We all know that the ketogenic diet improves a lot of health conditions and also leads to weight loss making it a very sought-after diet. Like all the good things it has a very few minor side effects linked to it and one of them is that it impacts your periods.
In this post, we will find out: How and why it impacts `that time of the month`.
If you`re planning to go for the keto diet, then you must have heard that there are many benefits of this diet like drastic weight loss, managing and controlling of type 2 diabetes, improving heart diseases, reducing certain risks of cancer, etc. Regarding the side effects of the keto diet, you must have heard about` keto flu` which one experience at the beginning of the diet. Apart from Keto flu, there are some other factors which get affected when we are on keto and one of these is our periods in case you are a female. Every meal or eating plan affects different people differently. Some women who follow this diet go through without any effects while some may notice some changes in their routine periods.
The following are the changes women can notice once on keto
1. Irregular periods
2. Heavy or light flow than normal
3. Changes in the frequency of flow
4. Complete absence of flow
As we all know that ketogenic diet is all about low carbs and high-fat diet. When you enter the state of ketosis in which the body takes energy from fats rather than carbs; causing drastic weight loss. When you shed your extra pounds, then weight is not the only thing that is reducing, drastic weight loss can lead to sharp drops in estrogen level which results in irregular periods at the starting of the keto diet. But this will get stabilized with time. [1]
When you follow a diet, which cuts macronutrients like carbs from your diet, then nutrient deficiencies contribute to a difficulty in menstrual cycle and create gaps in female`s nutrition. According to Crystal C. Karges, registered dietician MS, RDN, IBCLC: Both good numbers of calories and nutrients are required for the maintenance and proper functioning of the menstrual cycle
In certain cases, females can even experience Amenorrhea – the abnormal absence of a menstrual cycle for three months or more – while following a low carb diet like ketogenic diet.
In most cases, main reason for amenorrhea is hypothalamic amenorrhea, which is caused by very few carbs, drastic weight loss, very few calories, or excessive exercise. It occurs because there is a drop in levels of different hormones like GnRH, which is very important for the start of menstrual cycle.
Research has shown that women not only experience irregular or missed periods but also have reported heavier/lighter periods and some experienced more frequent ones than before while following the diet in the initial times.[2]
Also, once your body is totally in the state of keto and it adapts ketosis completely, period returns to its regular routine. If not, then there must be some other reasons may be responsible. Whenever you start a new diet you must consult the doctor first and then start following it.[3]
In the end, diet should not be blamed at all. Missing your periods may indicate a bigger health issue like hormonal imbalance, polycystic ovary syndrome, genetic abnormalities, etc. You must visit the doctor first before starting the diet and then again if you miss your periods.