Russian gynecologist and obstetrician Dr. Gunay Salayeva warned that following strict diets can cause hormonal imbalances and negatively affect women's reproductive health.
Salaeva said: "A woman's body is subject to a basic biological principle of preserving life and ensuring the ability to reproduce. Therefore, any rapid or significant weight loss is a warning sign for the body. When calories are reduced, the body goes into austerity mode, redistributing energy to ensure the functioning of vital organs, such as the heart and brain, while the energy supply to the reproductive system decreases, leading to a slowdown or cessation of its functions."
She added: “Strict diets create psychological and physical stress that triggers a series of hormonal changes. The reproductive system works according to a system that begins with the cerebral cortex, then the hypothalamus, then the pituitary gland, and finally the ovaries. When the function of the hypothalamus is affected due to a lack of energy, the secretion of the hormones LH and FSH, which are responsible for regulating the work of the ovaries, decreases, which is reflected in the maturation of eggs, ovulation, and the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.”
She explained that chronic malnutrition, when energy intake falls below 30 calories per kilogram of body weight per day, leads to a decrease in the levels of the hormones leptin and insulin, which reflect the body's energy availability. The brain then interprets this as an unsuitable environment for pregnancy, suppressing the secretion of hormones responsible for ovulation. This can lead to menstrual irregularities or complete cessation of menstruation, even in women of normal or overweight if the calorie deficit is significant.
The doctor pointed out that a balance between fats, proteins, and carbohydrates is essential for maintaining healthy hormones, explaining that complete abstinence from fats deprives the body of the essential substance needed to produce sex hormones derived from cholesterol. Low-carbohydrate diets also reduce leptin levels, while proteins play a key role in building tissues and producing enzymes.
She added that it is not just about the number of calories, but also depends on the availability of micronutrients, such as iron, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, and vitamin D, as a deficiency in these can cause a hormonal imbalance and affect egg maturation.
Salaeva concluded her warning by saying that "chronic energy deficiency and the resulting decrease in estrogen levels not only threaten fertility, but may also negatively affect the health of the entire body."
