Low-carb diet may help for PCOS

Attention ladies! Here's some news about low carb
diets that may be of interest to those of you who are
looking to get pregnant.

The effects of PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, a
cause of infertility in women of child bearing age, may
be lessened by a low carb diet plan.

Get the story below.

Health 24 - News, Weight management/Obesity:
Low-carb diet may help for PCOS
Last updated: Wednesday, April 26, 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 percent 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, hypothesised
that a low-carbohydrate diet could increase insulin
sensitivity, and decrease circulating insulin levels,
which in turn decreases levels of insulin-stimulated
androgen synthesis.

How the research was conducted

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 kg per square
metre.

The effects of the low-carbohydrate or a mono-
unsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)-enriched diet were
compared to a standard diet containing 56 percent
carbohydrates, 16 percent protein and 31 percent fat.
The fatty acid content of the standard diet was 10
percent polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and 13
percent MUFA.

The low-carb diet consisted of 43 percent carb, 15
percent protein and 45 percent fat. PUFAs made up
17 percent, while MUFAs accounted for 18 percent.
The MUFA-enriched diet consisted of 55 percent
carb, 15 percent protein and 33 percent fat. PUFAs
made up 6 percent, while MUFAs accounted for 17
percent. All diets were equally calorific.

The low-carb diet “significantly affected concentrations
of fasting insulin, cholesterol, free fatty acids, and
acute insulin response to glucose, but circulating
concentrations of the reproductive hormones were not
significantly affected by the intervention,” wrote the
authors in the journal Fertility and Sterility
(Vol. 85, pp. 679-688).

From baseline values, levels of fasting insulin decreased
by 31 percent, and the acute insulin response to glucose
decreased by 16 percent for the low-carb diet. The
MUFA-enriched diet decreased levels of insulin by 25
percent, and the acute insulin response to glucose level
actually increased by seven percent.

Additional favourable results“Because elevated insulin
is thought to contribute to the endocrine abnormalities
in PCOS, a reduction in insulin would be expected to
ultimately result in an improved endocrine profile.

Utilising this low-carbohydrate diet in conjunction with
a reduced-calorie, weight-loss regimen may produce
additional favourable results in overweight and obese
PCOS subjects,” concluded the researchers. –
(Decision News Media)




low carb diet

Low-carb diet checks insulin levels too

A low carb diet has more benefits than just losing
weight. As you'll see from the article below insulin
levels and hormones are exactly affected by a diet
low in carbs.

DNA - World - Low-carb diet checks insulin levels too - Daily News & Analysis

Reuters
Saturday, April 22, 2006 00:50 IST



NEW YORK: The fertility problems and hormone
irregularities that plague women with polycystic ovary
syndrome (PCOS) may improve on a low-carbohydrate
diet, according to a new study.

In PCOS, the ovaries develop multiple cysts. Symptoms
include excessive hairiness, obesity, menstrual
abnormalities, and infertility. It could also increase the
likelihood of developing diabetes.

Dr Crystal Douglas and her colleagues at the University
of Alabama at Birmingham, recruited 15 women with
PCOS who were between the ages of 19 and 42, and
ranged from normal to obese.

Their regimens consisted of a standard diet made up
of 56 per cent carbohydrate, 31 per cent fat and the
rest protein. Compared with the standard diet, the
low-carb diet lowered insulin levels. Given these
findings, they conclude that dietary management may
be a useful addition to PCOS treatment as high insulin
levels may contribute to the hormone abnormalities
seen with PCOS."


low carb diet plan

Low Carb Diet - Fact Or Fiction?

Will a low carb diet plan really help you lose weight
and keep it off? It depends on your common sense!

As is stated in the article excerpt below, just because
you're eating so called diet food you don't have carte
blanche with your portions.

The whole idea behind a low carb diet plan is to reduce
the carb intake, thus reducing the carb storage because
extra carbs get converted to fat and stored as fat.

So why would you think that since a food's low fat or low
carb that you could eat more? That seems to be where
a lot of folks go wrong. Eat less carbs, less fat and less
food overall AND increase your physical activity!

This is a sure plan for wieght loss and health success.

Read the excerpt below and see if you fall into this category.

WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News
Food Fads, Facts, and Fictions:
LOW-FAT / LOW-CARB FOODS

Fad: You will lose weight by consuming these foods, as
opposed to traditional versions.

Fact: Sometimes low-fat or low-carb foods really are
better choices, but it depends. The best examples of great
low-fat foods are dairy products (e.g., milk, cheese,
yogurt). Calcium is important health-wise, and dairy
products have other health benefits, too.

Think about this: If you switch from 2 tablespoons of
half-and-half in your coffee (39 calories) to skim milk
(10 calories), you've just saved about 30 calories per cup
of coffee. If you have three cups per day that's 90 calories,
or about an 8-pound weight loss in a year.

And the truth is that most people will not notice the
difference over time. Other options where low-fat/carb
choices probably make a difference: mayonnaise, certain
soups, sometimes even cakes, muffins and chips.

Fiction: There are plenty of low-carb and low-fat foods
that don't taste very good, or that have additional sugar
(low-fat foods) or fat (low-carb foods) and end up having
roughly the same number of calories as their traditional
counterparts. If that's the case, you may think you're
getting a better/healthier deal, but in the end you're just
getting hoodwinked.

Another problem is that when we eat lower-carb or
lower-fat foods, many of us tend to believe we have calorie
immunity -- that it's OK to overindulge because it's 'diet food.'
For instance, Keebler Vienna Finger Cookies have 75 calories
apiece, while Keebler Reduced Fat Vienna Finger Cookies
have 70 calories. Now, you do save calories, but it's only 5
per cookie -- and again, you need to be aware of that health
"halo" effect (eating more because it's healthy).

Bottom Line: Don’t just go by what the label says. You also
need to look at the calories, compare the taste and watch your
behavior -- do you end up eating more? Are you really saving
calories?

CHARLES STUART PLATKIN is a nutrition and public health
advocate, author of the best seller Breaking the Pattern
(Plume, 2005), Breaking the FAT Pattern (Plume, 2006) and
Lighten Up (Penguin USA/Razorbill, 2006) and founder of
Integrated Wellness Solutions. Copyright 2006 by Charles Stuart
Platkin. Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter at
www.dietdetective.com.





low carb diet plan