Whether it’s because you’re running late for work, you don’t feel like cooking or simply think fasting for breakfast will save you calories, skipping meals is never the answer to long-term health. Although some dietary patterns like intermittent fasting show some weight loss and metabolic benefit to those between the ages of 30 and 60 years, for example, as compared to other eating plans like the Mediterranean diet, it may not be best for everyone in this age group.

For those people over the age of 45 years, skipping meals can disrupt hormonal patterns, which can actually increase one’s risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and make losing weight harder over time. A 2025 study in Nutrition Research shows that morning fasting can impair gut microbiota, increase inflammation, and negatively affect blood glucose control.  Keep reading to learn more about fasting, how it can affect hormones, and how people should approach fasting over the age of 45 for better health.

Fasting is defined as the “voluntary absence of food for a determined period of time.” There are fasting routines for religious purposes, or as part of dietary interventions, but they all follow a similar set of instructions that involves abstaining from food for certain hours of the day. A popular fasting routine in today’s wellness culture is intermittent fasting. 

Intermittent fasting methods can vary from 24-hour fasts a few days a week to eating only eight hours a day for most days of the week. No matter how you do it, intermittent fasting can help you eat less calories and manage weight if you consume a healthy, balanced diet during your eating hours. But just like any dietary pattern, it may not be suitable or the healthiest option for everyone. 

While fasting may aid with weight loss in some cases, a 2025 systematic review of studies on the hormonal impact of fasting shows that it may negatively impact hormonal circadian rhythms and reproductive functions. This study reports that intermittent fasting may reduce testosterone levels in some people, while increasing levels of sex hormone binding globulin, which at high levels can cause fatigue, brain fog, depression, or reproductive issues in both men and women over time. 

Further studies on this topic report that although fasting may help improve menstrual cycles for some women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), it can increase risk of maternal weight gain in some pregnant women, and may reduce DHEA levels in others. Low DHEA levels, which are already present during menopause, can lead to low energy, low muscle mass, and bone health issues, to name a few.

A certain type of intermittent fasting known as Ramadan fasting, which involves not eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset for 12 to 22 hours per day is known to increase ghrelin levels, which signal hunger in the body. This in turn makes a person very eager to eat once the fast is over, which could lead to overeating during feeding hours. Not only that, but a study on this diet’s health effects show that it can increase daytime sleepiness and affect physical activity and sleep patterns. 

Studies show that those people who engage in regular fasting earlier in life to midlife may have an increased risk of frailty when they get older. This is likely due to not consuming enough nutrition during their eating hours over the long term, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies that can negatively impact bone health. 

Therefore, if you want to engage in fasting for health or spiritual purposes, it’s important to know the risks and to take healthy steps to prevent them. Follow the tips below to help reduce hormonal health risks when fasting:

Fasting can be benign if you perform it now and then as part of your spiritual practice or if you want to rest your digestive system after feeling sick. But as part of a long-term dietary ritual, fasting may not be the most ideal option for those over the age of 45 years old. This is because skipping meals often can lead to disruption of hormones that can reduce diversity of bacteria in the gut, increase inflammation, and in turn may actually increase your risk of obesity and heart disease long-term.

That is why if you want to feel your best inside and out in midlife, focus on adopting a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle. Consume plenty of lean proteins, healthy fats, and fiber-rich produce and grains along with staying active and managing stress and sleep for the most long-term health benefits well into your golden years.