New research ties genetic defect to PCOS and insulin resistance

Researchers have discovered for the first time, a genetic defect present in a type of microRNA in the fat cells of both women with PCOS and women with insulin resistance.  The discovery paves the way for the development of new, targeted therapies to address the cause of both PCOS and insulin resistance.  The research was published in the current issue of the journal Diabetes, and accompanied by a press release by the Medical College of Georgia, issued on Mar. 19, 2013.

A group of tiny RNA molecules with a big role in regulating gene expression also appear to have a role in causing insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and, perhaps, in all women, researchers report.  

MicroRNAs (miRNA or ?RNA) are single-stranded RNA molecules of 21-23 nucleotides in length, which regulate gene expression. miRNAs are encoded by genes from whose DNA they are transcribed but miRNAs are not translated into protein.

Research in the journal Diabetes, indicates that high activity levels of a microRNA called miR-93 in fat cells impedes insulin’s use of glucose, contributing to PCOS as well as insulin resistance, said Dr. Ricardo Azziz, reproductive endocrinologist and PCOS expert at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.

“This is one of the first reports of a defect that may occur both in women who are insulin resistant and, in particular, in women with PCOS,” said Azziz, the study’s corresponding author. “Identifying this molecular mechanism helps us understand these common conditions better and points us toward targeted therapies to correct these problems in women.”

PCOS affects about 10 percent of women, though some estimates put that figure as high as 25 percent.  The condition appears to be more prevalent in lesbian women than in heterosexual women, though it is not known why this is.  Polycystic ovarian syndrome is characterized by excess levels of male hormones which are triggered by excess levels of insulin which act upon the theca cells of the ovaries stimulating them to produce testosterone, irregular ovulation and menstruation which can lead to infertility and is associated with an increased risk for insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes and heart disease.  PCOS is the leading cause of female infertility and the disease greatly increases the risk of premature cardiovascular disease including heart attack and stroke.

Researchers looked at fat cells from the lower abdomen of 21 women with PCOS and 20 controls. In all the women with PCOS, they found over expression of miR-93 and decreased expression of GLUT4, a key protein that regulates fat’s use of glucose for energy.  GLUT4 is the major transporter for glucose uptake into the cells and in many tissues in the body it is made available in the plasma membrane of the cell through the action of insulin.  When GLUT4 does not respond sufficiently to insulin, insulin resistance occurs, along with the cascade of metabolic and hormonal disturbances that ensue.

GLUT4 expression was lowest in the women with PCOS who also were insulin resistant. They also found the expression was low in members of the control group who were insulin resistant.  Fat, a large organ in even a thin individual, is where a lot of glucose usage via insulin occurs, with muscle being another major utilizer of insulin-mediated glucose.

“Low levels of GLUT4 in fat appear to be affecting insulin resistance in general and to have a more dramatic impact in PCOS,” Azziz said. MiR-93 was known to impact GLUT4 in other cell types and to have a role in reproduction, infertility and lipid metabolism. “There has been no clear mechanism to describe insulin resistance in PCOS and we believe this is one of the pathways,” said Dr. Yen-Hao Chen, cell biologist at MCG and the study’s first author.

Interestingly, the investigators found that two other microRNAS – miR-133 and miR-223, which are known to regulate GLUT4 expression in heart muscle cells – also were over expressed but only in the fat cells of PCOS patients, Chen said. This exclusivity implicates the tiny molecules in the underlying condition of PCOS, Chen said. The researchers don’t know yet if the two are related to miR-93. “We are just beginning to understand the role of these small molecules in PCOS and insulin resistance and much work remains to be done,” Azziz said.

Follow up studies include better understanding just how microRNAs impact GLUT4, identifying other microRNAS that do – including looking further at miR-133 and 223 – and identifying what factors impact the tiny RNA molecules.

Humans use both insulin and non-insulin related mechanisms to use blood sugar, or glucose, as an energy source.  Dr Azziz and his colleagues also published research just last month which investigated the relationship between insulin-mediated and non-insulin-mediated glucose uptake in PCOS patients compared to healthy controls.

The results, published in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, showed that women with PCOS have defects in both mechanisms. In fact, PCOS women who had the most difficulty controlling glucose via insulin were also the ones with the greatest declines in their ability to use non-insulin approaches. More typically, when insulin resistance increases, the body’s non-insulin dependent usage increases, apparently to help compensate.

 Polycystic ovary syndrome appears to cause a sort of double jeopardy for those struggling the hardest to control blood sugar levels, researchers report.

Humans use insulin and other non-insulin mechanisms to convert blood sugar, or glucose, into energy and control levels in the blood, where it becomes a destructive force.

The study compared 28 healthy women to 28 women with PCOS and showed the latter have declines in both approaches, said Dr. Azziz.

Most surprising was the finding that the PCOS women who had the most difficulty controlling glucose via insulin were also the ones with declines in their ability to use non-insulin approaches. More typically, when insulin resistance increases, the body’s non-insulin dependent usage increases, apparently to help compensate. In these women, non-insulin activity was essentially unchanged except in those with the most insulin resistance, where it dropped.

“Women with PCOS who have the highest levels of insulin resistance, the greatest difficulty controlling their sugar and the highest risk for diabetes, appear to have a double defect in how glucose is controlled, which affects both the mechanisms that use insulin and those that do not,” Azziz said.

While the amount of fat around the internal organs, called visceral fat, predicted the degree to which insulin had difficulty controlling glucose, the regulation of glucose by non-insulin means was more closely associated with the amount of fat under the skin, or subcutaneous fat.

