Men and Women Should Fast Differently: Why Ignoring Your Hormones Can Backfire on Your Health

By Dr Rakesh Ayureshmi, Ayureshmi Ayurveda Wellness Centre, Kollam, Kerala, India

The Hidden Truth Behind “One-Size-Fits-All” Fasting

Intermittent fasting has become one of the most popular wellness trends of the decade — praised for everything from weight loss to mental clarity. But here’s the missing piece few talk about: men and women are biologically wired to respond differently to fasting. Ignoring these differences can lead to hormonal chaos, fatigue, and even fertility issues in women — while the same fasting routine might supercharge metabolism in men.

In Ayurveda and modern physiology alike, understanding timing, gender, and hormonal rhythm is the true secret to safe and effective fasting.

1. The Ayurvedic Insight: Fasting Is Never Universal

Ayurveda describes fasting (upavāsa) as a sacred reset for the digestive fire (agni), mind, and spirit. But it also emphasizes individual constitution (prakṛti), age, season, and state of health (vikṛti).

For men and women, these parameters shift profoundly with hormonal cycles. Ancient Ayurvedic texts subtly refer to the female body as a rhythmic system, governed by the lunar cycle — what modern science now recognizes as the menstrual cycle, typically 28 days long, with distinct hormonal phases.

Fasting in Ayurveda is never rigid. It’s meant to support, not stress, the system. When done without honoring the body’s natural rhythm, fasting becomes what Charaka warns as “Langhana viparyaya” — the wrong form of lightening, which harms rather than heals.

2. The Science of Fasting and Hormones: Not Created Equal

Modern research validates what Ayurveda knew intuitively: men and women’s metabolic and hormonal responses to fasting differ drastically.

A landmark study by Heilbronn et al. (2005, Obesity Research) found that intermittent fasting improved insulin sensitivity in men but worsened glucose tolerance in women.

Another study from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2019) showed that fasting reduced luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse frequency in women, signaling disrupted reproductive hormone balance.

Testosterone — crucial for both genders — drops after prolonged fasting (Longo et al., Cell Metabolism, 2021). For men, this means temporary dip in libido and energy; for women, it may assist in rebalancing conditions like PCOD, where testosterone levels are abnormally high.

This means fasting can be therapeutic or harmful — depending on who you are and when you do it.

3. The Menstrual Blueprint: When to Fast and When Not To

Follicular Phase (Day 1–14) – The Calm Metabolic Window

The follicular phase, beginning with menstruation, is a time when estrogen gradually rises, and progesterone remains low. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is lower, and the body efficiently utilizes fat for energy.

Best time for fasting:

12–16 hour intermittent fasts are well tolerated.

Energy is stable, mood is balanced, and the digestive fire is adaptable.

Ayurvedically, this period aligns with kapha predominance — slow, grounding, and detox-friendly.

Luteal Phase (Day 15–28) – The High Energy Demand Zone

Once ovulation occurs, progesterone dominates, increasing body temperature, hunger, and calorie requirement by 5–10%. The body prepares for potential pregnancy — fasting here can be counterproductive.

Avoid fasting during this phase:

Energy dips, mood swings, and sugar cravings are common.

Forced fasting can increase cortisol (stress hormone), worsen PMS, and disturb sleep.

From an Ayurvedic perspective, the luteal phase is pitta-vata dominant — requiring nourishment, not deprivation.

4. Fasting for Men: Simpler, Yet Not Limitless

Men, with relatively stable hormone levels, can tolerate fasting better. Short-term fasting boosts human growth hormone (HGH), insulin sensitivity, and mental clarity.

However, prolonged fasting lowers testosterone (Longo et al., 2021) — leading to irritability, low energy, and muscle loss if overdone.

Ayurveda suggests that langhana (lightening therapies) must always be balanced with brimhana (nourishing foods) — implying cyclic fasting, not chronic restriction.

Men doing intense physical or mental work should prefer alternate-day fasting or one-day weekly fasts over daily long fasts.

5. Fasting as Medicine: A Double-Edged Sword for Women with PCOD

In conditions like Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD), fasting can serve as a therapeutic tool when applied correctly.

PCOD involves insulin resistance, high testosterone, and anovulatory cycles — all of which improve when insulin and androgens are lowered.

By timing fasting during the follicular phase, women can:

Reduce insulin spikes

Lower excess testosterone

Support ovulatory balance

Lose weight without triggering stress hormones

But, fasting in the luteal phase can backfire — increasing cortisol, worsening fatigue, and causing missed periods.

As Ayurveda would say: “The same fire that cooks your food can burn your house if uncontrolled.”

6. Integrating Ayurveda, Nutrition, and Modern Science

Here’s how both systems align beautifully:

Principle - Ayurveda - Modern Science

Rhythm awareness Lunar and doshic cycles Hormonal and circadian cycles

Optimal fasting time Early or kapha-predominant phase Follicular phase (low progesterone)

Avoid fasting when energy demand high During pitta-vata states Luteal phase (high progesterone)

Therapeutic fasting Langhana chikitsa for kapha and meda disorders Intermittent fasting for obesity, insulin resistance

Balance approach Upavāsa alternated with pathya ahāra Refeeds and nutrition cycling

The essence of both worlds: Fasting is a biological dialogue — not a battle. Listen before you act.

Conclusion: Fast with Wisdom, Not Willpower

Fasting is not about punishment — it’s about partnership with your physiology.

For men, it’s a discipline of metabolic mastery.

For women, it’s a dance with hormonal tides.

When done in tune with nature’s rhythm — as Ayurveda always taught — fasting becomes a rejuvenating force, healing metabolism, hormones, and mind alike.

But when forced or copied blindly, it becomes a stressor that steals vitality.

So before you skip your next meal, ask yourself:

“Am I fasting with my body, or against

“Fasting isn’t about starving your body — it’s about syncing with its wisdom. For women, hormones set the rhythm; for men, metabolism sets the pace. Know your time. Honor your biology.”

#AyurvedaScience #FastingWisely #HormoneHealth #PCODAwareness #MindfulMetabolism