[New Study] How Intermittent Fasting Affects Women’s Hormones

✨new research on intermittent fasting in women ✨

Intermittent fasting is effective for weight loss, but we have never known whether it has any effect on female hormones—until now.

A study at The University of Illinois Chicago looked at the hormonal effects in 23 obese pre- and postmenopausal women following the “warrior diet.”

The warrior diet restricts eating to a 4 or 6-hour window each day and allows only for water for the other 18-20 hours.

Here’s what they found after 8 weeks:

↔️ There were no changes in testosterone or SHBG levels in pre- or postmenopausal women

↔️ There were no changes in estrogen or progesterone levels in postmenopausal women (these weren’t tested in premenopausal)

⬇️ DHEA levels dropped by about 14% in both pre- and postmenopausal women

The women following the warrior diet did experience weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity.

The study was published in Obesity in October 2022.

The takeaway?

👉 Intermittent fasting may lower DHEA levels in women. This is a hormone that is important for fertility and as a precursor to other hormones after menopause.

We need to weigh the risks and benefits for each individual because there is no one-size fits all. Plus, we need to keep following the research as it comes out (we’ll do that part so you don’t have to!).

If you need a personalized approach to your hormones and weight, please book a consult. Appointments can be scheduled at elementsnatmed.com 🔗

Reference

Faiza Kalam, Rand T. Akasheh, Sofia Cienfuegos, et al. Effect of time‐restricted eating on sex hormone levels in premenopausal and postmenopausal females. Obesity, 2022. [link]

What Is Seed Cycling?

Have you heard the hype about seed cycling? Let’s break it down. 

Seed cycling is a naturopathic therapy that has been used for many years. It means eating specific seeds during different phases of the menstrual cycle to support hormonal balance. 

Our hormones are changing every day, and a healthy period depends on a cyclical change in hormones every month, like this:

🔹 During phase 1 (days 1-14 of your cycle), estrogen levels gradually rise to trigger ovulation on day 14. 

🔸 During phase 2 (days 15-28 of your cycle), progesterone levels peak. 

The idea with seed cycling is to eat seeds during phase 1 that support estrogen metabolism and seeds during phase 2 that support progesterone. 

Like this:

🔹 Eat 1 tablespoon each per day of ground flax seeds and pumpkin seeds during phase 1.

🔸 Eat 1 tablespoon each per day of sesame seeds and sunflower seeds during phase 2.

It’s best to eat ground seeds so that you’ll absorb the most nutrients from them. 

We know that seeds are rich in healthy essential fatty acids as well as nutrients and minerals like zinc. 

But to be clear—even though seed cycling has been used by thousands of women who report improvements in their menstrual cycle, there are no actual clinical trials on this method. 

Still, there is no harm in eating nutritional seeds every day, so it’s something that I often recommend as part of a complete naturopathic approach to hormone balance. 

Especially for women wanting better periods. 

Have you tried it? 

Beating Estrogen Dominance

This is the last in my series of posts on estrogen dominance, so be sure to go back and check out the ones you missed! 

Estrogen dominance can be confusing and frustrating—especially because the conventional medical system has little to offer in the way of solutions. 

Bringing hormones back into balance requires a commitment to healthy habits, but we can support the process with targeted nutritional supplements.

Here are 3 categories of supplements to consider: 

💊 Gut Support (for estrogen elimination):

• DIM (di-indolyl-methane) comes from cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli. It supports healthy metabolism of estrogen into preferable rather than harmful forms. 

• Calcium-d-glucarate slows down the beta-glucuronidase enzyme in the gut. That means estrogen will be less likely to recirculate into the body and more likely to exit in the stool. 

• Probiotics support a healthy microbiome, which keeps beta-glucuronidase in check and supports healthy bowel movements. 

💊 Liver Support (for estrogen metabolism):

• Magnesium is a cofactor for many enzymes, including liver enzymes involved in estrogen metabolism. 

• Vitamin B6 supports the liver in metabolizing estrogen. It also supports the production of progesterone, which is needed to balance estrogen. 

