PCOS affects between five and ten percent of all women of childbearing age and is a leading cause of infertility, according to the US National Women's Health Information Center. While the direct cause is not known, the condition is strongly associated with insulin resistance.

Advertisement

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) define the condition as having irregular ovulation, increased levels of the make hormone androgen, and the presence of cysts on the ovaries.

The researchers, led by Crystal Douglas from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, hypothesised that a low-carbohydrate diet could increase insulin sensitivity, and decrease circulating insulin levels, which in turn decreases levels of insulin-stimulated androgen synthesis.

How the research was conducted
Eleven non-diabetic women with clinically diagnosed PCOS were recruited to take part in three 16-day trials. The women consumed three test diets with three-week washout periods between each diet intervention period. The average age of the women was 33, with an average BMI of 30 kg per square metre.

The effects of the low-carbohydrate or a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)-enriched diet were compared to a standard diet containing 56 percent carbohydrates, 16 percent protein and 31 percent fat. The fatty acid content of the standard diet was 10 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and 13 percent MUFA.

The low-carb diet consisted of 43 percent carb, 15 percent protein and 45 percent fat. PUFAs made up 17 percent, while MUFAs accounted for 18 percent. The MUFA-enriched diet consisted of 55 percent carb, 15 percent protein and 33 percent fat. PUFAs made up 6 percent, while MUFAs accounted for 17 percent. All diets were equally calorific.

The low-carb diet “significantly affected concentrations of fasting insulin, cholesterol, free fatty acids, and acute insulin response to glucose, but circulating concentrations of the reproductive hormones were not significantly affected by the intervention,” wrote the authors in the journal Fertility and Sterility (Vol. 85, pp. 679-688).

From baseline values, levels of fasting insulin decreased by 31 percent, and the acute insulin response to glucose decreased by 16 percent for the low-carb diet. The MUFA-enriched diet decreased levels of insulin by 25 percent, and the acute insulin response to glucose level actually increased by seven percent.

Additional favourable results
“Because elevated insulin is thought to contribute to the endocrine abnormalities in PCOS, a reduction in insulin would be expected to ultimately result in an improved endocrine profile.

Utilising this low-carbohydrate diet in conjunction with a reduced-calorie, weight-loss regimen may produce additional favourable results in overweight and obese PCOS subjects,” concluded the researchers. – (Decision News Media)
 

Print this article on

Rate this article Poor 1 2 3 4 5 Excellent

JOBS

Senior Secretary Gauteng - North/Sandton Infrastructure Resource Gauteng - Johannesburg Management Accountant R450,000-500,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - Johannesburg Financial Manager R350,000-400,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - Johannesburg Financial and Project Accountant R300,000-360,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - Johannesburg Financial Accountant R380,000-420,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - Johannesburg SSIS Business Intelligence Specialists (SSIS; SSAS) R350,000-500,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - North/Sandton Financial Accountant R350,000-450,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - South Find more jobs Register your CV Post a job