Have you noticed yourself looking for second helpings of dinner in this phase? Well you're not alone. Studies have shown that during Phase Four women tend to consume a greater amount of total calories. Our desire to eat picks up in this later stage of our cycle due to the higher levels of progesterone in our systems which send a message to our brains that it’s time to increase our appetite.
But wait, there’s more! It turns out that progesterone doesn’t only impact how much we feel like eating, but can affect what types of foods we feel like eating as well. A recent study took a deeper look into whether the proportion of carbs, proteins, and fats varies based on where we’re at in our cycle. This study hypothesized that fluctuations in appetite could be reflecting the way estrogen and progesterone can suppress and stimulate our appetite, respectively.
Participants in this study had a tendency to choose more protein dense foods around Phase Four. One interesting thing to note is that progesterone helps us break down protein, which could explain why protein intake was highest in Phase Four, where progesterone is also highest! However, this study did not observe a significant change in the amounts of carbs or fat eaten 🤔.
While we should all interpret any study results, including these ones, with a grain of salt (pun intended). It’s great to know that this increase in appetite is not just something that’s in our heads, but there are real reasons for it. Our hormones can impact our appetite, hunger cues and this can affect our food choices throughout the entire cycle. It’s all very normal, all very human!
Science, Feminism, and Love.
Gorczyca, A. M., Sjaarda, L. A., Mitchell, E. M., et al., (2016). Changes in macronutrient, micronutrient, and food group intakes throughout the menstrual cycle in healthy, premenopausal women. European journal of nutrition, 55(3), 1181–1188.
Roney, J. R., & Simmons, Z. L. (2017). Ovarian hormone fluctuations predict within-cycle shifts in women's food intake. Hormones and behavior, 90, 8–14.
