High protein diets are trending as a way to lose weight, build muscle, and support hormonal health.
Although the merits of protein for muscle building and weight management are well-established, less is known about its role in hormonal health.
If you’re curious about how protein and/or a high-protein diet may impact your hormones, stick around.
This article will cover everything you need to know about the protein-hormone connection and its potential implications for better mood, health, fitness, and hormonal harmony.
The Protein and Hormone Connection
Before we understand how protein impacts hormonal health, we need to understand what protein and hormones are, and their relationship.
What is Protein (And What Does It Do)?
Protein is an essential macronutrient made up of 20 amino acids.
Although our bodies can produce some amino acids, nine are considered “essential” and must be obtained from foods and/or beverages.
Protein plays an essential role in nearly every bodily function, from cellular health and building muscle and tissue to metabolic function and hair growth.
It also plays a central role in hormone production and regulation, which we’ll discuss in subsequent sections.
What are Hormones?
Hormones are the chemical messengers of the endocrine system that govern and coordinate your metabolism, reproduction, energy, growth and development, stress, and injury response.
Hormones are produced by various endocrine and reproductive glands, such as the adrenals, hypothalamus, ovaries, testes, pancreas, thyroid, and thymus.
They also influence our mood via their complex relationship to neurotransmitters—the messengers of the nervous system—and play a vital role in blood production, bone calcification, immune function, and coordination of motor cells.
Whether you experience arousal, hunger, sleepiness, or dips in energy, these sensations are all related to hormones.
How Protein and Hormones Work Together to Maintain Health
Protein isn’t just for building muscle or controlling appetite, its amino acids are also essential for producing various hormones and maintaining proper signalling.
For example, research has shown that protein is vital in supporting normal production of insulin, leptin, and thyroid hormones.
Eating enough high-quality protein may also help with weight management and chronic stress, both of which can cause or contribute to hormonal imbalances.
Although there is much to learn about the symbiotic relationship between protein and hormones, we know amino acids are essential to maintaining hormonal homeostasis throughout various bodily systems.
8 Ways Protein Impacts Hormonal Health
Many people think of hormones solely in relation to sex, gender, reproduction, perimenopause, menopause, and mood.
However, as touched on previously, your body makes and utilizes various types of hormones for nearly all basic functions, including:
- Inducing sleep
- Regulating stress (fight or flight)
- Controlling appetite (hunger and satiety)
- Managing blood sugar and overall metabolic function
- Influencing growth
- Regulating thyroid function
Although the science is ever-emerging, various studies have shown a link between protein consumption and hormonal function throughout the body.
Next, we’ll explore eight ways protein impacts hormonal health—from sleep stress to reproduction and gut health.
1. Protein and Sleep
If you follow protein-loving influencers, nearly all of them credit increasing protein intake with improved sleep.
Why is this?
Several reasons, and they’re all hormone-related.
- Protein enhances feelings of satiety, which automatically helps you get a better night’s sleep (versus feeling hungry before bed).
- Protein may help lower cortisol levels, which can help calm your stress response, leading to better sleep.
- Protein helps stabilize blood sugar, which may help prevent middle-of-the-night wakeups.
The big takeaway is to enjoy some protein with your evening meal, and maybe even as a before-bed snack, to promote satiety, reduce cortisol, and keep blood sugar stable all night.
2. Protein and Insulin/Metabolic Function
Protein’s effects on insulin are well-known and accepted: eat protein and its stabilizing effects on blood sugar will prevent “hangriness.”
However, the implications of protein on blood sugar (insulin) go far beyond satiety.
Research has shown adequate protein intake, and possibly high-protein diets, can support various aspects of metabolic health, including:
- Weight management and weight loss
- Glycemic control
- Fat distribution
- Thyroid function
- And more
For this reason, many integrative healthcare practitioners recommend increasing protein intake to support metabolic health, lose or maintain weight, and promote blood sugar balance.
3. Protein and Stress Response
The endocrine system, particularly the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenals (aka the HPA axis), governs our body’s stress response by producing and secreting stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
They also control our fight-or-flight response, which is critical during times of danger and disaster.
