Ben Greenfield explains how long-term low-carb diets trigger chronically elevated stress hormones like glucagon and cortisol, which slow your metabolism and damage hormonal systems. The result: reduced thyroid activity, lower testosterone, and suppressed reproductive hormones in women.
In a long term low carb diet we still have elevated levels of these stress hormones. It's mostly in the form of glucagon and then with cortisol the levels aren't elevated at baseline. But in terms of a response to stress or response to exercise, let's say there's a greater increase in cortisol on a low carb diet versus a moderate or high carb diet. Long term these hormones act as act as a signal for our bodies to turn down their metabolic rate. Because they recognize that this is not sustainable we have to continue to pull these resources from our stores. That's what the stress hormones do and we're producing a lot of oxidative stress in the process. Even though the engine isn't working as well, the fuel isn't optimal, we're kind of forcing it anyway. And this has effects on the larger umbrella of our hormonal state, namely at our thyroid we see a reduction in things like testosterone, reduction in the female reproductive hormones as well.
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