Diet change may improve ovary disease outcomes

	Tweet

The fertility problems and hormone irregularities that Plague women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may improve on a low-carbohydrate diet, according to a new study.

In polycystic ovary syndrome, a woman’s ovaries develop multiple cysts. Symptoms can include excessive hairiness, obesity, menstrual abnormalities, and infertility. PCOS is also believed to increase the likelihood of developing diabetes.

The lead investigator of the current study, Dr. Crystal C. Douglas, told Reuters Health, “Our results suggest that a moderate reduction in dietary carbohydrate may decrease insulin, and over time, this dietary modification may lead to improvements in the metabolic and reproductive outcomes in women with PCOS, independent of weight loss.”

Douglas, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and her colleagues recruited 15 women with PCOS who were between 19 and 42 years old and ranged in weight from normal to obese.

The 11 women who were available for follow-up had each been put on three different diets for 16-day periods, separated by two 3-week “washout” periods, according to the team’s report in the March issue of Fertility and Sterility.

The regimens consisted of a standard diet made up of about 56 percent carbohydrate, 31 percent fat and the rest protein; an enriched monounsaturated fatty acid diet with about 55 percent carbohydrate, 33 percent fat and the remainder protein; and a reduced carbohydrate diet with about 43 percent carbohydrate and 45 percent fat and the rest consisting of protein.

Compared with the standard diet, the low-carbohydrate diet lowered insulin levels. In addition, the usual jump in insulin in response to glucose was reduced after the low carbohydrate diet compared with the enriched monounsaturated fatty acid diet.

No differences were seen in circulating reproductive hormones.

Given these findings, the researchers conclude that dietary management may be a useful addition to PCOS treatment. As they explain, high insulin levels are thought to contribute to the hormone abnormalities seen with PCOS, so reduced insulin could lead to an improved hormone profile.

SOURCE: Fertility and Sterility, March 2006.

RELATED STORIES:
Pill Among Least Effective Birth Control Methods   70 percent of women use contraceptives during their first sexual encounter   Long-term contraception more effective than pills   Gay couples and women over 40 to get free IVF treatment on NHS   Health secretary urges contraception compromise   Contraceptive ring, patch carry blood clot risks   Reminder Stamp Boosts HPV Vaccination   Study adds to evidence on clot risks of non-oral contraceptives   HPV vaccine completion rate among girls is poor, getting worse   Some ob-gyns cite religious conflicts over care   After IVF, some couples get pregnant without help   Web Tool Offers Map to Menopause   Early Menopause Could Also Mean Early Death   Does soy help cool hot flashes after all?   Caffeine not tied to worsening urinary incontinence

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]