“If the fat is not as sensitive to insulin, that obviously means blood sugar levels, and probably fat and cholesterol levels as well, increase and the pancreas responds by producing more insulin,” Azziz said. “Fat abnormalities can have a tremendous impact on how we feel and how we function.”

The body uses insulin to convert sugar into energy for the cells in response to eating, stress or other acute causes of blood sugar increases. Fat is a big user of this approach. However, some tissues, such as the brain, red blood cells and adrenal gland, don’t require insulin to convert glucose to energy.

“That’s one reason why regulating only insulin does not cure diabetes,” said Azziz, noting that when fasting, about 80 percent of the body’s glucose usage occurs independent of insulin.

Next steps include understanding the molecular mechanisms behind these significant differences in how PCOS affects glucose usage, Azziz said.

The study concluded that increased general obesity, high levels of subcutaneous fat and hyperandrogenism or the symptoms resulting from high levels of male hormones such as hirsutism, male pattern baldness and acne are primary predictors of the deterioration of of the body’s ability to utilise glucose by any means.

More Information:

Chen YH, Heneidi S, Lee JM, Layman LC, Stepp DW, Gamboa GM, Chen BS, Chazenbalk G, & Azziz R. (2013) miRNA-93 inhibits GLUT4 and is overexpressed in adipose tissue of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome patients and women with insulin resistance. Diabetes. PMID: 23493574

Dimitriadis G, Mitrou P, Lambadiari V, Maratou E, Raptis SA. (2011) Insulin effects in muscle and adipose tissue. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. PMID: 21864752

Ezeh U, Pall M, Mathur R, Dey D, Berman D, Chen IY, Dumesic DA, & Azziz R. (2013)Effects of Endogenous Androgens and Abdominal Fat Distribution on the Interrelationship Between Insulin and Non-Insulin-Mediated Glucose Uptake in Females.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. PMID: 23450052

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/mcog-pos031313.php

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/mcog-trm031913.php

 

Women wanted to participate in Indiana University study into PCOS

 

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Indiana University School of Medicine is seeking healthy women ages 18 to 40 for a research study to better understand polycystic ovary syndrome.  In an interview with Mary Hardin of Indiana University on Feb. 2 Mary explained that the study was proving difficult to recruit for, despite offering some significant benefits to participants.

Women who have PCOS may be eligible to receive a medication to treat PCOS for 12 weeks during the study and all women who offer their participation will receive compensation for their time, as well as the opportunity to help scientists better understand PCOS and help those women who suffer from the condition.

Two different profiles of women are being sought for study participation:

• Women with polycystic ovary syndrome who have infrequent periods and a body mass index from 18 to 25.  This equates to being in the normal weight range for height.
• Women who do not have polycystic ovary syndrome to serve as controls who have regular periods and a body mass index from 30 to 40.  This equates to being in the obese range for weight in comparison to height.

Volunteers cannot be currently pregnant or be on hormonal birth control.

The study involves a screening visit, two admissions to the Indiana University Clinical Research Center for blood draws during a cream challenge test, a glucose tolerance test and an ovarian stimulation test.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome may also be eligible to receive a medication in a 12-week treatment arm of the study.

For additional information, contact Tammy Garrett, R.N., at 317-944-7037, or tjgarret@iupui.edu.

Soup makes you feel fuller by raising blood sugar levels quickly

Soup has long been the friend of those who are trying to lose weight.  Much research has confirmed that people who begin a meal with soup, consequently eat less calories at that meal than those who don’t eat soup and that they feel fuller afterwards.  New research published in the January 2013 issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which was published Jan. 10, has found out why.  Soup raises increases the blood sugar more quickly than other foods, making sugar and other nutrients available to the body more quickly.

Researchers from the Functional Food Centre, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford, UK in conjunction with the Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine in Singapore and the Physiology Department of the School of Medicine at the National University of Ireland in Galway studied 12 volunteers and their responses on three different occasions to three different types of meals – a typical solid meal, a chunky soup and a smooth soup.

The partipants then recorded how full they felt and had their blood sugar and the time it took their stomach to empty from the meal measured, using standard tests.

The smooth soup took the longest to leave the stomach, followed by the chunky soup with the solid meal taking the longest.  The smooth soup had the greatest effect on blood sugar levels, raising blood sugar by an average of 87 mmol/l/minute, followed by the chunky soup at 65.4 mmol/l/minute and the solid meal coming in at 61.6 mmol/l/minute.
The researchers concluded that the smooth soup induced greater fullness compared with the solid meal because of a combination of delayed gastric emptying leading to feelings of gastric distension and rapid accessibility of nutrients causing a greater glycaemic response.y participants, in line with the findings of previous studies, reported feeling most full after the smooth soup than the other two meals.

This is something that people who are following a low carbohydrate diet should take into consideration when choosing the ingredients for their soups.  Many people choose a low-carbohydrate lifestyle in order to minimise disruption to insulin and blood sugar levels.  Eating smooth soups which have even a moderate amount of carbohydrate in them may be detrimental to blood sugar and insulin control, particularly if the soups contain ingredients like pumpkin, sweet potato or potato.

Part of the reason why soups help people to feel fuller after a meal is that they sit in the stomach for longer, making the stomach feel distended which triggers feelings of fullness and hormones associated with satiety.  Another reason that they trigger a feeling of fullness is that the nutrients contained in the soup require very little digestion and are almost immediately available in the bloodstream.  In some instances this is a good thing, and soups are definitely something that can easily play a significant part in a healthy, low-carbohydrate diet, just be careful to consider the glycaemic response when choosing ingredients.

