A drop in appetite can be due to the heat, stress, being sick or, even a side effect of some medication. But, one cause that doesn’t often make the list is the natural estrogen produced in your body. The Phase Two rise of estrogen can have a direct impact on our hunger cues and food intake levels! Scientists have observed that in general, estradiol - one of our bodies' estrogens - causes a drop in our food intake.
But, why does this happen? Estrogen is a strong regulator of energy metabolism pathways in the brain and when progesterone is not around to stop the impacts of estrogen, our appetite decreases. People with menstrual cycles tend to notice this decrease in food intake lasts for about a week during Phase Two as they approach ovulation. During this time eating (and food prep) can feel less enjoyable and more like a chore! Sound familiar? It’s totally normal!
So while a persistent decrease or loss of appetite is 100% that you should follow-up on with a health professional, if you notice that your drop in appetite only shows up in Phase Two your estrogen levels could definitely be behind it.
Science, Feminism and Love
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.
