PCOS Review Newsletter #56

A free health newsletter for women with polycystic ovary syndrome or polycystic ovaries.

Issue #056      April 21, 2008
Nancy Dunne, N.D., Naturopathic Physician
Bill Slater, Research Associate

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) Inositol Improves Ovulation and Hormone Balance in PCOS Women

2) Stevia Protects Your Pancreas

3) Meditation Boosts Women's Health

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1) Inositol Improves Ovulation and Hormone Balance in PCOS Women

We have more very good news about inositol, a member of the B-vitamin family.

Two recent studies confirm earlier studies that inositol improves hormone balance and helps to restore normal cycles in women who have polycystic ovarian syndrome.

In the most recent study, from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy, 25 overweight PCOS women were given 2 grams of inositol daily for 12 weeks. Menstrual cycles were restored in all women who did not have a normal cycle. Insulin resistance, a primary cause of polycystic ovary syndrome, was reduced.

The authors of the study conclude: "Myo-inositol administration improves reproductive axis functioning in PCOS patients, reducing the hyperinsulinemic state that affects LH secretion."

The other study is from the University of Perugia in Italy. It is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, which medical authorities say is the "gold standard" of medical studies.

The researchers divided 92 PCOS women into two groups. One group was given a placebo, while the other group received 4 grams of inositol daily.

Compared to the placebo group, the inositol group had a shorter time to first ovulation, and had a higher frequency of ovulation. The effect on ovarian follicles appeared to be rapid, starting in the first week of treatment.

In addition, the inositol group lost weight while the placebo group gained weight.

The researchers conclude: "These data support a beneficial effect of myo-inositol in women with oligomenorrhea and polycystic ovaries in improving ovarian function."

These and other medical studies suggest that therapeutic doses of inositol would be beneficial for ovulation, reduction of insulin resistance and luteinizing hormone, and possibly for weight loss.

We can recommend either of these products: Inositol-5. This product contains 324 mg. of inositol in each tablet and is quite inexpensive. It you were to take the same amount as in the studies cited above, you would be taking 2,000 - 4,000 mg., or 6 - 12 tablets a day. d-Pinitol. This formula contains d-pinitol, which is a form of inositol called "3-O-methyl-D-chiro-inositol". It is thought to be more potent than ordinary inositol. This formula also contains chromium and vitamin D, which are very important for improving insulin function, among other things. This product is relatively expensive but provides a more comprehensive and potent approach. 2 - 4 capsules daily is a suggested dosage.

Sources:
Genazzani AD et al, Myo-inositol administration positively affects hyperinsulinemia and hormonal parameters in overweight patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, Gynecol Endocrinol. 2008 Mar;24(3):139-44
Gerli S et al, Randomized, double blind placebo-controlled trial: effects of myo-inositol on ovarian function and metabolic factors in women with PCOS, Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2007 Sep-Oct;11(5):347-54

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2) Stevia Protects Your Pancreas

Stevia is a natural sweetener that is 300 times as sweet as table sugar. It is extracted from herbs and shrubs grown in South America. It is a popular and healthy sweetener.

So what does stevia have to do with polycystic ovarian syndrome? First, some background.

The majority of PCOS women appear to have insulin resistance or excessively high levels of insulin. Your pancreas has to work hard to produce all this insulin. Eventually, your pancreas gets tired out and no longer produces enough insulin to store your blood sugar into cells. When that happens, you have insulin-dependent diabetes. As you may know, women with PCOS have a higher risk of developing diabetes.

In other words, if you have insulin or blood sugar problems, your pancreas gland is at risk.

A recent study has shown that stevia has a protective effect on your pancreas, especially if you have a problem with excessive blood sugar and insulin resistance.

Therefore, if you have a sweet tooth, stevia is your best choice as a sweetener.

Source:
Chen J et al Stevioside improves pancreatic beta-cell function during glucotoxicity via regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jun;292(6):E1906-16

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3) Meditation Boosts Women's Health

Have you tried meditation lately? If not, give it a try. Research shows that it will help you in a number of ways.

For example, cardiovascular disease is the #1 cause of death in older women. However, postmenopausal women who are long-term practitioners of Transcendental Meditation have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and appear to have less risk of heart disease.

Meditation also has been shown to reduce symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome, including lower blood pressure and insulin resistance. Metabolic syndrome has many similarities to polycystic ovary syndrome.

Sources:
Walton KG et al, Lowering cortisol and CVD risk in postmenopausal women: a pilot study using the Transcendental Meditation program, Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Dec;1032:211-5
Paul-Labrador M et al, Effects of a randomized controlled trial of transcendental meditation on components of the metabolic syndrome in subjects with coronary heart disease, Arch Intern Med. 2006 Jun 12;166(11):1218-24

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Thought for Today: "If you can give your son or daughter only one gift, let it be - enthusiasm." -- Bruce Barton