- Polycystic ovaries affects about 1 in 10 women and can cause infertility
- It causes women to have higher levels of androgen, a male sex hormone
- Natural compound ‘resveratrol’ may help to stabilise hormone balance
- Improved the body’s ability to use insulin and could lower diabetes risk
Kate Pickles For Mailonline
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A glass or red wine a day has been linked to helping restore the hormone imbalance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
It’s already been linked to preventing cancer, protecting against heart problems and improving brain function.
Now scientists say a glass of red wine a day could prevent women from developing a common condition that can stop them having children.
The latest research suggests a natural compound found in red wine, called resveratrol, may help to address the hormone imbalance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
PCOS is a leading cause of female infertility, thought to affect around one in 10 women worldwide.
It is the most common endocrine condition in women of childbearing age and is found in those who produce higher amounts of testosterone and androgen than average.
The exact cause of PCOS is unknown, but it often runs in families.
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The elevated levels contribute to irregular or absent menstrual periods as well as weight gain, infertility and excess hair as well as increasing the risk of developing other health problems such as diabetes.
Nut scientists believe the natural plant compound, also found in nuts and grapes, has anti-inflammatory properties which reduce a woman’s chances of developing it.
PCOS is a common condition in which the ovaries accumulate tiny ‘cysts’ which are actually little follicles, two to five millimeters in diametre, each of which contains an egg
Study senior author Dr Antoni Duleba, of the University of California, said: ‘Our study is the first clinical trial to find resveratrol significantly lowers PCOS patients’ levels of testosterone as well as dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), another hormone that the body can convert into testosterone.
WHAT IS POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects how a woman’s ovaries work.
The three main features of PCOS are:
- irregular periods – which means the ovaries don’t regularly release eggs (ovulation)
- excess androgen – high levels of ‘male hormones’ in the body, which may cause physical signs such as excess facial or body hair
- polycystic ovaries – the ovaries become enlarged and contain many fluid-filled sacs (follicles) which surround the eggs (it’s important to note that, despite the name, if you have PCOS you don’t actually have cysts)
Symptoms include regular periods or no periods, fertility problems, excessive hair, weight gain, thinning hair on the head and acne.
The exact cause of PCOS is unknown, but it often runs in families. It’s related to abnormal hormone levels in the body, including high levels of insulin.
Insulin is a hormone that controls sugar levels in the body. Many women with PCOS are resistant to the action of insulin in their body and produce higher levels of insulin to overcome this.
This contributes to the increased production and activity of hormones such as testosterone. Being overweight or obese also increases the amount of insulin your body produces.
Source: NHS Choices
‘This nutritional supplement can help moderate the hormone imbalance that is one of the central features of PCOS.’
In the study, 30 women with polycystic ovaries completed a randomised trial at the University of Poznan in Poland where they were either given a resveratrol supplement or a placebo pill.
The participants, who took the pills daily for three months, gave blood samples at the beginning and end of the study to determine the level of testosterone and androgen.
They were also given an oral glucose tolerance test to measure the risk of diabetes.
Women who took the resveratrol supplement saw testosterone levels fall by 23.1 and DHEAS by 22.2 per cent while the placebo group’s testosterone levels increased 2.9 per cent and DHEAS increased by 10.5 per cent.
The participants taking the supplement pill also saw a reduction in the risk of diabetes as fasting insulin levels dropped by 31.8 per cent and they became more responsive to the insulin hormone.
Dr Duleba said: ‘The findings suggest resveratrol can improve the body’s ability to use insulin and potentially lower the risk of developing diabetes.
‘The supplement may be able to help reduce the risk of metabolic problems common in women with PCOS.’
The findings were published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism.
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