Your body's endocrine system releases hormones that regulate many physical and mental processes. What you eat changes this system on a daily basis. Nutrients affect women differently than they affect men, according to a February 2011 review in "Molecular Aspects of Medicine." Some foods increase hormone production, and some foods decrease it. Also, a food can increase one hormone and decrease another. Talk to your doctor before modifying your diet.
Testosterone
Aging causes unwanted changes to your endocrine system. Such changes produce menopausal symptoms in older women. Increasing natural testosterone levels can reduce these symptoms, according to a January 2009 report in the "Journal of Sexual Medicine." Ancient healers used honey to treat infertility -- an effect likely mediated by increases in testosterone. An investigation published in the December 2010 issue of "BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine" explored this possibility in an animal model of menopause. Ovariectomized rats received honey daily for two weeks. Relative to controls, rats given honey had elevated levels of testosterone. Honey intake did not cause side effects.
Estrogen
Being overweight has a large number of adverse consequences. Obese men have a higher incidence of reproductive disorders, according to a March 2010 paper in "Nature Reviews -- Urology." The mechanisms underlying this change remain unknown, but they could involve diet-induced increases in estrogen. An experiment presented in the March 2011 edition of "Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology" tested this hypothesis in laboratory animals. The authors fed male rodents either a high-fat diet or a normal diet for four months. Rats given the high-fat diet showed elevated levels of estrogen. They also had poor-quality sperm.
Female Hormones
Women with ovary disease have low levels of progesterone. This deficiency causes them to miss menstrual cycles. Wild chimpanzees who consume large amounts of chasteberry have high levels of progesterone, according to a November 2008 report in the "American Journal of Primatology." This finding suggests that eating fruit can affect hormone levels and that it might help treat ovary disease. A study described in the April 2008 issue of "Natural Product Research" evaluated this idea in laboratory animals. Rats received chasteberry extracts during a single testing session. This treatment increased progesterone and estrogen, while it decreased luteinizing hormone and prolactin. The rodents did not show signs of chasteberry-induced toxicity.
Melatonin
Patients with Alzheimer's disease have irregular sleep-wake schedules. Low levels of melatonin likely underlie these difficulties, according to a May 2006 report in "Behavioral and Brain Functions." Many foods contain melatonin, but it remains unknown if eating these foods can increase circulating melatonin. If researchers can document this effect, products containing melatonin might help treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. An investigation presented in the September 2005 edition of "Nutrition" looked at the impact of eating walnuts. Rats given walnuts during a single testing session showed elevated levels of melatonin relative to controls. Walnut intake also produced antioxidant effects, and it did not cause allergic reactions.
References
- "Molecular Aspects of Medicine"; Nutrition and Human Health From a Sex-Gender Perspective; Maria Marino, et al.; February 2011
- "Journal of Sexual Medicine"; Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Naturally and Surgically Menopausal Women; Claudia Panzer and Andre Guay; January 2009
- "BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine"; Effects of Tualang Honey on Female Reproductive Organs, Tibia Bone and Hormonal Profile in Ovariectomised Rats; Siti S.M. Zaid, et al.; December 2010
- "Nature Reviews -- Urology"; Effect of Obesity on Sperm Disorders and Male Infertility; S.S. Du Plessis, et al.; March 2010
- "Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology"; Diet-Induced Obesity in Rats Leads to a Decrease in Sperm Motility; Carla D. Fernandez, et al.; March 2011
- "American Journal of Primatology"; Hyperprogesteronemia in Response to Vitex Fischeri Consumption in Wild Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes Schweinfurthii); Melissa Emery Thompson, et al.; November 2008
- "Natural Product Research"; Gynecological Efficacy and Chemical Investigation of Vitex Agnus-Castus L. Fruits Growing in Egypt; Nabawia Ali Ibrahim, et al.; April 2008
- "Behavioral and Brain Functions"; Melatonin in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders; Venkatramanujam Srinivasan, et al.; May 2006
- "Nutrition"; Melatonin in Walnuts: Influence on Levels of Melatonin and Total Antioxidant Capacity of Blood; Russel J. Reiter, et al.; September 2005