However, many people get stuck in fight or flight due to chronic everyday stress.
This creates an overabundance of stress hormones, particularly cortisol, which disrupts endocrine and hormonal balance over time.
Studies have shown that eating enough protein can help during times of stress by lowering cortisol levels.
Although the mechanism is not fully understood, adequate protein intake likely signals the body that food and nutrition are abundant, which may help calm that overactive stress response.
4. Protein and Appetite
You’ve likely heard it a hundred times: protein is a secret weapon for controlling appetite and increasing satiety.
How does this work? We have hormones to thank.
Research has shown that eating protein helps signal the release of appetite-regulating hormones such as ghrelin and leptin, signaling the body that you’re full and satisfied.
As you’ve just learned, protein also helps regulate blood sugar, which prevents you from crashing into hunger soon after a meal.
Highly processed, high-sugar, protein-devoid foods do the opposite, making it easy to over-indulge.
So, if you struggle with persistent hunger after eating or maintaining a balanced appetite, consider increasing your protein intake at meals and snacks.
The results for your appetite, fitness, and hormonal balance can be profound.
Related reading: 7 Ways Protein Shakes Support Weight Loss
5. Protein and Reproductive Hormones: Estrogen & Testosterone
The role of protein in promoting reproductive health in men and women is highly promoted.
However, whether a high protein diet versus an average protein diet directly benefits reproductive hormones remains unclear.
For example, some studies show that a low-protein diet results in low testosterone compared to a higher-protein diet.
However, other research has shown high-protein diets may reduce testosterone levels in men.
Regarding estrogen, some research suggests eating more protein may result in higher estrogen levels and lower testosterone levels in women, while other studies suggest the opposite.
Although more research is needed, the type of protein can make a difference.
For example, animal-based protein typically contains estrogen, which may increase estrogen levels. Same goes with soy protein, which contains phytoestrogens, also capable of increasing estrogen levels.
There are also many theories about the benefits of eating more protein for hormonal balance.
For instance, many experts link protein’s positive effects on stress hormones, like cortisol, to its positive downstream effects on reproductive hormones.
This is probable given cortisol’s ability to shunt or lower reproductive hormones, including testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone (LH).
Ultimately, we know amino acids are critical for producing and cycling hormones, and that higher cortisol can negatively impact reproductive hormones.
However, the connection between the level of protein consumption, type of protein, and reproductive hormones remains unclear.
The takeaway: if you’re stressed, be sure to get the recommended daily amount of protein to help keep those stress hormones in check.
As always, talk to your healthcare practitioner for individual recommendations on protein intake for hormonal health.
6. Protein and Human Growth Hormone
Human growth hormone, also known as HGH, is known as the hormone of youth, and is most abundant in babies, children, and adolescents.
It’s best known for its influence on bone and muscle growth, body composition, and youthful appearance.
Its natural decline with age is associated with various effects of aging, which is why there are so many recombinant HGH supplements available.
However, supplementing with rHGH is controversial, and many experts recommend increasing amino acids, from increased protein and/or amino acid supplements instead.
Although research is limited, one study showed increased HGH levels from an amino acid supplement.
7. Protein and Thyroid Function
The thyroid is a hot topic in the health, fitness, and weight-loss circles.
Once considered uncommon, thyroid conditions like hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s are on the rise, with many integrative health experts recommending high protein diets to help manage these conditions.
Why high protein?
Again, the cortisol connection is often emphasized, protein helps lower cortisol, which promotes overall well-being.
In addition, research has shown sub-optimal protein intake negatively impacts thyroid function and hormone production via the hypothalamic (HPT) pituitary thyroid axis.
The takeaway: optimizing protein intake has been shown to benefit overall thyroid function and thyroid hormone balance.
8. Protein and Gut Hormones
Exciting new research has shed light on how the gut metabolizes hormones, like estrogen via the estrobolome, and even secretes its own gut hormones!
This is paradigm-shifting, as hormonal function has always been associated with the endocrine glands.
