PCOS Review Newsletter #77

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

Issue #077      March 17, 2009 Bill Slater, Research Associate

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) PCOS Fitness E-Book Now Available

2) Genetic Risks of IVF

3) Cinnamon May Help PCOS

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1) PCOS Fitness E-Book Now Available

We're excited to announce a new ebook that we think will significantly help you to gain the upper hand over PCOS.

If exercise has been a challenge for you, help is on the way. Gemma Magnussen, a certified personal trainer, has written an exercise ebook especially for you. She completely understands where you are coming from. She will offer you the same exercise approach that she used to control her own PCOS and overcome her weight problem.

Click here to see how Gemma transformed her life and why she wants to help you.

We highly recommend that you read her ebook called "PCOez Fitness".

There are dozens of benefits from regular exercise. Here are just a few:

• Reduces insulin resistance, which has a normalizing effect on many of your hormones.
• Helps to metabolize fat and reduce fatty liver degeneration, which is a common but hidden symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Improves lung function. Impaired lung function is another hidden but common symptom of PCOS.
• Reshapes your body and gives it more definition.
• Reduces belly fat.
• Pumps the lymphatic system, which is plays a role in getting rid of toxins in the body.
• Lifts your self-esteem and self-respect.

Because of the obvious benefits of exercise, we hope you will take advantage of what Gemma has to offer in her ebook.

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2) Genetic Risks of IVF

If you've been unsuccessful in starting a family, your thoughts might have turned to "assisted reproduction". Some common assisted reproduction treatments are "in vitro fertilization" (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

The obvious benefit of assisted reproduction is that you can become pregnant. Millions of other women have done it, so why not you?

But are there any risks? It's always a good idea to understand both the benefits and the risks before you make a major medical or health decision.

The New York Times published an article on February 17, 2009 titled "Picture Emerging on Genetic Risks of IVF". We suggest you read that article, which gives a good overview of possible problems with IVF.

The University of Ottawa recently reviewed 61,569 deliveries. They discovered that the rate of birth defects in women receiving assisted reproduction was 1.55 times the rate for the women who did not use assisted reproduction. The researchers concluded: "There is a significant increased risk of birth defects associated with AHR [assisted reproduction], and the risk is higher in IVF and IUI."

Scientists have also been reported a possible link between IVF and various rare serious disorders such as Beckman-Wiedemann syndrome and Angelman syndrome. It appears that assisted reproduction procedures and technology may be altering the genetic profile of the embryo. In the case of these syndromes, the problems do not become apparent until later.

There are various aspects of assisted reproduction therapy that alter the embryonic environment. These alterations may result in unintended consequences. For example, it's possible the culture medium in the Petri dish in which the embryo is growing may be influencing the embryo's genetic characteristics. More research is needed in this area.

Sources:
El-Chaar D et al, Risk of birth defects increased in pregnancies conceived by assisted human reproduction, Fertil Steril. 2008 Oct 28. [Epub ahead of print]
Kalra SL et al, The association of in vitro fertilization and perinatal morbidity, Semin Reprod Med. 2008 Sep;26(5):423-35

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3) Cinnamon May Help PCOS

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome commonly have an excessive increase in insulin after eating a meal containing carbohydrates. The excessive insulin causes a multitude of problems and throws other hormones into disarray.

We don't recommend eating any starchy refined carbohydrate foods such as baked goods, breakfast cereal, white rice, etc. These foods cause a big uptick in blood sugar levels, which triggers an over-response of insulin.

However, if you do each such foods, you could add cinnamon. A recent study from Malmo University Hospital in Sweden has shown that consuming at least 3 grams of cinnamon with a carbohydrate meal dampens the insulin response after the meal is consumed.

If sprinkling 3 grams of cinnamon on your food does not appeal to you, you could take a high potency cinnamon extract instead. Or, cinnamon can be made as a tea, 1 teaspoon per cup. The tea can be added to curries, or stirred into a smoothie. You can purchase empty gelatin caps and fill them with inexpensive but effective bulk cinnamon while you watch TV or otherwise relax.

Sources:
Hlebowicz J et al, Effects of 1 and 3 g cinnamon on gastric emptying, satiety, and postprandial blood glucose, insulin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide 1, and ghrelin concentrations in healthy subjects, Am J Clin Nutr, 2009; 89(3): 815-21

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Thought for Today: "Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity." -- Henry Van Dyke