- With the increase in the popularity of intermittent fasting for weight control, some people are concerned about its impact on overall health, particularly on hormone levels.
- Studies have suggested that intermittent fasting may reduce levels of reproductive hormones in females, leading to potential problems with fertility.
- Now, a small study in individuals with obesity at pre- and postmenopausal stage has suggested that these fears may be unfounded.
- The researchers stress the need for more investigations into the effects of intermittent fasting in different populations.
A note about sex and gender
Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article will use the terms “male,” “female,” or both to refer to sex assigned at birth. Click here to learn more.
Intermittent fasting, where periods of normal eating are interspersed with periods of fasting or restricted calorie intake, is increasingly popular as a method of weight control.
The three methods people may follow are:
- the 5:2 diet, where people eat normally 5 days a week and have a very low-calorie intake for 2 nonconsecutive days each week
- alternate-day fasting, where normal eating days are alternated with days of restricted intake
- time-restricted eating — during an eating window of 4–12 hours (most commonly 8–10 hours), people eat normally, with only water and energy-free drinks allowed outside this time period.
Of the three methods, time-restricted eating (TRE), which does not involve any calorie restriction, is the most popular. So far, however, studies have shown varying results regarding the health impact of this diet type.
While it may help some people maintain a healthy weight, are there other health effects?
Some studies have suggested that intermittent fasting
A new study, by researchers at the University of Chicago, has shown that TRE had little effect on most reproductive hormones in women with obesity.
However, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) concentrations decreased in the participants, which may have implications for reproductive health.
The study, which appears in the journal
All participants followed 4-hour or 6-hour TRE. Those on the 4-hour TRE ate whatever they wanted between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., with only water or energy-free drinks for the other 20 hours. Those on the 6-hour TRE ate freely between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., with an 18-hour fasting window.
Prof. Tim Spector, scientific co-founder of ZOE, and professor of epidemiology at King’s College London, expressed some reservations, telling Medical News Today: “The study used a small sample size of 23 women in total over 8 weeks. The eating window is only 4–6 hours which is not sustainable for most people in real-life settings.”
Participants gave 12-hour fasting blood samples at baseline and at 8 weeks. Researchers instructed them to avoid exercise, alcohol, and coffee for 24 hours before the blood tests.
The researchers then measured the concentration of testosterone, androstenedione, SHBG, DHEA, estradiol, estrone, and progesterone in the participants at postmenopausal stage.
The researchers did not measure estradiol, estrone, and progesterone in participants at premenopausal stage, as levels of these hormones change over the course of the menstrual cycle.
Both groups lost weight during the study. Participants at premenopausal stage lost an average of 3% of their body mass; the postmenopausal group lost 4%.
“We saw reductions in body weight, fat mass, insulin levels, and insulin resistance. This suggests that time-restricted eating may be a good diet to help people lose weight and prevent the progression of prediabetes to diabetes. I don’t think any of these health benefits were related to changes in DHEA though.”
– Dr. Krista Varady, lead author, and professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois, Chicago
Of all the hormones measured, only one, DHEA, was significantly affected by the change in eating patterns. In both groups, DHEA concentration dropped after 8 weeks of TRE.
DHEA is a steroid hormone that is made in the body by the adrenal glands, the gonads, and the brain. It is important for creating estrogen and
In females, low levels of DHEA are associated with reduced libido, vaginal dryness, and osteoporosis.
And although it is widely believed that low DHEA might reduce fertility, there is little peer-reviewed research to support these claims. However,
High levels of DHEA are associated with an
Dr. Varady told MNT:
“Reductions in DHEA may be advantageous in premenopausal women with obesity because they can translate into greater reductions in breast cancer risk. However, among postmenopausal females, a decrease in DHEA may induce sexual dysfunction, diminished skin tone, and vaginal dryness. But these negative effects were not reported in our study, since DHEA remained in the normal range.”
However, Prof. Spector cautioned that longer-term effects were unknown: “In the long term, this type of TRE, with a very narrow eating window, could impact sex hormone function, but this study shows that in the short term at least the sex hormones themselves are not impacted.”
This study was carried out on females with obesity. Dr. Varady stressed that more work is needed to see whether the results apply to other populations.
“I don’t know if these results can be extrapolated to women of a healthy weight,” she cautioned. “I think we need several more studies looking at the effect of intermittent fasting on reproductive hormones in varying populations. We will also need to see how intermittent fasting affects fertility in men and women.“
Prof. Spector agreed: “Obesity causes changes to metabolism and hormone levels so these results can’t be extrapolated to women without obesity — it would be necessary to replicate the study in women without obesity and in bigger numbers to give the trial more statistical power to make conclusions.”
There are a number of studies currently looking into the benefits of intermittent fasting. Dr. Varady is researching whether intermittent fasting may be beneficial for those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). And ZOE is running a large intermittent fasting study, the big IF study.
“IF is an area with a lot of research and interest, so I have no doubt we will find out more about its impacts on human biology in the next 5 years. My understanding is that fasting overnight for 12–14 hours is likely beneficial for most of us, with positive effects on metabolism and healthy weight maintenance, especially if we can keep our eating window roughly the same day to day.”
– Prof. Tim Spector