On today’s episode of The Ask Prof Noakes Podcast we take a look at what effect the LCHF diet has on women from a hormonal point of view. Prof. Tim Noakes tells us about the advantages to women following the LCHF diet and how it helps to balance the hormones.

Transcription:

We have been receiving quite a few questions from our female audience about what effect the LCHF diet will have on them particularly and especially from a hormonal point of view. It is the first time we have discussed this question and we are sure after this we will receive many more.

LCHF diet does have a hormonal effect

Feedback suggests that the LCHF diet does have a hormonal effect on women, but it’s mostly positive. Many of these women have found that they were able to fall pregnant, having previously struggled. Diet has always been seen as an important element in fertility and trying to fall pregnant.

Why the difference? The LCHF diet gets you on the right path to eating better, and the results speak for themselves. High carbohydrate intake is the chief culprit. By cutting down on processed food you are immediately eliminating tons of bad carbs (like cookies, cakes, no-fiber breakfast cereals, sugary drinks, chips, white bread and white rice) and also transfats (another contributor to infertility).
A women looking to get pregnant would not want to cut her carbs too low, but eat good carbs rather (those containing fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains). These are slow release and won’t spike glucose levels as much.

LCHF diet can help with fertility

When it comes to fats, you want to avoid the transfats (found primarily in foods such as commercial baked and snack foods, animal products, french fries and some margarines), these are also to be avoided on the LCHF diet. However increasing “good fat” is important; full-fat dairy products are a great source of this fat. In most cases the LCHF diet does help balance hormones.