Review of “Women, Food, and Hormones” by Sara Gottfried, MD (3/5)

Chapter 3

I’m going to break chapter 3 up into a few days. Today I just want to talk about why Testosterone is important for Women. Or, more pointedly, why does Sara Gottfried, MD, think that testosterone is important for women.

First off, she says that “if you are looking to get leaner and lose more body fat, T is an important ally, because it’s the hormone that creates a weight-loss edge for men.” (pp67) Basically, this hormone is why men can lose weight more easily than women.

She goes on to say, “I suspect that this is why the ketogenic diet, which involves higher fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrate intake tends to works better for men, according to my research.” (pp 67)

This is one reason why she created the Gottfried Protocol “which follows a ketogenic framework but is adapted for women, together with an emphasis on detoxification and fasting.” (pp66)

Testosterone may also be important in having a healthy libido and having a good mood. “Testosterone levels that are impaired are also associated with several serious health conditions, that involve the immune system, inflammation and glucose problems, including depression, breast cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.” (pp67)

Those are the reasons women need testosterone. Tomorrow we can look at how a woman would know if they were low in testosterone.

For my part, I’m continuing to follow a detoxification diet, utilizing a lot of cruciferous vegetables and green juice. For exercise today, I did yoga and ran one mile. Have a great night and see ya tomorrow!