PCOS Review Newsletter #110

A free health newsletter for women with polycystic ovary syndrome or polycystic ovaries.   Issue #110      July 11, 2010

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) Study Confirms Value of PCOS Diet

2) Spironolactone for Female Pattern Hair Loss?

3) Acupuncture May Help Relieve Insulin Resistance

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1) Study Confirms Value of PCOS Diet

The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility ebook was written specifically for women who have polycystic ovary syndrome and who may also have problems with restoring a normal cycle.

One of the foundations of this diet is that is that it is "low glycemic", meaning that when you consume the recommended foods, you do not have an excessive increase in your blood sugar.

The continual excessive increase in blood sugar from eating the wrong foods leads to insulin resistance. And insulin resistance is believed to be the #1 cause of polycystic ovary syndrome.

A new study from the University of Sydney in Australia confirms that the type of diet in this ebook is the appropriate one for women who have PCOS.

Ninety-six overweight women with PCOS were enrolled in this study. Some were put on a low-glycemic index diet or a "healthy diet" that had the same level of total carbs, protein and fats -- but was not specifically low-glycemic.

The women in either group could eat as much as they wanted and were instructed to stay on the diet for 12 months, or until they achieved a 7% weight loss. Almost one-half of the women gave up, regardless of which diet they consumed.

Of those who completed the study, the low-glycemic diet group had better results.

According to lab testing, the low-glycemic group reduced their insulin resistance more than the regular healthy diet group. Almost all (95%) of low-glycemic women had improved menstrual cycles, whereas only 63% of the other group had an improvement.

The researchers concluded: "To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first objective evidence to justify the use of low-GI [glycemic index] diets in the management of PCOS."

So what are the takeaways from this new information?

1) Consuming an appropriate diet will help you gain the upper hand over PCOS and get you closer to a normal cycle.

2) Yes, any diet can be hard to follow for a long period of time, even if you are allowed to eat all you want. But this study shows that you will definitely get positive results if you stick with it.

3) The diet program described in The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility ebook consists entirely of low glycemic index foods and thus is similar to the diet used in the research study.

But the ebook goes even farther. Its foods are also low "glycemic load". A low glycemic load diet is even more effective than a low glycemic index diet.

Visit this web page to learn the distinction between the "glycemic index" and "glycemic load".

4) What if you are not obese or overweight? A low glycemic load is basically a healthy diet, a diet that is much healthier by far than the average American diet. Everyone can benefit from a diet that is wholesome and has a low glycemic load.

Source: Marsh KA et al, Effect of a low glycemic index compared with a conventional healthy diet on polycystic ovary syndrome, Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jul;92(1):83-92

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2) Spironolactone for Female Pattern Hair Loss?

Are you losing your hair? If so, you may be suffering from FPHL (female pattern hair loss).

Not all the possible causes of FPHL are known. However, an excess of male hormones is a huge contributor to the problem The culprit appears to be a form of testosterone called "dihydrotestosterone" or DHT.

DHT causes your hair follicle to shrink, thus preventing the hair from growing any further and the hair eventually falls out. The hair follicle goes into a "resting phase" and may not produce a replacement hair for quite some time.

There are a number of conventional medical treatments. One of them is a synthetic compound called spironolactone (brand name (Aldactone).

It is a diuretic that has an anti-male hormone effect by impairing male hormone production in the adrenal glands and ovaries. It also inhibits the production of DHT, which is a primary cause of hair follicle shrinkage.

Spironolactone has been used "off-label" in female pattern hair loss for over 20 years. ("Off-label" means the FDA has not approved the drug specifically for female pattern hair loss). In some women, it has been shown to stop the progression of hair loss. Some women may also achieve partial hair regrowth.

However, spironolactone is associated with an increased risk of bleeding in the stomach and GI tract. Other side effects include ataxia, drowsiness and rashes. At very high doses, it can cause cancer in rats. It may interfere with antidepressant medications. Spironolactone can increase serum potassium levels and thus cause a serious medical condition called hyperkalemia.

Spironolactone is also used to treat hirsutism (male pattern hair growth) in women.

If you have an issue with hair loss, spironolactone is a medication that your physician may discuss with you.

Source: Rathnayake D et al, Innovative use of spironolactone as an antiandrogen in the treatment of female pattern hair loss, Dermatol Clin. 2010 Jul;28(3):611-8

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3) Acupuncture May Help Relieve Insulin Resistance

In our newsletters, we often say that insulin resistance is a major cause of polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Insulin resistance is closely associated with various manifestations of PCOS such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and metabolic syndrome. It also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Unfortunately, all of the medications for treating insulin resistance have some adverse effects.

An effective, long-term method for controlling insulin resistance is to improve your diet, get more exercise, reduce stress levels, and take appropriate nutritional supplements as indicated.

Acupuncture treatments also appear to help to reduce insulin resistance, according to a report just released from the Kanazawa Medical University in Japan.

Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years in China and has been increasingly used worldwide for insulin resistance-related diseases.

The report was based on the analysis of 234 publications on the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for problems related to insulin resistance. All together, these publications provide clinical evidence (although somewhat limited) indicating that acupuncture is effective for reducing insulin resistance.

We also reported in a previous issue of the newsletter that acupuncture was helpful for relieving PCOS. Researchers at Goteborg University in Sweden published a review article on acupuncture for PCOS. They concluded: "Clearly, acupuncture can affect PCOS via modulation of…the sympathetic nervous system, the endocrine and the neuroendocrine system."

Have you overlooked acupuncture as a holistic way to help you deal with polycystic ovary syndrome and insulin resistance?

Maybe you should give it a try. Consider adding an experienced acupuncturist or Oriental Medical Doctor (OMD) to your personal healthcare team.

Sources: Liang F et al, Acupuncture: is it effective for treatment of insulin resistance?, Diabetes Obes Metab. 2010 Jul;12(7):555-69
Stener-Vuictorin E et al, Acupuncture in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Current Experimental and Clinical Evidence, J Neuroendocrinol. 2008 Mar;20(3):290-8

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Thought for Today: "What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it." -- Alexander Graham Bell