Sources:

Clegg ME, Ranawana V, Shafat A, & Henry CJ. (2013) Soups increase satiety through delayed gastric emptying yet increased glycaemic response. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 67(1), 8-11. PMID: 23093339

Diindolylmethane (DIM) and PCOS: Is there a benefit?

 

DIM is a phytonutrient which is formed when indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is broken down.  I3C can be found in cruciferous vegetables such as those in the Brassica family like red cabbage, kale, broccoli, Brussel sprouts and cauliflower.  Diindoylmethane derives its name from its molecular structure, two indole groups attached to a methane group.  It is primarily an oestrogen regulating compound, having the ability to either increase or decrease oestrogen synthesis depending upon the dose.  In addition to its effects on oestrogen metabolism, DIM is also being studied for its anti-inflammatory effects, anti-cancer properties and its ability to stimulate the immune system.  In particular it may offer some benefit to diseases which are caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV, such as cervical dysplasia and respiratory papillomatosis.  It’s anti-cancer properties and cancer-preventative properties are related predominantly to its effect on regulating the hormones oestrogen and testosterone, affecting the development of hormonally-driven cancers such as those of the breast, prostate, ovaries and uterus.

DIM or diindolylmethane has been found to improve estrogen metabolism by altering liver function in a way which increases the rate at which oestrogens are metabolised into inactive forms, thus clearing excess from the body, which is generally beneficial in PCOS as most women with the condition also have a relative oestrogen dominance.  It also blocks some effects of oestrogen, though it may increase others.  It is also an anti-androgen, reducing the amount of testosterone in the body, which is also usually a hallmark feature of PCOS.

 ”We have focussed our attention on indole-3-carbinol, a compound found in cruciferous vegetables, and its further metabolites in the body, diindolylmethane (DIM) and indolylcarbazole (ICZ), because of its relative safety and multifaceted activities. It has been shown that it induces CyP4501A1, increasing 2-hydroxylation of estrogens, leading to the protective 2-OHE1, and also decreases CyP1B1 sharply, inhibiting 4-hydroxylation of estradiol, thereby decreasing the formation of the carcinogenic 4-OHE1. In addition to these indirect effects as a result of altered estrogen metabolism, indole-3-carbinol has been shown to have direct effects on apoptosis and cyclin D, resulting in blockage of the cell cycle. In addition to its antitumor activity in animals, it has also been shown to be effective against HPV-mediated tumors in human patients. All of these responses make the study of its behavior as a therapeutic agent of considerable interest.”  Bradlow et al, 1999

Because cooking reduces the bioavailability of DIM in foods through destruction of the myrosinase enzyme which is stored in vegetables and converts I3C into DIM, a supplement may be beneficial in moderate doses, however, in the first instance increasing the amount of Brassicas in the diet should be considered.  It should be noted, that whilst DIM has been found to inhibit the aromatase enzyme in small doses, preventing the conversion of testosterone into oestrogen, converting potent forms of oestrogen into less potent forms and reducing the effects of oestrogen excess on the body, in higher doses it can actually increase the activity of the aromatase enzyme, increasing oestrogen synthesis and the effects that oestrogen has on the human body.

The human intestines also produce small amounts of the enzyme required to convert I3C into DIM, so even cooked Brassicas will provide some DIM.

DIM may assist in managing some of the symptoms of PCOS which are due to oestrogen dominance, however, it is only an auxiliary treatment.  Addressing the root cause of the oestrogen dominance should be of primary importance in treating PCOS.  The hormonal abnormalities which present in PCOS generally result from insulin resistance, which then disrupts other hormones.

• What causes polycystic ovarian syndrome?
• D-chiro inositol for polycystic ovarian syndrome
• PCOS more prevalent in lesbian women

Sources:

Acharya A, Das I, Singh S, & Saha T. (2010) Chemopreventive properties of indole-3-carbinol, diindolylmethane and other constituents of cardamom against carcinogenesis.Recent patents on food, nutrition & agriculture, 2(2), 166-77. PMID: 20653562

Bradlow HL, Sepkovic DW, Telang NT, & Osborne MP. (1999) Multifunctional aspects of the action of indole-3-carbinol as an antitumor agent. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 204-13. PMID: 10668495

Castañon, A.; Tristram, A.; Mesher, D.; Powell, N.; Beer, H.; Ashman, S.; Rieck, G.; Fielder, H. et al. (2011). “Effect of diindolylmethane supplementation on low-grade cervical cytological abnormalities: Double-blind, randomised, controlled trial”. British Journal of Cancer 106 (1): 45–52. PMID 22075942

Chen I, McDougal A, Wang F, & Safe S. (1998) Aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated antiestrogenic and antitumorigenic activity of diindolylmethane. Carcinogenesis, 19(9), 1631-9. PMID: 9771935

Chen I, Hsieh T, Thomas T, & Safe S. (2001) Identification of estrogen-induced genes downregulated by AhR agonists in MCF-7 breast cancer cells using suppression subtractive hybridization. Gene, 262(1-2), 207-14. PMID: 11179685

Dalessandri KM, Firestone GL, Fitch MD, Bradlow HL, & Bjeldanes LF. (2004) Pilot study: effect of 3,3?-diindolylmethane supplements on urinary hormone metabolites in postmenopausal women with a history of early-stage breast cancer. Nutrition and cancer, 50(2), 161-7. PMID: 15623462

Ge X, Yannai S, Rennert G, Gruener N, & Fares FA. (1996) 3,3?-Diindolylmethane induces apoptosis in human cancer cells. Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 228(1), 153-8. PMID: 8912651

Gong Y. Sohn H. Xue L. Firestone GL. Bjeldanes LF (2006). “3,3?-Diindolylmethane is a novel mitochondrial H(+)-ATP synthase inhibitor that can induce p21(Cip1/Waf1) expression by induction of oxidative stress in human breast cancer cells”. Cancer Research 66 (9): 4880–4887. PMID 16651444

