PCOS Review Newsletter #89

A free health newsletter for women with polycystic ovary syndrome or polycystic ovaries.   Issue #089      September 14, 2009

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) Omega-3s Beneficial for PCOS

2) Thyroid Dysfunction and PCOS Problems

3) Swine Flu and Vitamin D

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1) Omega-3s Beneficial for PCOS

Omega-3 oils, especially from marine animals such as fish, are beneficial to your health in a number of ways. In this article, we'll describe three specific ways a product such as fish oil can help you.

(1) The first reason to take fish oil is "fatty liver degeneration", otherwise called "nonalcoholic fatty liver disease" or NAFLD, which doctors still tend to ignore. NAFLD is a disease you don't need and should get rid of.

A study at Cornell University has shown that 55% of PCOS women have NAFLD. Fatty liver disease is not restricted to overweight women. In this study, nearly 40% of the women with NAFLD were lean.

We have previously reported research showing the fish oil is effective for reversing this disease.

A new study of PCOS women from the University of Western Australia has confirmed the previous research. In this study, 25 women with PCOS were given 4 grams daily of omega-3 fish oils for eight weeks. The women experienced reduced liver fat content, triglycerides and blood pressure.

The researchers concluded: "Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has a beneficial effect on liver fat content and other cardiovascular risk factors in women with PCOS, including those with hepatic steatosis."

(2) A second reason to take fish oil is that it helps to relieve depression, according to a number of medical studies. Depression is a common symptom of PCOS. Depressed people tend to have lower levels of omega-3 fats.

(3) A third reason is that it may improve your lung function. We previously reported that women with PCOS are more likely to have impaired lung function when compared to other women.

The National Research Center for Environment and Health in Germany has reported a correlation between lung capacity and the level of DHA, which is one of the omega-3 fats found in fish. People with the highest DHA levels also had the best lung capacity.

The authors of this study concluded: "A high concentration of [DHA]…may have a protective effect on lung function. Because this long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid is almost exclusively derived from marine oils, fish might have a beneficial effect on lung diseases."

When you sum it all up, supplemental fish oil sounds like a very good idea.

Fish oil is available here.

Sources:
Cussons AJ et al, Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation decreases liver fat content in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: a randomised controlled trial employing proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Jul 21. [Epub ahead of print]
Riemer S et al, Lowered omega-3 PUFAs are related to major depression, but not to somatization syndrome, J Affect Disord. 2009 Aug 29. [Epub ahead of print]
Kompauer I et al, Association of fatty acids in serum phospholipids with lung function and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in adults, Eur J Epidemiol. 2008;23(3):175-90

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2) Thyroid Dysfunction and PCOS Problems

The thyroid is a gland in the front of your neck that produces hormones to regulate or influence many functions in your body.

For example, thyroid hormones interact with your ovaries and with the eggs in your ovaries. Your menstrual pattern is influenced by thyroid hormones that communicate directly with your ovaries, and indirectly by altering other hormones and molecules that affect your ovaries (such as sex hormone binding globulin, prolactin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone).

Why is this important?

If your thyroid is not working properly and your thyroid hormone levels are not optimal, you're less likely to have a normal cycle, less likely to become pregnant, and more likely to have a miscarriage.

There is accumulating evidence that women with polycystic ovarian syndrome tend to have thyroid disorders. We've discussed this a bit in our PCOS diet book.

There are many reasons why your thyroid function may be abnormal. One likely reason is that you have a condition called "autoimmune thyroiditis" whereby your immune system attacks your thyroid gland.

Another possibility is "estrogen dominance", which causes one of the thyroid hormones to be less active. Estrogen dominance is a problem that some women with PCOS have.

There isn't room here to discuss the other reasons. What we want to get to is the most recent research on this topic.

The Erlangen University Hospital in Germany studied 337 women with PCOS and discovered an association between thyroid dysfunction and insulin resistance. Where you find one, you may find the other.

Insulin resistance is the inability to efficiently utilize the hormone insulin. This condition is thought to be a primary cause of polycystic ovary syndrome and is a threat to your long-term health.

In this study of PCOS women, TSH was one of the hormones assessed. TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is released by the pituitary gland in your brain to tell the thyroid gland to increase thyroid hormone production. A high TSH suggests you have a hypothyroid condition and are not producing as much as thyroid hormone as the body wants.

The researchers found that when the TSH level was above 2, it was good at predicting that the women also had insulin resistance, regardless of weight or age.

So how can you use this information?

When you go to see your doctor and you are diagnosed as having PCOS, don't just walk out the door with a prescription for birth control pills. We suggest you also get a blood test to assess your thyroid function. The TSH test is easy and not expensive.

If your TSH is on the high side, you have a problem with your thyroid gland, and you may also have insulin resistance.

The diet, exercise and lifestyle modifications described in our PCOS book are an excellent way to reduce insulin resistance.

For your thyroid, you may need thyroid replacement therapy prescribed by your doctor, especially if you have autoimmune thyroiditis.

We're just scratching the surface here about the rich interplay among the numerous hormones in your body. For now, please understand that PCOS is much more than just a disorder in your ovaries.

Source:
Mueller A et al, Thyroid-stimulating hormone is associated with insulin resistance independently of body mass index and age in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, Hum Reprod. 2009 Aug 3. [Epub ahead of print]

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3) Swine Flu and Vitamin D

We normally avoid health issues not related to PCOS, but since the Swine Flu is in the news almost every day and since an outbreak is predicted for this winter, we'll offer a few comments.

Whether you should get a flu shot is a controversial topic we won't get into here. But we do suggest you find out exactly what is in a vaccine before you receive it.

Meanwhile, is there anything you can do to minimize your flu risk, aside from the obvious hygienic practices?

We think vitamin D might be helpful. Have you ever wondered why most respiratory infections such as flu and colds occur in the winter? Many people think it's just the cold weather.

However, some researchers think the lack of vitamin D from reduced sunshine during the winter that could be responsible for the uptick in respiratory infections.

Vitamin D has a profound beneficial effect on your immune system. For one thing, it dramatically stimulates potent anti-microbial molecules found in your white blood cells and in the lining of your respiratory tract.

Ultraviolet radiation (either from artificial sources or from sunlight) reduces the incidence of viral respiratory infections, as does cod liver oil (which contains vitamin D).

It's known that vitamin D levels drop in the winter because there is less sun and we are bundled up, thus greatly reducing our skin exposure to the sun and reducing the production of vitamin D.

Secondly, we've pointed out in past newsletters that women with PCOS tend to have lower vitamin D levels.

So…we suggest you consider taking some supplemental vitamin D, at least through the winter months. If you're taking the d-Pinitol formula, you're getting 600 IU of vitamin D in each capsule. At the recommended dose of 1-2 capsules twice daily, you would be getting 1,200 - 2,400 IU of vitamin D daily.

Other sources are cod liver oil and vitamin D supplements.

Sources:
Cannell JJ et al, Epidemic influenza and vitamin D, Epidemiol Infect. 2006 Dec;134(6):1129-40

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Thought for Today: "Doubt yourself and you doubt everything you see. Judge yourself and you see judges everywhere. But if you listen to the sound of your own voice, you can rise above doubt and judgment. And you can see forever." -- Nancy Lopez