Is Intermittent Fasting Okay For Women?
What is Intermittent Fasting?
If you are heavily invested in the health and wellness space, you have probably heard a thing or two about INTERMITTENT FASTING. But let’s dive into what IF actually is and concerns that may arise with this lifestyle.
Intermittent Fasting requires setting an “eating window” in which you have a period of time in the day you are allowed to eat, and the other hours of the day you are fasting. For example, most people follow the 16/8 hour fasting meaning they fast for 16 hours and 8 hours they can eat. IF is a trend, especially in the fitness community, to promote weight loss, reduce insulin sensitivity, lower inflammation and promote longevity.
Fasting is “stimulated starvation”. While the intentions may seem promising, it does not come without it’s repercussions.
The Hormone Consideration
Women are biologically different than men. We have hormonal differences and needs that need to be considered before beginning any changes in dietary habits.
Women’s fertility is directly adverse to starvation of ANY kind. One of the biological adaptations women have to starvation that men do not have is shutting down reproduction function. Fasting puts stress on the body. Progesterone and estrogen plummet when there is excess cortisol as a result from the perceived stress of not eating. Your body is basically getting the signal that there is not enough food around to grow and nourish a baby. Just as not eating enough carbohydrates effects reproduction, intermittent fasting can act as a similar stressor on the body.
Aside from estrogen and progesterone, thyroid function can take a hit. The thyroid plays a central role in metabolism, hormones, mood, and cognitive function. It is involved in literally hundreds of biological functions in the body, so if our thyroid is not working properly, you most definitely will feel the effects. Triiodothyronine (T3) is the active form and thyroxine is the inactive from (T4). When we are in balance, T4 gets converted into T3. Thyroid function down regulates when we diet and all of those biological functions slow down resulting in hypothyroidism or subclinical hypothyroidism symptoms. (1, 2)
Disordered Eating
And if the hormonal chaos wasn’t enough stress on the body, obsessive food thoughts can arise causing even more psychological stress. It’s no new science that skipping meals may lead to food cravings and binge eating (3) If you have a history or currently have an eating disorder or disordered eating patterns, intermittent fasting may not be the best option for sustained recovery.
This post is not to demonize IF, but simply to explain the facts. IF can be an effective tool for men, but women need to be a little more careful about strict eating regimens. As always, if longevity, weight loss, or increasing a healthy lifestyle is the goal, there are so many other ways to go about doing so.
A safer option to induce adaptive responses with similar health benefits: EXERCISE. A healthy exercise regimen 3-4 days per week can elicit similar effects on the body and is sustainable long-term.
However, if you choose to follow intermittent fasting, be sure to check with your primary care physician to ensure this is safe for you. You must be in a physically healthy place in order to begin any diet plan.