Kim YS. Milner JA (2005). “Targets for indole-3-carbinol in cancer prevention”. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 16 (2): 65–73. PMID 15681163

Le HT, Schaldach CM, Firestone GL, & Bjeldanes LF. (2003) Plant-derived 3,3?-Diindolylmethane is a strong androgen antagonist in human prostate cancer cells. The Journal of biological chemistry, 278(23), 21136-45. PMID: 12665522

Lord RS, Bongiovanni B, & Bralley JA. (2002) Estrogen metabolism and the diet-cancer connection: rationale for assessing the ratio of urinary hydroxylated estrogen metabolites.Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic, 7(2), 112-29. PMID: 11991791

McDougal A, Gupta MS, Morrow D, Ramamoorthy K, Lee JE, & Safe SH. (2001) Methyl-substituted diindolylmethanes as inhibitors of estrogen-induced growth of T47D cells and mammary tumors in rats. Breast cancer research and treatment, 66(2), 147-57. PMID: 11437101

Rajoria S, Suriano R, Parmar PS, Wilson YL, Megwalu U, Moscatello A, Bradlow HL, Sepkovic DW, Geliebter J, Schantz SP…. (2011) 3,3?-diindolylmethane modulates estrogen metabolism in patients with thyroid proliferative disease: a pilot study. Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association, 21(3), 299-304. PMID: 21254914

Rogan EG (2006). “The natural chemopreventive compound indole-3-carbinol: state of the science”. In Vivo 20 (2): 221–228. PMID 16634522

http://examine.com/supplements/Diindolylmethane/

Why eggs make a great breakfast choice

 

Consuming whole eggs improves blood lipids like cholesterol and triglycerides in people with metabolic syndrome, a condition commonly associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS according to a review of new research.

Decades of mixed messaging regarding dietary cholesterol have led to avoidance of certain foods, such as eggs, particularly among individuals who are faced with health conditions. However, a recent study published in Metabolism suggests that including whole eggs as part of a weight loss diet may have positive effects on lipoprotein profiles for individuals with metabolic syndrome.

In this study, middle-aged men and women with metabolic syndrome consumed either three whole eggs or an equivalent amount of egg substitute daily as part of a carbohydrate-restricted, weight loss diet. Although participants eating the whole eggs were consuming twice as much cholesterol as they had at the beginning of the study, the researchers observed no effects on total blood cholesterol or LDL cholesterol levels after 12 weeks on the diet. All participants, including those consuming whole eggs, had improved lipid profiles with decreases in plasma triglycerides and increases in HDL cholesterol.

“Eating egg yolks was actually associated with enhanced health benefits in these high-risk individuals,”

explains Dr. Maria Luz Fernandez, lead study author and Professor at the University of Connecticut,

“Subjects consuming whole eggs had greater increases in HDL cholesterol and more significant reductions in the LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio than those who ate the cholesterol-free egg substitute.”

PCOS can develop into metabolic syndrome

It is estimated that up to 15% of women suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome which can develop into metabolic syndrome, an increasingly prevalent condition which can affect both men and women.  It is further estimated that 34% of Americans are affected by metabolic syndrome which is a combination of at least three of the following risk factors:

• large waistline,
• high triglycerides,
• low HDL cholesterol,
• high blood pressure, and
• elevated blood sugar.(i)

The presence of metabolic syndrome increases the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is strongly linked to insulin resistance which also accounts for the majority of cases of polycystic ovarian syndrome, and in fact a proportion of PCOS sufferers will go on to develop metabolic syndrome or diabetes, particularly if the condition is left untreated.

A Closer Look at the Incredible Egg

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service has reported that eggs now have 14 percent less cholesterol (down from 215 mg to 185 mg) and 64 percent more vitamin D than previously thought. Naturally nutrient-rich, one large egg provides varying amounts of 13 essential vitamins and minerals, including nutrients that aren’t found abundantly in other foods, including vitamin D and choline. Whole eggs offer every essential vitamin and mineral required for a healthy human, with the exception of vitamin C.

Many of these nutrients reside in the yolk, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which are antioxidants that may prevent macular degeneration and consequent age-related blindness. While eggs contain only small amounts of these nutrients, research shows that lutein and zeaxanthin from eggs may be more bioavailable, or better used by the body, than from more concentrated sources like supplements.

A recent study published in Food and Function found that daily consumption of egg yolks was associated with increases in plasma lutein, zeaxanthin and ?-carotene in people with metabolic syndrome, which is typically associated with low levels of these important nutrients.

Free-range is better

Eggs from free-range or organic chickens are even better for you.  Analysis of eggs from fourteen different free-range flocks in 2007 found that in comparison to battery hen eggs, they contain:

• 34% less cholesterol
• 1?4 less saturated fat
• 10% less total fat
• 50% more folic acid
• 70% more vitamin B12
• 40% more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene
• 13 to 21 times more omega-3 fatty acids, depending upon the study cited.

According to the University of Michigan Integrative Medicine website:

“Commercially bred chickens that stay confined in cages and eat standard feed are likely treated with hormones and antibiotics. These animals may produce eggs containing antibiotic residues. To minimize consumption of antibiotic residues and other toxins found in conventionally raised birds, buy organic eggs.”

High-Quality Egg Protein and Weight Management

Weight management is a crucial aspect of preventing and managing chronic disease such as metabolic syndrome. All-natural, high-quality protein helps build muscle and allows people to feel fuller longer and stay energized, which can assist with weight management.