💊 Hormone Support (for estrogen-progesterone balance):

• Zinc supports the production of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), which promotes ovulation—leading to increased progesterone. 

• Grape seed extract may be one of several plant compounds able to block the action of aromatase, meaning less estrogen production. 

Looking for the best way to come up with a supplement plan that will work for YOU? Work with a qualified practitioner! Click through to our website to learn how easy it is to get started at our clinic. ⤵️

5 Happy Hormone Habits

There is no pill anybody can take to magically correct estrogen dominance.

(in case you missed my 2 previous posts about this topic—be sure to check my feed to catch up!)

Our hormones respond to foods, movement, stress, and everyday habits. So let’s look at 5 lifestyle hacks to deal with estrogen dominance: 

1️⃣ Try Seed Cycling

Seed cycling means eating seeds that support estrogen during days 1-14 of the menstrual cycle and seeds that support progesterone during days 15-28. For example, eating 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds and pumpkin seeds during the first half of the cycle and switching to sesame seeds and sunflower seeds during the second half. 

2️⃣ Boost Fiber

Fiber supports healthy bowel movements and elimination (including the elimination of estrogens). Plus, foods that are rich in fiber fuel the beneficial bacteria in the gut for microbiome balance. 

3️⃣ Cut Alcohol

Alcohol can burden the liver and increase activity of the estrogen-producing aromatase enzyme. Cutting alcohol promises many benefits—including happier hormones.  

4️⃣ Reduce Stress

We cannot control the stressful situations around us, but we can find ways to respond and release that stress. Better stress management translates to less cortisol production, freeing up your body’s resources to make healthy levels of progesterone.   

5️⃣ Get Exercise

Exercise helps with several of the hidden causes of estrogen dominance—including body fat and insulin resistance. Getting into a routine of moving your body every day will help support hormone health. 

I have one more post headed your way on the topic of estrogen dominance. I’ll be sharing my favorite supplements to support hormone balance. 

Watch for that to drop soon!

8 Hidden Causes of Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen dominance is a common pattern in women, where estrogen levels are high in comparison to progesterone levels. 

(see my previous post if you’ve never heard of it!)

Our hormones respond to so many aspects of our physiology that it can take some detective work to figure out the root cause of estrogen dominance.

Here are 8 potential hidden causes:

1️⃣ Body Fat

Our fat cells contain an enzyme called aromatase, which converts testosterone into estrogen. That means the more fat cells in the body, the more estrogen produced. 

2️⃣ Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance (when cells do not properly respond to insulin, leading to elevated blood sugar) increases aromatase activity, leading to increased estrogen levels.

3️⃣ Liver Problems

The liver is the main site of estrogen metabolism. If the liver is not functioning well, estrogen will be metabolized (and therefore eliminated from the body) more slowly.

4️⃣ Poor Gut Health

There’s an enzyme in the gut called beta-glucuronidase that causes estrogen to recirculate into the body. Overgrowth of certain unfriendly gut bacteria boost levels of this enzyme, contributing to estrogen dominance.   

5️⃣ Low Thyroid Function

Estrogen and thyroid hormones have an intimate relationship. High estrogen blocks the conversion of T4 to T3, and low thyroid function slows elimination of estrogen from the body. This can create a vicious cycle and worsen estrogen dominance!

6️⃣ Alcohol

Alcohol increases activity of the aromatase enzyme in the liver, contributing to higher estrogen levels. 

7️⃣ Stress

Here’s a big one. Did you know that progesterone and the stress hormone cortisol are made from the same precursor hormone? That means that with more stress, we produce more cortisol and less progesterone—leaving estrogen unchecked 😮

8️⃣ Xenoestrogens

Xenoestrogens are synthetic chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body. They can be found in plastic water bottles, grocery store receipts, cleaning products, shampoos, and lotions to name a few. 

Estrogen dominance is not straightforward, but we can help you make sense of it and feel bette. Are you looking to better understand YOUR hormones? Book a consult so we can help.