PCOS Review Newsletter #103

A free health newsletter for women with polycystic ovary syndrome or polycystic ovaries.   Issue #103      April 4, 2010

---

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) Four Compelling Reasons Why You May Need Vitamin D

2) Naturopathic Medicine and Individualized Health Care

3) 11 More Quick Tips for a Better Life

---

1) Four Compelling Reasons Why You May Need Vitamin D

If you've been reading our past newsletters, you know how important we think vitamin D adequacy is for PCOS and your overall health. It's important that you understand why there is so much vitamin D in the d-pinitol formula, which some of you are taking.

You may remember from a previous newsletter that it's estimated 72.8% of women with polycystic ovary syndrome have a vitamin D deficiency. That's nearly 3 of every 4 women!

There appears to be a correlation between low vitamin D levels and an elevation of these symptoms of PCOS: weight, belly fat, blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin resistance, insulin, triglycerides and cholesterol.

Unfortunately, some doctors seem to ignore this problem and just provide you with birth control pills or metformin.

However, new research studies continue to come to our attention about the benefits of having adequate vitamin D levels in your body. Here are the results from four medical studies.

1) Vitamin D and Your Weight.

The University of Tromso in Norway gave 93 individuals a weekly dose of 40,000 IU of vitamin D for one year. Those who were the most overweight had the lowest increase in vitamin D levels in spite of the supplementation.

The bottom line of this study is: the more overweight you are, the higher the dose of supplemental vitamin D you will likely need. Regardless of your weight, it is advisable that you get a vitamin D test to find out what your vitamin D level is. If you are very overweight, it is critical that you get a test.

2) Vitamin D and Your Heart.

As you probably know, you have an elevated risk of developing cardiovascular disease as a result of having PCOS. In addition, cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer of women.

There is a connection between vitamin D and the health of your heart. The Medical University of Graz in Austria has reported that people who have heart trouble also have lower vitamin D levels.

Their report concluded: "In our opinion, the current knowledge of the beneficial effects of vitamin D on myocardial and overall health strongly argue for vitamin D supplementation in all vitamin D-deficient patients with or at high risk for myocardial diseases."

3) Vitamin D and Preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is medical condition where you develop high blood pressure and protein in the urine while you are pregnant. If left untreated, both you and your unborn child are at risk.

Women who have gestational diabetes and PCOS have an elevated risk of preeclampsia.

The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health published a study showing that a vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of preeclampsia.

The researchers concluded: "Maternal vitamin D deficiency may be an independent risk factor for preeclampsia. Vitamin D supplementation in early pregnancy should be explored for preventing preeclampsia and promoting neonatal well-being."

So if you are contemplating a pregnancy or are pregnant, talk to your doctor about your vitamin D levels.

4) Vitamin D and Longer Life.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer looked at eighteen different medical studies to determine the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and longevity.

They found that people who took vitamin D supplements lived longer. They were less likely to die early from chronic disorders such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

When you add it all up, there are some good reasons to consider vitamin D supplementation, as found in the d-pinitol formula. You may need even more vitamin D than is in this formula. It's recommended that you get a vitamin D test from your doctor to find out where you stand.

Sources:
Jorde R et al, Cross-sectional and longitudinal relation between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and body mass index: the Tromsø study, Eur J Nutr. 2010 Mar 4. [Epub ahead of print]
Pilz S et al, Vitamin D deficiency and myocardial diseases, Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010 Mar 29. [Epub ahead of print]
Alshammari A et al, Does the presence of polycystic ovary syndrome increase the risk of obstetrical complications in women with gestational diabetes?, J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2009 Aug 27:1-5. [Epub ahead of print]
Bodnar LM et al, Maternal vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of preeclampsia, J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Sep;92(9):3517-22
Autier P et al, Vitamin D Supplementation and Total Mortality: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials, Arch Intern Med. 2007 Sep 10;167(16):1730-7

Top

---

2) Naturopathic Medicine and Individualized Health Care

I'm pleased to introduce two doctors who will be contributing to this newsletter on a regular basis to bring you news, tips, and case reports using natural medicine in the treatment of PCOS.

Dr. Carl Hangee-Bauer and Dr. Amy Day are licensed naturopathic doctors who treat many women with PCOS at their clinic, San Francisco Natural Medicine. Here is their first article.

In all the women that we have worked with who are diagnosed with PCOS, it is remarkable to note that no two cases are the same. Each woman has her own story, her own symptoms, her own family history, her own health risks, her own lab results, and her own way in which this condition is affecting her life.

Also, women with PCOS may have other health issues or goals unrelated to PCOS which need to be considered in a holistic context. While it is clinically useful to recognize symptom patterns and find ways of treating common issues, it is also critical to take an individualized approach when treating a woman with PCOS.

Not every woman with PCOS has abdominal obesity, or acne, or hair loss, or hirsutism, or irregular cycles or infertility. It is our job as doctors to address your individual issues rather than just giving every woman with PCOS the same treatments. It is your job to make sure that the treatments you decide to try make sense for you in your specific situation.

You can request tests to help you focus in on your specific areas of imbalance, and to rule out other conditions that could be causing some of your symptoms.

You can choose treatments that address your symptoms specifically, as well as their underlying causes. You can focus your diet and exercise efforts, your herbal and nutritional supplements, and your medications so that you are doing things that will treat your own personal version of PCOS.

Top

---

3) 11 More Quick Tips for a Better Life

We listed 11 quick tips for a better life in the last issue of our newsletter. Here are 11 more tips:

12) Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13) Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, people who drain your energy, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.

14) Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

15) Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

16) Frame every perceived disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

17) Forgive everyone for everything.

18) What other people think of you is none of your business.

19) God heals everything -- but you have to ask.

20) Envy is a waste of time. You already have everything that you need.

21) Every night before you go to bed, take a few moments to complete the following statements: I am thankful for__________. Today I accomplished_________.

22) When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings.

Top

---

Thought for Today: "The greatest mistake you can make in life is continually fearing that you'll make one." -- Elbert Hubbard