Poor nutritional status as a cause of gynaecological problems
[UPDATED JULY 2022]
Green Mother - families fit for the future
With Michelle McCullagh, I have written a whole book about this issues. See Our Book Green Mother - families fit for the future
Introduction
Wobbly sex hormones are a major cause of many symptoms. Sex hormones allow women to have babies. To make healthy babies, the nutrition has to be perfect. If the nutrition is less than perfect, there will be a degree of infertility. Nature makes this happen initially through wobbly hormone levels then, perhaps by such low levels, nothing (baby-wise) is possible.
The most obvious example of poor nutritional status is dieting. Research shows that a 1,000 calorie a day diet for six weeks will cause oestrogen levels to fall to below 25% of normal levels and progesterone to below 15% of normal levels.[1] Cessation of periods is a typical symptom of anorexia.
Heavy exercise has a similar effect. Especially the long distance female runners are at risk of amenorrhoea because of low body weight.
Hormone levels will wobble from day to day depending on how much food is eaten and the quality of that food. Irregular and poor eating habits are the largest cause of hormone wobbles and the problems that go with it. Interestingly, it is the micronutrients which are more important than the number of calories! But of course in the absence of supplements, more calories will mean more micronutrients.
Nutritional problems
- Not enough calories: with the modern day fashion for slimness and the lack of exercise, many women are not eating enough calories.
- Poor quality food: the food which is eaten is often junk ie nutritionally devoid of micronutrients.
- Toxins in the diet: too much caffeine, alcohol, nicotine all interfere with hormone production, probably because they deplete micronutrient levels. Some drugs such as tranquillisers and analgesics disturb hormone levels directly.
- Toxins in the environment: many pesticides, plasticises and novel foods contain hormone mimics which further disturb normal function.
- Hypothyroidism is a common cause of wobbly hormone levels
As a result of the above factors, nutritional deficiencies are very common, wobbly hormone levels are common and the symptoms which go with them are common. The trouble is sloppy pharmaceutical oriented medicine which treats these problems by imposing a hormone cycle on women through the Pill and HRT instead of adressing the underlying causes. Although there may be relief from some symptoms, the underlying problem is not addressed storing up terrible problems for the future: problems like arterial disease; cancer; infertility; mental disorders; and early menopause.
Treatment of gynaecological problems
The general approach to maintaining and restoring good health
- Eat a Ketogenic diet - the practical details. Please see also My book - Paleo-Ketogenic: The Why and The How. See also:
- Take Nutritional supplements, including a daily dose of sunshine
- Get a good night's sleep on a regular basis. See Sleep is vital for good health.
- Get the right balance between work, rest and play. See Getting enough rest.
- Do a good chemical clean up of your environment.
- Detox regimes - either regular exercise or saunaing. See Exercise and Detoxing.
Related Articles
- Our Book Green Mother - families fit for the future
- Nutritional deficiencies - What signs to look for if you think you may have them
- Exercise
- Nutritional supplements
- The general approach to maintaining and restoring good health
- Ketogenic diet - the practical details
- My book - Paleo-Ketogenic: The Why and The How
- Sleep is vital for good health
- Getting enough rest
- Do a good chemical clean up
- Detoxing
- The Paleo Ketogenic Diet - this is a diet which we all should follow
- The Paleo Ketogenic Diet - meals which require no cooking or preparation
- The Paleo Ketogenic Diet - PK Bread
- The Paleo Ketogenic Diet - PK Dairy
- Diet - what you need to eat to slow the normal ageing process
My Online Community
Please join my online community -
Sarah Myhill Limited :: Registered in England and Wales :: Registration No. 4545198
Registered Office: Upper Weston, Llangunllo, Knighton, Powys, Wales LD7 1SL, UK.
Tel 01547 550331 | Fax 01547 550339
- ↑ Menstrual cycles constitute the most accessible and non-invasive biological markers of female reproductive function in humans" (US National Research Council 1989).