21/04/2006
Adopting a low-carb diet may improve fertility problems and hormone profiles of women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), says US research.
PCOS affects between five and ten per cent of all women of childbearing age and is a leading cause of infertility, according to the US National Women’s Health Information Center. While the direct cause is not known, the condition is strongly associated with insulin resistance. European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) define the condition as having irregular ovulation, increased levels of the make hormone androgen, and the presence of cysts on the ovaries.
The researchers, led by Crystal Douglas from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, hypothesized that a low-carbohydrate diet could increase insulin sensitivity, and decrease circulating insulin levels, which in turn decreases levels of insulin-stimulated androgen synthesis.
Eleven non-diabetic women with clinically diagnosed PCOS were recruited to take part in three 16-day trials. The women consumed three test diets with three-week washout periods between each diet intervention period. The average age of the women was 33, with an average BMI of 30 kilograms per square metre.
The effects of the low-carbohydrate or a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)-enriched diet were compared to a standard diet containing 56 per cent carb, 16 per cent protein, 31 per cent fat. The fatty acid content of the standard diet was 10 per cent polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and 13 per cent MUFA.
The low-card diet consisted of 43 per cent carb, 15 per cent protein, 45 per cent fat. PUFAs made up 17 per cent, while MUFAs 18 per cent. The MUFA-enriched diet consisted of 55 per cent carb, 15 per cent protein, 33 per cent fat. PUFAs made up 6 per cent, while MUFAs 17 per cent. All diets were equally calorific.
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