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Diet and HPG Axis

Meaning

The profound influence of nutritional status and dietary composition on the function and regulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) axis, which governs reproductive and sexual health. This interaction highlights how energy availability acts as a primary signal to the central reproductive control center. Deficiencies, excesses, or specific macronutrient ratios can either impair or optimize the pulsatile release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and downstream sex steroid production. This relationship is critical in clinical endocrinology for addressing conditions like functional hypothalamic amenorrhea and obesity-related infertility.