In fact, an egg breakfast, compared with a bagel breakfast of similar calories, has been shown to lead to greater feelings of fullness and reduced food intake at later meals, resulting in a significant reduction in BMI and waist circumference.

Protein provides a long-lasting, sustained energy source to keep you going throughout the day.  It helps keep blood sugar levels on an even keel, instead of the spikes and troughs that occur with carbohydrate-based breakfast foods such as cereals, fruit or toast, and keeps insulin levels low.

Dr. Dixie Harms, a nurse practitioner specializing in diabetes care, suggests starting the day with a protein-rich breakfast as a good weight-management strategy, a first line of defense in preventing chronic disease.

“Management of chronic disease takes a coordinated effort with diet and lifestyle,” says Harms, “A balanced breakfast including high-quality protein plus regular physical activity can help put individuals on a path to a healthier lifestyle.”

Sources:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/epr-ud121312.php

Ervin RB. (2009) Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among adults 20 years of age and over, by sex, age, race and ethnicity, and body mass index: United States, 2003-2006.National health statistics reports, 1-7. PMID: 19634296

Blesso CN, Andersen CJ, Barona J, Volek JS, & Fernandez ML. (2012) Whole egg consumption improves lipoprotein profiles and insulin sensitivity to a greater extent than yolk-free egg substitute in individuals with metabolic syndrome. Metabolism: clinical and experimental. PMID: 23021013

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-10-01/Tests-Reveal-Healthier-Eggs.aspx

Click to access Eggs%20chart.pdf

http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/food-pyramid/eggs.htm

Karsten, Heather. “Pasture-ized Poultry.” Penn State Online Research,” May 2003. http://www.rps.psu.edu/0305/poultry.html

Karsten, H.D. (2010-3-12) Vitamins A, E and fatty acid composition of the eggs of caged hens and pastured hens. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 16(01),45-54, 13. DOI: 10.1017/S1742170509990214

US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 2011. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23. Online. Available at: Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=12-35-45-00. Accessed December 14, 2012.

iv Goodrow, EF et al. Goodrow EF, Wilson TA, Houde SC, Vishwanathan R, Scollin PA, Handelman G, & Nicolosi RJ. (2006) Consumption of one egg per day increases serum lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations in older adults without altering serum lipid and lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. The Journal of nutrition, 136(10), 2519-24. PMID: 16988120. JN 2006; 136(25):19-24.

Blesso CN, Andersen CJ, Bolling BW, & Fernandez ML. (2012) Egg intake improves carotenoid status by increasing plasma HDL cholesterol in adults with metabolic syndrome.Food & function. PMID: 23128450

Leidy HJ, Lepping RJ, Savage CR, & Harris CT. (2011) Neural responses to visual food stimuli after a normal vs. higher protein breakfast in breakfast-skipping teens: a pilot fMRI study. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 19(10), 2019-25. PMID: 21546927

Leidy HJ, Bossingham MJ, Mattes RD, & Campbell WW. (2009) Increased dietary protein consumed at breakfast leads to an initial and sustained feeling of fullness during energy restriction compared to other meal times. The British journal of nutrition, 101(6), 798-803. PMID: 19283886

Vander Wal JS, Gupta A, Khosla P, & Dhurandhar NV. (2008) Egg breakfast enhances weight loss. International journal of obesity (2005), 32(10), 1545-51. PMID: 18679412

Tolan, A. (1974-3-7) Studies on the composition of food. British Journal of Nutrition, 10(02), 645-200. DOI: 10.1079/BJN19740024

Lopez-Bote, C.J. (1998-5) Effect of free-range feeding on n. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 34(1-2), 389-40. DOI: 10.1016/S0377-8401(97)00180-6

What can I use as a natural carpet cleaning solution?

 

What natural options exist for cleaning soft furnishings and carpets, that actually work?  Many women with PCOS are sensitive to dust, mites and the toxins produced by moulds as well as the chemicals in commercial cleaning solutions, which presents somewhat of a conundrum.  Others are particularly aware of the damage that environmental chemicals can do to delicate endocrine balances and growing bodies and wish to protect their children from the health consequences that they themselves have suffered after being exposed to hormone disrupting chemicals at a tender age.

So what, asks Melody, can you safely use to clean things with, that will do a good job?

As a general rule, I use a combination of the following for most things:

• white vinegar
• lemon juice or half an already juiced lemon leftover from cooking
• sodium carbonate (washing soda, electric soda)
• sodium bicarbonate (slightly less effective than sodium carbonate, but still useful for some things)
• essential oils such as eucalyptus, tea tree, lemon, lemon myrtle & lavender.
• borax
• salt
• laundry soap
• dishwashing detergent

This is the recipe for the cleaning solution I use in my carpet shampooing machine when the need arises.  It makes 2L of concentrate.

Ingredients:

• 1.7 litres of white vinegar or 1.7 litres of tepid water
• 3 tablespoons washing soda (also called electric soda or sodium carbonate)
• 250 millilitres boiling water
• 1.7 litres tepid water
• 10 millilitres dishwashing detergent
• 25 millilitres eucalyptus essential oil
• 10 millilitres lemon essential oil
• 5 millilitres tea tree essential oil
• 2 litre bottle, preferably glass, to hold the finished solution.

Note:

To make an alkaline solution, just use water.  This is best for most general grunge and dirt in carpets as the washing soda will make an alkaline solution which very effectively strips away fat/oil based stains.  If you have mould or animal urine to contend with, use the vinegar instead of water and omit the washing soda (it has a very high pH and will neutralise the vinegar).

