The topic of Matsumi Ladies Clinic Mita English blog in October is about the relationship between diet and irregular menstruation.

In the last part, I will explain this theme from a medical perspective.

 

Dietary weight loss can disrupt normal menstrual cycles through several hormonal mechanisms.

Menstruation is caused by changes in female hormones such as estrogen released from cells in the ovary as a result of follicular development.

The room, where the egg (medical term:oocyte) exists is called the follicle.

Folliculogenesis (follicular development) is regulated by hormones such as FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone), which are modulated by another hormone named GnRH.

FSH and LH are released from the pituitary gland, and the last one, GnRH is from the hypothalamus.

The pituitary gland and the hypothalamus are the names of brain parts.

Their relationship is called the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.

 

Weight loss can cause elevations in the hormone ghrelin (released from the hypothalamus), which inhibits the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.

Elevated concentrations of ghrelin alter the condition of secretion of GnRH, which diminish the release of FSH and LH from the pituitary gland.

 

Irregular menstruation in patients with low body weight is also induced by low levels of the hormone named leptin, which is secreted by cells in fat.