changes. Kisspeptin is a neuropeptide that controls metabolism and detects changes in the availability of food, warning the body to restore energy.
Women are more sensitive than men to low-calorie diets and have hormones that are affected by calorie restriction. GnRH is responsible for the release of two key reproductive hormones, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Disrupting these hormones can result in a range of hormonal disorders, such as irregular periods, amenorrhea, infertility, ovary size reduction, and reduced bone density.
When calorie intake is low due to fasting, the body shuts down reproductive processes. Other symptoms in women may include increased appetite, decreased satisfaction with food, hair loss, mood swings, and disrupted sleep.
7 health benefits of intermittent fasting for women
1. Promotes cell repair
Studies have shown that fasting aids the process of apoptosis (dead cell turnover or destruction). The body breaks down and eliminates old, damaged, and abnormal cells during apoptosis and recycles them for energy. This cellular cleaning clears the way for the body to produce new, healthy cells. It promotes cellular repair and regeneration, inhibits the formation of abnormal cell growth, and maintains the health of your cells and tissues.
2. Reduces inflammation
Most chronic illnesses and diseases are caused by persistent inflammation at the cellular level. Fasting has been shown to inhibit the creation of inflammatory pathways, inflammatory activity, and chronic inflammation. As a result, it may benefit your physical and mental health, as well as lower your risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.
3. Promotes weight loss
When fasting, your body may start to burn stored fat into ketones instead of stored glycogen (carbohydrates) for energy. Ketones serve as a substitute for glycogen as a fuel source for cells. As your body adapts to this process, which is called ketosis, it gains metabolic flexibility and becomes more efficient at burning fat.
4. Improves energy
Fasting and ketosis can also boost your energy levels due to an increase in mitophagy, the process of destroying old, damaged, or defective mitochondria and replacing them with new, healthy mitochondria. Improving mitochondrial health has been shown to boost cellular energy and energy efficiency.
5. Improves gut health
Fasting can help boost your gut microbiome, which is made up of trillions of bacteria that are good for digestive health.
6. Boosts human growth hormone production
A recent study on 200 people reported that fasting for a single24-hour period boosted human growth hormone (HGH) by 2,000% in men and 1,300% in women. HGH is required to build, maintain, and repair healthy tissue in the bones, brain, and other organs, as well as to speed up the recovery of muscle tissue after exercise. HGH helps increase muscular growth metabolism and burns fat. HGH has also been shown to slow skin aging.
7. Improves insulin sensitivity
Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels and aids in the delivery of glucose to cells. High carb consumption can lead to high blood sugar levels, which cause your cells to stop reacting to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. Fasting can help improve your sensitivity to insulin and reduce the pressure on your cells.
9 risks of intermittent fasting for women
1. Risk of eating disorders
Fasting and extreme calorie restriction should be done only in the short term. Prolonged fasting increases the risk of acquiring or worsening an eating disorder.
Since a calorie deficit can lead to increased hunger and binge eating, it is best to avoid intermittent fasting if you have struggled with an eating disorder or unhealthy eating behavior in the past.
2. Nutrient deficiency
With intermittent fasting, there is the risk of not getting enough nutrients to maintain overall health. For example, not getting enough protein or vitamin B can cause hair loss and other health problems. It is important to make sure you are eating nutrient-dense foods during your eating windows to prevent nutritional deficiencies.
3. Thyroid dysfunction
When you drastically reduce your calorie intake, your thyroid responds by producing less thyroid hormone. This is your body's natural response to slow down and burn fewer calories because there is not enough food to sustain energy levels. If you already have thyroid issues (hypothyroidism), fasting can worsen your condition.
4. Disrupts menstrual cycle
Extreme calorie restriction can negatively impact menstrual cycles. If you have irregular cycles or are in the middle of in vitro fertilization therapy, intermittent fasting may not be suitable for you.
5. Risk of hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar can occur during fasting periods, especially if your fasting window is too long. Furthermore, if you already have blood sugar irregularities, you are more prone to experience low blood sugar on fasting days.
6. Drug interactions
If you are taking medications for diabetes, blood pressure, or heart disease, fasting can cause sodium, potassium, and other mineral imbalances in the body. Fasting may not be even suitable for women who need to take their medications with food to avoid nausea or stomach distress.
7. Pregnancy complications
Women who are pregnant or nursing should not do intermittent fasting without first consulting a doctor. Extreme calorie restriction can lead to low blood sugar in the mother, abnormal, prenatal development, and other pregnancy complications.
8. Risk of constipation
Any diet may cause distress if you do not receive enough fluids, vitamins, protein, or fiber. It is common for individuals to forget to drink water during fasting hours, and lasting 16 hours without enough liquids causes gastrointestinal disasters, especially bowel movements.
9. Impact on sleep
Many people who do intermittent fasting claim that it has a positive effect on sleep. However, some studies have suggested that fasting could disrupt sleep for some people.
