PCOS Review Newsletter #91

A free health newsletter for women with polycystic ovary syndrome or polycystic ovaries.   Issue #091      October 15, 2009

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) Inositol Reduces Acne, Hirsutism

2) Chili Pepper Extract May Help You

3) Your Daughter, Premature Development, and PCOS

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1) Inositol Reduces Acne, Hirsutism

The good news about the B-vitamin inositol continues to roll in. In our last newsletter, we discussed an Italian study showing that inositol reduced testosterone levels in women with PCOS, and improved their rate of ovulation.

Another Italian study has now been published. The Vita-Salute University studied fifty women who had polycystic ovary syndrome. They took supplemental inositol for six months to determine its effects on skin conditions such as hirsutism (excess hair) and acne.

After 3 months of taking inositol, the women had reduced testosterone and improved insulin function.

In addition, after 6 months on the inositol, they also had significant reductions of both hirsutism and acne.

The researchers concluded: Inositol "…is a simple and safe treatment that ameliorates the metabolic profile of patients with PCOS, reducing hirsutism and acne."

As the researchers say, inositol supplementation is both simple and safe. If taken over the span of half a year, it appears to reduce acne and hirsutism problems.

We have two types of inositol in our online store: regular inositol and d-pinitol. D-pinitol is a special form of inositol that is thought to be more effective than regular inositol.

Source:
Zacche MM et al, Efficacy of myo-inositol in the treatment of cutaneous disorders in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome, Gynecol Endocrinol. 2009 Jun 23:1-6

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2) Chili Pepper Extract May Help You

If you're struggling with your weight or have a known problem with insulin resistance or blood sugar control, this new study may interest you.

There is an extract of red chili peppers called "capsaicin". It was given to obese mice fed a high-fat diet.

Although capsaicin is most well known as a pain reliever, in this study it was found to be helpful for improving insulin function, metabolism of fat in fat cells and liver, and reduction of inflammation. All of these conditions are aspects of PCOS.

So possibly capsaicin would be a useful supplement for you. And if you have a taste for red chili peppers, why not add them to your diet?

Source:
Kang JH et al, Dietary Capsaicin Reduces Obesity-induced Insulin Resistance and Hepatic Steatosis in Obese Mice Fed a High-fat Diet, . Obesity (Silver Spring). 2009 Oct 1. [Epub ahead of print]

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3) Your Daughter, Premature Development, and PCOS

Is your young daughter developing pubic hair way before she should? Is she prematurely developing body odor and mild acne? Are skin and hair a bit too oily?

If so, she may be experiencing "premature adrenarche". Adrenarche refers to a stage of maturation of the adrenal glands. It typically occurs between ages 6 and 10 years. But sometimes it starts to occur sooner than that, which is called premature adrenarche.

Research is showing that girls with premature adrenarche have a high risk of developing PCOS.

For example, a recent study from Athens University Medical School in Greece showed that girls with premature adrenarche had some of the same clinical signs that PCOS women have such as coagulation disorders and chronic inflammation.

Premature adrenarche is also associated with excessive levels of male hormones, which later can lead to other symptoms of PCOS such as hirsutism, menstrual irregularities and lack of ovulation.

This condition is especially likely to occur if your young daughter is overweight. We recommend that you help her to control her weight. For example, you could encourage her to get regular exercise. You could put her on a diet of whole foods and minimize exposure to junk foods and refined carbohydrates.

Adrenarche is different from ovarian development during puberty, which is related to breast development and growth acceleration.

Source:
Livadas S et al, Elevated coagulation and inflammatory markers in adolescents with a history of premature adrenarche, Metabolism. 2009 Apr;58(4):576-81

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Thought for Today: "If we attend continually and promptly to the little that we can do, we shall ere long be surprised to find how little remains that we cannot do." -- Samuel Butler