Between 5% and 10% of women are affected by polycystic ovary syndrome. Are you one of them? Then you might be interested to hear that your diet plays a crucial role.

I recently attended a lecture on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), presented by Dr Karen Fourie, who is a gynaecologist working in Pretoria. I was fascinated to hear how closely this relatively 'new' syndrome is associated with diet.

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As many of the users on the DietDoc Message Board suffer from PCOS, and the overweight that often accompanies this syndrome, I would like to share some of the information presented by Dr Fourie with you.

Background information
PCOS is a so-called endocrine condition, which is characterised by irregular menstruation and infertility.

Between 5% and 10% of women are affected by PCOS and 75% of women with secondary amenorrhoea (absence of periods or irregular periods) suffer from PCOS. This syndrome is, therefore, surprisingly common in the female population.

Although PCOS was first described by Stein and Löwenthal in 1935, there seems to be an upsurge in its incidence in modern women.

Symptoms
PCOS is characterised by the following symptoms:

• Amenorrhoea (irregular or lack of menstruation)
• Enlarged cystic ovaries
• Hirsutism (growth of hair on the face, hands etc.), associated with an increase in male hormone production
• Obesity (which is where the correct diet has such an important role to play)
• Insulin resistance (up to 50% of patients with PCOS suffer from insulin resistance)
• Metabolic syndrome (obesity, type 2 diabetes, raised blood pressure, raised "bad" blood fats, reduced "good" blood fat)
• So-called 'android' fat distribution (a roll of fat just below the waist or abdominal obesity)
• Increased testosterone levels
• Acne

PCOS is not just restricted to adult women. According to Dr Fourie, up to 57% of her young patients (teenagers of about 15 years) who consult her for irregular menstruation suffer from PCOS.

Many of these youngsters are still slender, but already have insulin resistance and other symptoms of the syndrome. It is a sobering thought that more than 50% of young women, who suffer from acne, also have insulin resistance.

In view of the prevalence of obesity and insulin resistance in patients with PCOS, it is essential that these patients are given dietary treatment. Dr Fourie stated that up to 70% of patients with PCOS run the risk of developing full-blown type 2 diabetes if not treated for their insulin resistance.

Solutions
Dr Fourie emphasised that weight loss and the use of a diet with a low glycaemic index (GI) are extremely important. Just by decreasing the patient's weight by 5-10%, many of the symptoms of PCOS such as acne, amenorrhoea and insulin resistance can be turned around.

She stressed that it is essential for any woman of any age, who suffers from PCOS, to see a dietician for weight loss and a low-GI diet. It is a known fact that when obese women with PCOS lose 10% or more of their body weight, their symptoms improve dramatically.

A study conducted in Finland found that there was a 58% reduction in diabetes risk when women with PCOS reduced their body fat levels, particularly abdominal fat. Weight loss, therefore, reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes significantly.

In young women (mean age of 15 years) with PCOS, an average weight loss of 8kg improved their hormone levels.

Consult a dietician
It is important for women of all ages with PCOS to consult a dietician, because dieticians are trained to assist patients with weight loss and in using a low-GI, low-fat diet. Such diets can be quite tricky to apply and it helps to have the professional guidance of a dietician.

To contact a dietician, visit the Association for Dietetics in SA website and click on "Find a Dietician". You can also ask the gynaecologist who is treating your PCOS to refer you to a dietician.

The low-GI, low-fat diet
To read more about diets that are low-GI and low-fat, click here. Also read more about type 2 diabetes.

There is also an excellent cookbook available for patients who suffer from diabetes or insulin resistance. 'The South African Cookbook for Diabetes and Insulin Resistance' by Hilda Lategan is published by Tafelberg and should be available in most bookstores.

Otherwise, contact Hilda Lategan on (012) 546 6410) or send her an e mail to order the cookbook. The book is an inspiration to people who need to use a low-GI diet and have no idea what to cook.

At present, we do not know what causes PCOS, but we do know that treating obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic problems associated with this syndrome by means of dietary interventions can cause dramatic improvements in most aspects of the condition.

If you suffer from PCOS and its related complications, consult a dietician as soon as possible.

Text copyright: Dr I V van Heerden, DietDoc
19 March 2007

Read more:
Low-carb diet may help for PCOS
A-Z of PCOS

 

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