Method 1 (alkaline):

1. Dissolve the washing soda in the boiling water (straight from the kettle is fine).
2. Combine the dishwashing detergent and the essential oils in a small jug or cup, stir until combined.
3. Add a little of the hot water and washing soda solution to thin the mixture, trying not to create bubbles.
4. Pour the thinned solution into the bottle which already contains the 1.7 litres of water, then add more of the washing soda solution to the cup to rinse out all of the dishwashing liquid and essential oil mix.
5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until you have used up all the washing soda solution and everything is in one bottle.

Method 2 (acidic):

1. Pour 1.7 litres of water into a glass 2 litre bottle.
2. Combine the dishwashing detergent and the essential oils in a small jug or cup, stir until combined.
3. Add a little warm water to thin the mixture, trying not to create bubbles.
4. Pour the thinned solution into the bottle then add more warm water to the cup or jug to rinse out all of the dishwashing liquid and essential oil mix.
5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until you have cleaned out the dishwashing detergent and essential oil jug and the bottle is full.

You can either decant the mix into a spray bottle and spray directly on stains and leave to sit for a period of time before using just plain warm in the carpet cleaning machine, or for larger areas, add a cup of the concentrate to 2 litres of warm water in the holding tank of the machine.  If you have problems with the solution foaming too much in the recovery tank (where the dirty water winds up, not where the clean water is held), add a few drops to a teaspoon of fabric softener depending on how bad it is, or a teaspoon of salt.  Either will stop the bubbles from forming.  I don’t usually have to worry about this though.

This mix is, I think, more effective than the commercial solution that the manufacturer of my machine recommends and it definitely smells better!  As always, test on a small, inconspicuous area of your carpet before going to town on the whole house and don’t be afraid to tweak the recipe to suit your needs.  This mix is targeted towards removing stains which have an oily or fatty base, as do most, particularly on the floors, or those with a biological component.

If there are some residual stains that this mix hasn’t removed, you can try spraying with hydrogen peroxide, which is a safe alternative to bleach.  It will break down quite quickly into just water and oxygen.

 

 

Scientists find insulin sensitivity gene, may lead to new diabetes treatments

 

Oxford University researchers have discovered, for the first time, a single gene responsible for increasing insulin sensitivity in humans.  The research, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine is a milestone achievement in the journey towards understanding the group of metabolic diseases which stem from insulin resistance, including type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome or syndrome X and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Although mutations in the PTEN gene cause a rare condition with increased risk of cancer, the biological pathways the gene is involved in could offer promising targets for new drugs to treat conditions related to insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance occurs when the cells in the body become unresponsive to the message which the hormone insulin is trying to convey, namely to take a molecule of glucose into the cell where it can be burned for energy.  To compensate, the pancreas will generally increase the production of insulin, until the cells ‘listen’, however, insulin affects other tissues in the body, and the abnormally high levels of insulin cause many problems in both men and women.

Insulin resistance is a major feature in polycystic ovarian syndrome and, if left untreated, frequently progresses into type II diabetes.  More than half of women with PCOS will be diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes before the age of 40.  Unchecked insulin resistance causes a cascade of hormonal and metabolic dysfunction, which results in some very unpleasant symptoms, such as increased facial and body hair, loss of hair on the head, abdominal adiposity or beer belly, and a greatly increased risk of other serious diseases.  Women with PCOS are four to seven times more likely to have a heart attack than women in the general population.

Left untreated, diabetes can cause many different health problems including heart disease, stroke, nerve damage and blindness. Even a mildly raised glucose level can have damaging effects in the long-term.

Dr Anna Gloyn of the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of Oxford, who led the research project says

“Finding a genetic cause of the opposite – insulin sensitivity – gives us a new window on the biological processes involved. Such understanding could be important in developing new drugs that restore insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes.”

The PTEN gene encodes for an enzyme that is part of the insulin signalling pathway in the body. It is known to have a role in controlling the body’s metabolism, and to play a part in cell growth. The Oxford team was interested in learning more about this dual role.

There is an inherited genetic condition called Cowden syndrome caused by faults in the PTEN gene. It is very rare and is thought to affect perhaps one in 200,000 people, with around 300 people with the condition in the UK. PTEN’s role in cell growth sees people with Cowden syndrome develop many benign polyps in their skin, mouth and bowel, and have a higher risk than the general population of developing breast cancer, thyroid cancer and womb cancer.

 

“PTEN is a gene that is heavily involved in processes for both cell growth and metabolism.  Given PTEN’s dual role, we were interested in understanding the metabolic profile of people with Cowden syndrome. It was possible that mutations in PTEN could improve metabolism.”

says first author Dr Aparna Pal of the University of Oxford.

 

The team carried out glucose tolerance tests with 15 people with Cowden syndrome and 15 matched controls. Those with Cowden syndrome had significantly higher insulin sensitivity. In collaboration with their colleagues at the Babraham Institute, the team showed that this was caused by increased activity in the insulin signalling pathway.

The researchers also noticed that the body mass index of those with Cowden syndrome appeared greater than the controls. They carried out a comparison with a much larger control group of over 2,000 individuals from the Oxford Biobank, a data and tissue resource for research established by Professor Fredrik Karpe which contains detailed data on over 5,000 healthy men and women aged 30 and living in Oxfordshire. All participants have undergone a detailed examination at a screening visit, donated DNA and given informed consent.  The information is used to further research into the causes of diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

This confirmed that those with Cowden syndrome had higher levels of obesity as a group than the controls. The extra body weight appeared to be caused by extra fat, and there were no differences in where the fat was stored compared to controls.

 

“This was a surprise. Normally insulin sensitivity goes with being lean,” says Professor Karpe.

