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.
