Do Very Low Carb Diets Mess Up our Hormones and Fertility?

In today's episode of period chats, we are talking about low carbs diets and how they can impact hormones and fertility.  Before we get started here is the bottom line extreme dieting is not good for your mental or physical health and that has been proven time and time again by research.  Creating balance in your body is the key!  Also losing weight is not the same thing as being healthy each and every one of us is different and we have to nurture our bodies accordingly.

Spoiler alter --> the research says that extreme low carb and restrictive diets can negatively impact your hormones and menstrual cycle - 

Important terms to know for the episode:

• Hypothalamus: a region of the forebrain below the thalamus which coordinates both the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary, controlling body temperature, thirst, hunger, and other homeostatic systems, and involved in sleep and emotional activity.
• Pituitary: the major endocrine gland. A pea-sized body attached to the base of the brain, the pituitary is important in controlling growth and development and the functioning of the other endocrine glands.
• Adrenals: relating to or denoting a pair of ductless glands situated above the kidneys. Each consists of a core region ( adrenal medulla ) secreting epinephrine and norepinephrine, and an outer region ( adrenal cortex ) secreting corticosteroids.
• Carbohydrate: Any of a large group of organic compounds occurring in foods and living tissues and including sugars, starch, and cellulose. They contain hydrogen and oxygen in the same ratio as water (2:1) and typically can be broken down to release energy in the animal body. 
• Anovulatory Cycle:  An anovulatory cycle, also referred to as anovulation, refers to a menstrual cycle in which the release of an egg from the ovaries does not occur. Chronic anovulation, or anovulation that persists for a year or longer, can be a common cause of infertility.
• Hypothalamic Amenorrhea: Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea is a form of amenorrhea and chronic anovulation and is one of the most common types of secondary amenorrhea. It is classified as hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.
• Blood Sugar: Glycaemia, also known as blood sugar level, blood sugar concentration, or blood glucose level is the measure of glucose concentration in the blood of humans or other animals.

Research to read for yourself: 

- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579396/

- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372867/

- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7053439/

- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8015182/