 

Dr Gloyn concluded: “We now know that mutations that inactivate the PTEN gene result in increased cancer risk and obesity, but also increase insulin sensitivity which is very likely to protect against type 2 diabetes.

 

“The study shows how intimately the biological pathways governing cell growth and metabolism are linked. We need to thoroughly understand these pathways to identify which genes to target in the development of new drugs.”

 

“While there are promising research avenues to pursue here, in the meantime the best way to avoid diabetes remains exercising more and eating less.”

The Wellcome Trust, who funded the study, is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests.

 

Source:

Aparna Pal, Thomas M. Barber, Martijn Van de Bunt, Simon A. Rudge, Qifeng Zhang, Katherine L. Lachlan, Nicola S. Cooper, Helen Linden, Jonathan C. Levy, Michael J.O. Wakelam, Lisa Walker, Fredrik Karpe, Anna L. Gloyn.PTENMutations as a Cause of Constitutive Insulin Sensitivity and Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine, 2012; 367 (11): 1002 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1113966

D Chiro Inositol – New Shipment Arrived

 

Good news!  A new shipment of DCI has arrived and with a best before date of September 2014, now is the perfect time to stock up on DCI and SAVE by buying in bulk.

18 grams for $30, enough to last 2 weeks at 1200 mg per day

36 grams for $60, enough to last 4 weeks at 1200 mg per day

72 grams for $120, enough to last 8 weeks at 1200 mg per day

108 grams for $162, enough to last almost 3 months (90 days) at 1200 mg per day. Save $18!

216 grams for $299, enough to last nearly 6 months (180 days) at 1200 mg per day.  Save $61!

432 grams for $550, enough to last nearly a year (360 days) at 1200 mg per day.  Save $170!

SPECIAL:  Save an extra 10% on DCI

My PCOS Info has entered the brave new world of social media and to celebrate we’re giving everyone who ‘likes’ or ‘follows’ us 10% off their next DCI order even if it’s already discounted.  

Just click on the buttons below and then leave a comment in the box on the Paypal order form, or send an email to dci@mypcos.info and 10% of the value of your order, not including postage and packaging, will be refunded to you.

1.           2.           3. 

International Orders

DCI can be posted to the UK, US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, India, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Trinidad, Tobargo, St Lucia, Brazil, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Luxembourg, France, Germany, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Israel, Poland, Croatia, Kazakhstan and Romania. It may be possible to post to other countries not on this list, but I will need to investigate the customs regulations for your country if I have not yet sent DCI there.

If you are ordering from the United Kingdom, please note that ordering 1 x 36 gram packet at a time will not attract any additional VAT or Customs duties, however any more than this will.  If you wish to order more than 36 grams, add 1 x 36 gram packet to your cart and then when the Paypal window opens, change the quantity from 1 to however many packets you would like.  They will then be posted individually and on separate days.

Please note that postage charges will be added on during the next stage of the ordering process.

DCI Posted to an International Destination

18 grams $30.00 36 grams $60.00 54 grams $90.00 72 grams $120.00 108 grams Save 10% $162.00 216 grams Save 16% $299.00 432 grams Save 24% $550.00 Per gram Custom Amount $1.67

 

 

Australian Orders

Australian orders include postage and handling.  If you wish to direct deposit funds instead of paying through Paypal (this will save you about 2.5% of the order total), please send an email to   to arrange.

 

DCI Posted to Anywhere in Australia

18 grams $31.75 36 grams OUT OF STOCK $64.95 54 grams $96.05 72 grams $126.80 108 grams Save 10% $173.83 216 grams Save 16% $311.40 432 grams Save 24% $570.00 Custom Amount per gram $1.76

 

FAQs

How much DCI should I be taking?

Clinical results indicate that most people need to take at least 20mg per kg of bodyweight to achieve significant results, initially.
Some studies have used as much as 3000mg per day and there are anecdotal reports of women taking 6000mg per day in divided doses in order to speed up their results.

How long will my DCI last?

Based upon taking 1200mg per day, which is an appropriate amount for someone who weighs 60kg or 132 lb or 9st 6lb
18 grams will last 15 days
36 grams will last 30 days
108g will last 90 days 3 mths
216g will last 180 days 6 mths

How should I take DCI?

DCI is a water soluble vitamin, so it is best to take it with water to help it be absorbed quicker.DCI tastes very similar to sugar, so many women prefer to measure their dose out and take it straight, to enjoy the flavour, but you can also mix it into a glass of water if you prefer.

As DCI is excreted from the body fairly quickly, it is recommended that you divide your daily dose into several smaller doses to take throughout the day.  An easy way to accomplish this is to pour your daily dose into a water bottle and sip it throughout the day.

You should take your first dose upon waking in the morning, on an empty stomach and wait 15-30 minutes before eating anything or drinking anything other than water.  If you take herbs or other vitamins which need to be taken on an empty stomach, such as Vitex or Green tea, it is OK to take them at the same time.

Can moonlight be the answer to irregular periods?

The Earth at night is no longer the dark and quiet retreat into solitude that it once was.  The bright lights which illuminate the pattern of humanity’s footprint upon the globe are distributed across each continent and combined emit enough light to significantly affect the biological world around them.

Although the need for artificial light in populated areas is beyond question, there are also adverse effects of night time light on flora and fauna as well as on humans. For example, it affects the foraging, reproductive and migration behaviour of a number of nocturnal animals such as insects, bats, amphibians and birds. Furthermore, it changes prey-predator relationships, affects animal natural rhythms, disrupts physiological processes in plants and adverse effects on the human metabolism have also been found.

den Outer, P et al.  Intercomparisons of Nine Sky Brightness Detectors. Sensors (Basel). 2011; 11(10): 9603–9612.

