PCOS Review Newsletter #93

A free health newsletter for women with polycystic ovary syndrome or polycystic ovaries.   Issue #093      November 15, 2009

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1) Fish Oil and a Successful Pregnancy

2) Overweight People Get Less Respect from Doctors

3) Healthy Young Women Have Polycystic Ovaries

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1) Fish Oil and a Successful Pregnancy

We have several dozen favorable research reports on file about the consumption of fish or fish oil. Some of these reports suggest that the oils from fish may improve pregnancy outcomes.

A successful pregnancy is an especially important issue for any women with PCOS because of the higher risk of an unfavorable outcome.

Not only are women with PCOS more likely to have a miscarriage, they are also more likely to have pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, or a preterm birth. Their babies are also more likely to end up in intensive care or possibly die.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to improve your odds. Of course, what you eat greatly influences how your pregnancy will turn out.

One of the items in your diet is fish. A recent study of 8,729 Danish women showed that those who ate no fish had a 19-fold increased risk of preterm delivery compared to those women who regularly ate fish. In other words, fish consumption drastically reduced the risk of a preterm birth.

The Danish study was supported by another study of 2,398 pregnant women in Brittany, France. In this study, fish consumption as associated with increased length of gestation.

However, the researchers drew an interesting distinction between fish and shellfish. While fish consumption reduced the risk of preterm birth, shellfish consumption resulted in reduced fetal growth. It appears that eating shellfish on a regular basis may contribute to having a smaller baby.

OK, eating fish and avoiding shellfish while pregnant sounds like a good idea. But what about the mercury and all those other pollutants found in fish?

The sad fact is that our entire food supply is polluted. Nothing is pure and pristine anymore. So what you can do is try to minimize your exposure to pollutants during your pregnancy. Wild fish from cold waters are a better choice than farm-raised fish. Chapter 8.2 of The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility book has a list of fish to eat or avoid.

By the way, a recent Spanish study has shown that eating more than one can of tuna per week is associated with lower birth weight. So we suggest you not rely on canned tuna as your main source of fish.

If you want to get most of the benefit of fish without the pollutants, we recommend that you take a high quality supplemental fish oil. Virtually all pollutants and contaminants have been removed from this fish oil. So you get the benefit with out the risk.

Supplemental fish oil may be especially appropriate, for two reasons. First, women with PCOS are predisposed to have pregnancy problems. Second, if you are not a fish eater, fish oil supplementation may be especially helpful, according to a new study.

This study, from the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark, showed that women with previous pregnancy complications were less likely to have a preterm birth when they took supplemental fish oil However, the benefit of the fish oils was confined to those women who consumed little or no fish. So if you don't each fish because it tastes fishy or you're afraid of the pollutants, then supplemental fish oil is suggested.

One final note: If you're concerned about optimizing your chances for a successful pregnancy, we suggest that you eat a very healthy diet and consider taking a high-quality, comprehensive supplement for pregnancy. You need more than just fish oil alone to create a healthy baby.

Sources:
Boomsma CM et al, A meta-analysis of pregnancy outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, Hum Reprod Update. 2006 Nov-Dec;12(6):673-83
Olsen SF et al, Duration of pregnancy in relation to seafood intake during early and mid pregnancy: prospective cohort, Eur J Epidemiol, 2006; 21(10): 749-58
Guldner L et al, Maternal fish and shellfish intake and pregnancy outcomes: a prospective cohort study in Brittany, France, Environ Health. 2007 Oct 24;6:33
Mendez MA et al, Seafood consumption in pregnancy and infant size at birth: Results from a prospective Spanish cohort, J Epidemiol Community Health. 2009 Aug 25. [Epub ahead of print]
Olsen SF et al, Duration of pregnancy in relation to fish oil supplementation and habitual fish intake: a randomised clinical trial with fish oil, Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;61(8):976-85

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2) Overweight People Get Less Respect from Doctors

If you are overweight, do you suspect that your doctor does not respect you? Do you wonder whether he or she thinks you are weak-willed and unwilling to lose weight?

A study by John Hopkins University shows that overweight people are less respected by their doctors. The fatter you are, the less they will respect you.

This isn't fair. It isn't right. It's unprofessional for a doctor to have a negative perception of you just because you are overweight. But that's the way it is.

They may not fully understand how difficult it is for you to lose weight. Perhaps they haven't performed a thorough diagnostic workup to find out WHY are you too heavy. There are lots of reasons why you can't lose weight besides how many calories you are consuming.

Research evidence suggests that when doctors don't respect their overweight patients, they tend to give out less information compared to lean patients. They may also be put off by the difficulty of examining a person with fatty skin folds. Poor grooming or body odor may also cause the doctor to have a negative perception.

If you sense that your doctor is uncomfortable with your body shape, find another doctor. Overweight and obesity is a very serious health problem, especially for women with PCOS. You should get help and advice from someone who really cares about you as a person and is not the least bit concerned with how you look.

Source:
Huizinga MM et al, Physician Respect for Patients with Obesity, J Gen Intern Med. 2009 Sep 18. [Epub ahead of print]

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3) Healthy Young Women Have Polycystic Ovaries

You may be surprised to know how prevalent polycystic ovaries are among young women.

We came across a report in the September issue of the Gynecological Endocrinology medical journal that said about 4 of every 5 normal, healthy women have polycystic ovaries. However, as women get older, the rate of polycystic ovaries decreases.

We were surprised that polycystic ovaries are so common. However, polycystic ovaries is not the same thing as polycystic ovary syndrome.

In the case of polycystic ovaries, the ovaries are larger than normal, and there are a series of undeveloped follicles that appear in clumps, somewhat like a bunch of grapes. Polycystic ovaries are not especially troublesome and may not even affect your fertility.

However, when the cysts cause a hormonal imbalance, a pattern of symptoms may develop. This pattern of symptoms is called a syndrome. These symptoms are the difference between polycystic ovary syndrome and polycystic ovaries.

So you can have polycystic ovaries without having PCOS. However, nearly all women with PCOS will have polycystic ovaries.

The good news is that you can deal with both problems with the same approach: improved diet and lifestyle.

Source:
Duijkers IJ et al, Polycystic ovaries, as defined by the 2003 Rotterdam consensus criteria, are found to be very common in young healthy women, Gynecol Endocrinol. 2009 Sep 15:1-9

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Thought for Today: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." -- Eleanor Roosevelt