Fun fact: a new research paper published in Cells and Molecules cited below suggests the gut should now be considered part of the endocrine system.
These discoveries are very new, however given the role protein plays in maintaining, repairing, and building healthy gut tissue, it is highly likely protein consumption impacts gut hormone homeostasis.
More research is needed, but watch this space for more on the role of protein and lifestyle in gut-hormone connection.
How Much Protein Do You Need For Hormonal Health?
The standard recommendation for protein intake is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight.
For example, a woman weighing 150 pounds would need to consume at least 54 grams of protein per day.
Higher protein intake is often recommended for athletes, women during pregnancy and lactation, to build muscle, for weight-loss or weight-management, for certain chronic conditions, and some experts recommend men eat more than women.
Most of these studies support that, showing an average intake of protein or greater, provided the most hormonal benefits.
High-quality protein sources include meats, beans, legumes, dairy products (Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.), bone broth, protein powders, quinoa, nuts, and seeds.
Talk to your healthcare practitioner for individual recommendations.
Can a High-Protein Diet Help With Perimenopause Symptoms?
High protein diets are trending for relief or perimenopause and menopausal symptoms, especially weight-gain.
Advocates cite the benefits of protein for reducing cortisol, balancing blood sugar, promoting weight loss, preventing muscle loss (sarcopenia), and supporting overall hormonal health.
Some studies, such as those listed previously and others, support this, suggesting a potential benefit for increasing protein during perimenopause and menopause for preserving lean mass, curbing appetite, and maintaining a healthy weight.
The benefits may also be increased when paired with regular strength training, which also preserves bone density, lean mass, reduces stress, and helps support a healthy weight.
There is generally no harm in increasing your protein intake during perimenopause or menopause, unless you have a pre-existing condition, such as kidney disease.
Talk with your doctor or healthcare practitioner for individual recommendations.
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Sources mentioned in this article:
- “Protein intake and healthy aging: sooner rather than later?” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
- “Nutritional influences on hormonal homeostasis: Exploring mechanisms and implications”. International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, Volume 9, Issue 2, 2024, Page No. 1-5.
- “A High Protein Diet Is More Effective in Improving Insulin Resistance and Glycemic Variability Compared to a Mediterranean Diet-A Cross-Over Controlled Inpatient Dietary Study”. Nutrients.
- “A high-protein diet induces sustained reductions in appetite, ad libitum caloric intake, and body weight despite compensatory changes in diurnal plasma leptin and ghrelin concentrations”. Am J Clin Nutr.
- “Stress: Endocrine Physiology and Pathophysiology”. [Updated 2020 Oct 17]. In: Feingold KR, Ahmed SF, Anawalt B, et al., editors. Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000-.
- “Diet and sex hormone-binding globulin”. J Clin Endocrinol Metab.
- “The Effect of Macronutrients on Reproductive Hormones in Overweight and Obese Men: A Pilot Study”. Nutrients.
- “Relationship Between Circulating Cortisol and Testosterone: Influence of Physical Exercise”. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine
- “The Impact of Macronutrient Intake on Sex Steroids During Onset of Puberty”. J Adolesc Health.
- “Dietary protein intake and reproductive hormones and ovulation: the BioCycle study”.
Fertility and Sterility, Volume 104, Issue 3, e2
“Increased Human Growth Hormone After Oral Consumption of an Amino Acid Supplement: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Crossover Study in Healthy Subjects”. Am J Ther. - “Stress and the female reproductive system”. J Reprod Immunol.
- Relationship Between Circulating Cortisol and Testosterone: Influence of Physical Exercise. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine
- “Effects of Dietary Protein on Thyroid Axis Activity”. Nutrients.
- “The Importance of Nutrition in Menopause and Perimenopause—A Review”. Nutrients.
- “Prioritising protein during perimenopause may ward off weight gain”. University of Sydney.
- “Influence of Foods and Nutrition on the Gut Microbiome and Implications for Intestinal Health”. International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- “The emerging role of gut hormones”. Molecules and Cells