Researchers at the University of Hawaii have found that exposing mouse embryos to blue light, that is light at the cooler end of the spectrum, has a profoundly more negative effect on their development than either warm white light, similar to the colour temperature of natural daylight, or not exposing them to any light at all.

In today’s busy modern world women are increasingly suffering from more irregular menstrual cycles and greater fertility problems.  The effect of a night-time light regimen which mimics that of the waxing and waning moon has been studied since the 1970s for its effect on female fertility cycles with positive results.  The US Air Force was involved in much of this research and was assigned a patent in 2002 for a process of light stimulation for the purpose of entraining preselected biorhythms in women.

There are many benefits to having a regular menstrual cycle; increased fertility, balanced hormones, the ability to plan ahead for holidays without being surprised or caught short, greater accuracy and reliability in using Natural Family Planning methods for either contraception or trying to conceive and the peace of just knowing that your body is working in the manner in which it was intended.

A California-based company called Parhelion Labs have licensed the patent for a process to improve menstrual cyclicity in women using just such a regimen.  They have developed both a device and an iPhone app which women can use to mimic the light from the moon.

The Luness is a computer-controlled device which, with minimal input from the user, provides a precisely metered dose of light, at a specific time during the night and on a schedule which closely replicates the natural rhythm of the moon.  The device contains an LED which shines light up onto the ceiling and a light sensor which measures the amount of light reflected back into the room, with the device adjusting the intensity of the LED based on that information to calibrate the light to accurately replicate that of the natural moon light.

Preliminary research has found that this regimen helps women to regulate their ovulation and menstruation and helps both men and women to experience a better night’s sleep.

Luness has provided the author with a sample unit to test and the results will be published later this year.

More Information:

Arcady A. Putilov; Konstantin V. Danilenko; Alla Y. Protopopova; Daniel F. Kripke, Menstrual Phase Response to Nocturnal Light, Biological Rhythm Research, Volume 33, Issue 1 February 2002 , pages 23 38.

Danilenko, K. V., & Samoilova, E. A. (2007) Stimulatory effect of morning bright light on reproductive hormones and ovulation: Results of a controlled crossover trial. PLoS Clin Trials 2(2):e7. doi:10.1371/journal.pctr.0020007

den Outer, P et al.  Intercomparisons of Nine Sky Brightness Detectors. Sensors (Basel). 2011; 11(10): 9603–9612.

Dewan, E. M. “Effect of Photic Stimulation on the Human Menstrual Cycle” Photochem Photobiol., 1978 May;27(5):581-5.

Lin, M. C., Kripke, D. F., Parry, B. L., & Berga, S. L., Night Light Alters Menstrual Cycles, Psychiatry Res. 1990 Aug;33(2):135-8.

Takenaka M , Horiuchi T , Yanagimachi R Effects of light on development of mammalian zygotes (2007) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:14289–14293.

 

Insulin resistance risk greater when both vitamin D deficiency and obesity present

 

 

 

The combination of obesity and vitamin D deficiency may put people at even greater risk of insulin resistance than either factor alone, according to new research from the Drexel University School of Public Health recently published early online in the journal Diabetes Care. Insulin resistance is a major risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, a condition that affects 25.6 million adults and is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

Vitamin D insufficiency and obesity are individual risk factors for insulin resistance and diabetes,” said lead author Shaum Kabadi, a doctoral candidate in epidemiology at Drexel. “Our results suggest that the combination of these two factors increases the odds of insulin resistance to an even greater degree than would have been expected based on their individual contributions.”

In the study, obese individuals who had healthy levels of vitamin D had insulin resistance almost 20 times more often than the overall study population. But in obese individuals whose serum vitamin D was low, insulin resistance was much higher: about 32 times more common than the average.

Senior author Dr. Longjian Liu, an associate professor in the School of Public Health, noted, “It’s not clear whether obesity itself causes a low vitamin D level or if it’s the other way around.”

Vitamin D is stored in adipose fat tissues, making it unavailable for the body to use; as a result, people who are overweight are already more likely to have low levels of serum vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with multiple health conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases including stroke, depression, dementia and other conditions.

Kabadi, Liu and co-author Dr. Brian Lee, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, analyzed data on serum vitamin D levels and indicators of insulin resistance and diabetes from 5,806 respondents to a major national health survey, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). This was the first study of the association between vitamin D and diabetes risk for obese patients using a large, nationally representative sample of adults. The survey reported data from individuals at a single point in time and was therefore unable to determine whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship among vitamin D, obesity and insulin resistance.

Further studies could indicate whether vitamin D supplements are effective at reducing the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes in obese individuals. If so, the authors noted that it would be an inexpensive and practical prevention strategy compared to the difficulty involved in healthy weight loss.

Liu said that vitamin D supplements may be useful for people who are overweight or obese to help control diabetes, but he cautioned that too much vitamin D can cause side effects such as weakness and fatigue. In addition, vitamin D deficiency is just one of many known risk factors associated with insulin resistance and diabetes. “Therefore, to control diabetes, we need to have comprehensive prevention strategies. For example, physical activity may be the most cost-effective way to control weight and subsequently to control conditions including diabetes and heart disease,” Liu said.

More Information:

S. M. Kabadi, B. K. Lee, L. Liu. Joint Effects of Obesity and Vitamin D Insufficiency on Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes: Results from the NHANES 2001-2006. Diabetes Care, 2012; DOI: 10.2337/dc12-0235

Kabadi SM, Lee BK, & Liu L (2012). Joint Effects of Obesity and Vitamin D Insufficiency on Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes: Results from the NHANES 2001-2006. Diabetes care PMID: 22751957