The impact of ovarian hormones on binge eating episodes and related behavioral, motivational, and emotional components

Introduction: Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is characterized by the excessive consumption of food within a limited time frame, surpassing what most individuals would consume under similar circumstances. These episodes are accompanied by a sense of loss of control, leading to significant emotional distress. This dysfunctional eating pattern may be associated with two motivational subsystems: wanting (i.e., the drive to eat) and liking (i.e., sensory pleasure). According to epidemiological studies conducted in the United States, the prevalence of BED is 1.25% in women and 0.42% in men. These differences could be explained by the hormonal fluctuations that occur throughout the different phases of the menstrual cycle. Objective: To provide a brief review compiling published research on the impact of ovarian hormones (i.e., estradiol and progesterone) on binge eating episodes, emotional responses, motivational components (i.e., liking and wanting), and loss of control. Discussion: Estradiol exerts anxiolytic and anorexigenic effects, thereby reducing binge episodes. In contrast, elevated levels of progesterone increase both food intake and negative emotional responses. Regarding motivational components, higher estradiol levels decrease wanting and increase liking, which could be explained by an increase in taste detection thresholds. Progesterone tends to produce the opposite effect. While inhibitory control increases with progesterone and decreases with estradiol, this relationship can be reversed when the stimulus has a sexual nature.