PCOS Review Newsletter #100

A free health newsletter for women with polycystic ovary syndrome or polycystic ovaries.   Issue #100      February 21, 2010

---

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) D-Pinitol May Protect Your Pancreas

2) Birth Control Pills May Reduce Bone Density

3) Can You Find Some Quiet Time?

---

1) D-Pinitol May Protect Your Pancreas

D-pinitol is a form of inositol, a member of the B-vitamin family. D-pinitol is one of the nutrients in the d-pinitol formula, which also includes chromium and vitamin D.

D-pinitol has been shown to improve blood sugar control and reduce insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a condition where you do not efficiently utilize the hormone insulin. Therefore, your pancreas gland has to produce an excessive amount of insulin in order to manage your blood sugar levels and perform other critical functions in your body.

Insulin resistance is common among women who have PCOS and is regarded by many doctors as the primary cause of PCOS. Insulin resistance is a big problem.

In addition to causing symptoms of PCOS, it also can eventually cause your pancreas gland to become exhausted from producing so much insulin. As your pancreas gland approaches exhaustion, it can no longer produce the insulin you need. The result is type 2 diabetes with your blood sugar going out of control. In this situation, you would have to spend the rest of your life giving yourself insulin shots.

It's very important to protect your pancreas gland.

A recent study of d-pinitol at the University of Madras in India came to our attention. They studied two groups of rats. One group was diabetic, the other was normal.

The pancreas glands of the diabetic rats showed tissue damage from a condition called "oxidant stress". Oxidant stress occurs when the molecules in your cells become unstable. This instability is caused by a lack of "antioxidants". There are many antioxidants. Vitamins C and E are two commonly known antioxidants.

In this study, the diabetic rats were given d-pinitol. In one month, their oxidant stress was back down near the levels of the normal rats. In addition, physical examination of their pancreas glands confirmed the improvement.

Here's the point: d-pinitol not only helps you to normalize insulin and your blood sugar levels, it also may be act as an antioxidant to protect your pancreas gland from damage.

The d-pinitol formula is something to seriously consider, especially if you have an issue with insulin resistance or keeping your blood sugar balanced -- or if you have tried metformin but could not tolerate it.

Source:
Sivakumar S et al, Pancreatic tissue protective nature of D-Pinitol studied in streptozotocin-mediated oxidative stress in experimental diabetic rats, Eur J Pharmacol. 2009 Nov 10;622(1-3):65-70

Top

---

2) Birth Control Pills May Reduce Bone Density

Birth control pills seem like a benign, completely safe, highly effective pharmaceutical product that you can safely consume for as long as you like.

However, no pharmaceutical, including birth control pills, can be taken with impunity. There are always consequences.

It's always a good idea to be clear on the benefits and risks of taking even the most benign and "safe" drugs.

A case in point is a report from the Group Health Cooperative in Seattle. They said that oral contraception may decrease bone density in young women.

Those taking birth control pills for more than two years, and those on the low-dose estrogen pills appear to have the greatest risk of decreased bone density in the spine and whole body, according to the researchers.

The study consisted of 606 women between the ages of 14 and 30. The researchers reviewed oral contraceptive use, the duration of use and the estrogen dose in the contraception, and compared this to bone mineral density tests. The bone density test measured bone density in the hip, spine and whole body.

When the researchers compared oral contraceptive users to non-users, they found that women taking oral contraception had average bone mineral density levels that were 5.9% less for the spine and 2.3% lower for the whole body.

The researchers also noted a trend toward lower bone density in women taking oral contraceptives containing lower doses of estrogen, with the lowest readings in women taking formulations containing less than 30 micrograms of estrogen.

It's not entirely clear to what you may resume bone building at a normal rate once you have quit birth control pills. It depends to some extent on your age. Your prime bone-building years are in your teens and twenties. As you get older, your ability to build strong bones declines.

The reduced bone density resulting from certain oral contraceptives is a serious issue because so many women with PCOS take birth control pills for a very long time.

One of the Group Health researchers said that a 5% lower bone density after menopause is associated with a 50% increased risk of bone fractures from osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a loss of bone density or mass that results in porous, brittle bones. It can be a disfiguring and painful disorder with no easy cure. The best cure for osteoporosis is prevention.

If you are on birth control pills and are beyond your teen years, we recommend that you consult with your doctor about the type of pills you are taking and how much longer you should be taking them.

Sources:
Scholes D et al, Oral contraceptive use and bone density in adolescent and young adult women, Contraception. 2010 Jan;81(1):35-40

Top

---

3) Can You Find Some Quiet Time?

Do you live a fast-paced life? I know I do. And so do most of the people I know.

We live in a time where there are more distractions, more obligations, more demands on your mental, physical and emotional energy and financial life energy. We can't seem to find time for ourselves, our thoughts and our needs.

We're daily bombarded by traffic noise, bad news, loud music, sirens, construction, advertisements, barking dogs, beeping cell phones and others' conversations and interruptions.

Most of us seem to have programmed ourselves to be afraid of quiet time.

I wonder if we are afraid to hear ourselves actually THINK.

When we enter a room, we habitually turn on the television, radio, and computer.

Many people reserve no quiet time whatsoever every day, let alone every week. Frankly, if you identify with this, you need to give yourself a reality check and ask yourself why you are not listening to the inner part of yourself.

Face it folks, due to the negative information the media feeds us daily and the uncertain economic outlook, we need MORE quiet personal time to gather our thoughts and intentions.

We need to DISCERN what should have our attention, time, and energy and what old habits should we toss out that are no longer serving us. Be aware of your own power to make choices. Give yourself some silence to hear the inner callings you have and to take care of yourself.

Spiritual teachers tend to agree that we need to go into silence for wisdom.

When you can visit the silent spaces of your mind and turn off the external noise, you are most likely to discover new possibilities and opportunities, new and different solutions to nagging problems.

Quiet time can recharge your life energy.

Seek more silence in your life. Schedule some quiet times for the rest of this month and next month. Decide to do more for your own inner health and happiness so you can be a better human being.

Are you a human being -- or a human doing? Our lives have become endless work and non-stop activity. This kind of non-stop "doing" wears you down and wears you out. This type of lifestyle simply worsens and prolongs your PCOS-related problems.

Can you change your schedule to set aside one out of every seven days when you do NOT answer the phone, do business, run errands, pay bills, go shopping, do the laundry or perform house repairs? Can you make it a day of relaxation, recreation, quiet time, and time with family?

This is not a new idea. There is the tradition of the Sabbath, one day a week set aside as holy for rest, rehabilitation, prayer, meditation, thought and family, not work. This has been lost to many today.

Don’t you think you deserve one day of real rest each week? Make sure you go to your calendar and schedule some OFF time where you actually rest and do things that nurture you!

PS: Polycystic ovary syndrome has some very emotionally and mentally distressing aspects to it. A hidden key to successfully managing PCOS is to give yourself the time you need to nurture your emotional and spiritual being.

Top

---

Thought for Today: "Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone." -- Pablo Picasso