Hormonal diets are all the rage, but do they really work?

When it comes to losing weight and regaining health, there never seems to be a shortage of diet and fitness exercises claiming to hold the secret of easy and lasting weight loss. . The most recent diets include the ketogenic diet (low in carbohydrates, high in fat), the carnivorous diet (eating only meat and other products of animal origin) and intermittent fasting (not eat only in strict deadlines or certain days).

But another diet that has recently attracted attention is the hormonal diet, which claims that people are struggling to lose weight because their hormones are not working properly. Many books have been written on this topic, with advocates of the hormonal diet claiming that people can experience rapid and significant weight loss by using diet and exercise to manipulate or "reset" their hormones. There are some variations of the diet, but the main idea of ​​each is that the key to weight loss is to correct the hormonal imbalances perceived in the body.

Hormones play an important role in the daily processes of our body, from the digestion of food to the growth of bones. They are transported throughout the body by the bloodstream and act as "chemical messengers", which ask cells to perform specific tasks.

For example, insulin is essential to regulating metabolic processes and allows the body to store food carbohydrates as energy in our muscle cells. When we eat, blood sugar increases and the pancreas releases insulin into the blood. The insulin then attaches to the cells and tells them to absorb the blood sugar and store it for later use.

It was once thought that insulin played a key role in weight gain, but recent research shows that total calorie intake is actually the main factor for gaining or losing weight. Fat loss can only be achieved by creating a caloric deficit, which simply means that you have to burn more calories than you consume. In the same way, this is the reason why many people succeed with intermittent fasting, as it generally results in less food consumption and therefore fewer calories.

A popular book promoting the hormonal diet uses a three-step program that claims to help people lose weight, gain strength and feel younger. Steps one and two of the diet are focused on changing dietary habits. The third stage focuses on the exercise.

According to the author, readers must "detoxify" their body. During the first stage, readers remove from their diet foods such as alcohol, caffeine, sugar, red meat, cow's milk and dairy by-products (such as cheese or yoghurts). ), while consuming more fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish, eggs and milk products from ewes and goats and from plant milks. In step two, readers then cut out processed foods, artificial sweeteners and refined grains. The third step involves an increase in cardiovascular and muscular exercises.

The dietary recommendations provided in Steps 1 and 2 require a decrease in foods that are generally high in calories and low in nutritional value, such as alcohol, high-sugar foods and processed foods. The diet also promotes foods such as vegetables, fish and fruits, which increase fiber intake (important for the digestive system) and provide the body with a variety of vitamins and minerals that perform many bodily functions necessary for health and well-being in general. In addition, these foods typically contain fewer calories than alcohol, high-sugar foods and processed foods. And combined with the exercises recommended in the third step, this "hormonal diet" will probably increase the "burning" of calories as well as other health benefits.

Does the "hormonal diet" really work?

As a general rule, the hormonal diet recommended in this book is not bad nutritional advice. However, the key here is that any potential weight loss will likely be due to change in calorie intake, rather than an effect (if any) on your hormones.

Weight loss (or loss of body fat) is achieved by creating a calorie deficit, not by "restoring your hormonal balance". In spite of what hormonal diet advocates might claim, hormonal imbalances are usually the result of a more serious underlying health problem, such as diabetes (impaired insulin function) or hyperthyroidism (where the thyroid produces too much thyroid hormone), which could not be fixed by the diet alone and would require medical treatment.

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Currently, no viable theory can demonstrate that a person can "reset" his hormones to affect fat loss. There is also no peer-reviewed research in a major journal that has specifically studied the hormonal regime and its effects. However, people may think that the hormonal diet is effective: it helps to create a calorie deficit by improving eating habits and exercise, which will probably lead to weight loss.

In the end, anyone wishing to lose weight or body fat should focus on creating a calorie deficit. The way a person creates this caloric deficit can vary from one person to another and can even include the following diets, such as keto diet or intermittent fasting. However, the best approach is one that seems most compatible with one's lifestyle.