Can low fat diet contribute to amenorrhea?

[shenalynpage]

I have been vegan since i was a child, and moved to a very low fat vegan diet last summer (though I do eat seeds and nuts regularly, just very little oils). I finished nursing my last child about the same time and have not had my monthly cycles return yet. it's been about 9 months now (and no, i'm not pg!). my midwives said I needed more healthy fats in my diet. can a mcdougall diet contribute to amenorrhea?

[Vola]

I don't have an answer for you but I'm curious to see what others say. My cycle seems really sensitive to diet, too. I first went vegan 4.5 years ago, following Dr. Fuhrman, and my cycle shut off for a very long time. It had just about returned to a long but quasi-regular interval when I started McDougalling this New Year's. I got a period that week but nothing since. I'm definitely not skinny enough to put me in amenorrhea, so the lack of dietary fat is the only thing I can see.

[scooterpie]

http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=20235&view=previous

Found that thread after a search on "amenorrhea." There are many more to choose from:-)

[Marieli]

A McDougall diet can lead to an earlier cessation of fertility, per McDougall's books. Though I'm tempted to give an age range, I don't want to try it without his writing in front of me. But if you're close to 40, perhaps that's something to consider.

And I believe in his book for women he says women can require a certain percent of body fat to have normal periods, with the set-point being unique to an individual.

Here are some things I'd consider:
*If not a fat issue, perhaps it could be a calorie one? Do you get many calories?
*Did you eat as many nuts and seeds when your cycles were regular/better?
*What was your weight then?
*How many grams of fat are in the nuts and your over all diet? (The fat in nuts quickly adds up.)

I know for me, my amenorrhea ENDED after cutting fat from my diet (plus perhaps adding in thyroid meds to get my TSH below 2 while my cycles were getting progressively, and dramatically, shorter; and mostly getting away from animal products, which per McDougall raise sex hormone levels. For me and a few others on here with PCOS and insulin resistance, this diet lead to normal cycles (and in my case, gave me them after 14 years with maybe one 3-month span of normal cycles in my entire menstrual history!). But I don't know how else this diet may effect other women with other health issues, different bodies. . . I don't know what either of our fat intakes are. (I'm not even positive I ovulate, though the signs I can read suggest I do.) Plus I wonder if a Dr.'s claim I was "plant oil toxic" (once he heard my PCOS diagnosis) could've been on to something, and if cutting out nuts and seeds (per Barnard & McDougall's fat restrictions, plus that Dr.'s views on nuts and seeds) might have had a role. Just a suspicion, though--and though that Dr. is against nuts and seeds, I don't know that even he would implicate them in PCOS or any other fertility issues.

Another thing, though it sounds apt to be irrelevant. . . Going off bcp, which it doesn't sound like you were on, can cause the body to not have periods for awhile.

I have no idea what's wrong in your particular case. Those are just some ideas.

Hopefully somebody will respond who knows more about fat intake and/or body fat levels on periods, and what should be tried/investigated initially in a situation like yours.

[shenalynpage]

thanks for the input. I am interested in knowing the reference you referred to Marieli in Dr. McDougall's books about early cessation of fertility.

I know body fat can have something to do with it. I lost 15 - 20 lbs last summer by fasting one day a week, plus doing the mcdougall diet, but my BMI was still 18.5. i've gained some of the weight back now and have a BMI of 19.5. So I'm in the healthy range. But I quit fasting because I thought that might be a stressor on my body.

We've also moved recently and had a lot going on - so I know those things could contribute too.

So I am just curious to know whether others have had experience with the very low fat diet itself causing amenorrhea.

thanks for any input

[Broadbean]

I know I had to get my BMI up to over 20 before I got my periods back, after a stretch of amenorrhea caused by too much weight loss (not a low fat diet at the time -- in fact a 50% M&M diet!). If you are interested in restoring your fertility, you will probably need to gain a little weight. Just my opinion.

[lfwfv]

I have posted a couple of threads about this because I experienced amenorrhea the last few years. If you search for amenorrhea and lfwfv, you should find them.

Let me summarize...

I used to weigh about 125lbs at 5'5" eating a healthy version of SAD.

By eating MWL, and also struggling with repercussions of celiac disease (my intestines were very damaged and were not absorbing nutrients and calories), my weight dropped to 107-110lbs at its lowest. I stopped birth control pills, hoping to start trying for a child and i never resumed my periods.

I regained to a BMI of 18.5. Officially "normal". Still no period. Per Dr. McDougall's advice, i decided to gain more weight (i did this by eating higher calorie-dense foods, mostly gluten free whole grain flour products, dates, and lots of nut butter), reduced my exercise intensity from running to walking, and made it my mission to gain weight until my periods came back.

I had to gain to 125lbs before they came back. Everyone's fertility set-point is different. What weight were you when you were menstruating normally in your life? You'll likely need to get back to that weight to resume your periods.

That said, I stayed at 123-125lbs for several months. I cut out the nuts/seeds and ate mostly MWL again, but my weight stayed put. My periods continued to normalize (they became closer together and my luteal phase gradually lengthened during the first few cycles). After a few months, my weight very slowly started dropping and eventually settled around 118-119lbs without any extra food restriction, increased exercise etc.. It's almost like my body had to swing from the low end of the pendulum to the high end of the pendulum for a while before it felt safe to maintain at a slightly lower BMI (but still not back to 110lbs).

I am happy to report that, at this weight, i was able to get pregnant, and am currently 11 weeks and 4 days. All is well

Hypothalamic amenorrhea is due to low body fat (provided you don't have PCOS or other fertility issues). If you have menstruated normally in your life at a higher weight, consider that you might need to reach that weight for a time before your body will re-start your cycles. I used the "I'm not underweight" rationale for a while, to avoid gaining weight, but your body's version of "underweight" is not always the same as an official BMI chart.

Also, i used healthy, vegan, whole foods to gain weight. I just cut back on veggies, and ate a lot of rice cakes with nut butter. If you're not celiac, you could do peanut butter sandwiches etc..

I don't know that the fats were necessary for regaining my periods (my periods continued to stabilize and normalize after I cut them out of my diet again), but Dr. McDougall did say that a higher fat diet boosts hormones (usually a negative thing for most women, good if you don't have enough of them though). I definitely think the fats will help you get to a fertile weight, and then you can experiment with cutting them out again.

From all of Jeff's and McDougall's comments to me, the low fat diet does not cause amenorrhea, but it can contribute to a too-low weight, which does cause amenorrhea. If you can get yourself to a fertile weight, i think it's likely you can resume a low-fat diet and *maintain* your fertility, as my story demonstrates.

All the best!
lfwfv

[shenalynpage]

Thank you lfwfv for your thoughts! they are helpful. I think you're right about needing to get back to a fertile weight for me. i am 5'7" and used to cycle regularly when my weight was 135 or more. I was about that weight when I got pregnant with my boys. but i had lost down to about 118. am back up to about 125 or 130 now and just started a cycle again. So I think that returning to a bit higher weight has been helpful for me.

Also - have been doing herbal teas that my midwives suggested - red clover tea one day and then oat tops tea the next day, and eating a sheet of seaweed each day. Not sure exactly how that all helps, but it seems to have made a difference.

Congrats on your pregnancy lfwfv!

[lamazemama2]

I agree that it's more body fat you need (not necessarily more dietary fat).

I am 5'3". I need to have a BMI of 20 to ovulate/menstruate regularly. When my weight dips below that, all my periods stop.

You probably have a similar situation. Good luck!