Fish Oil and Fertility (PCOS Mentioned & Zone Diet)

KatCarney · 02-25-2006, 08:39 PM

{Kat Note: I've highlighted the PCOS section in red. Also see the Depression Forum on how Fish Oil can help alleviate depression.}

Fish Oil and Fertility: A Surprising Connection
by Dr. Barry Sears/Zone Labs

CBN.com – One question I am often asked is, “Does the Zone Diet work the same for women as it does for men?” After all, the Zone Diet is based on controlling your hormone levels—which leads to a second question which is, “Aren’t men and women supposed to be hormonally different?” Actually, the answers are yes and yes. Yes, both men and women can reach the Zone through my dietary plan. And yes, both sexes are hormonally different.

From a hormonal standpoint, women are far more complex creatures. (My wife would argue that women are more complex from an emotional and intellectual standpoint as well.) A woman’s hormones must speak a more complex language that prepares her body for pregnancy, deals with the complexities of pregnancy, and ushers her body through menopause. Women’s hormonal fluctuations are much more complex than men’s. That’s why I think women understand the power of hormones to a far greater extent than men do. Yes, women get the same hormonal-based health problems as men, like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression, all of which can be mitigated by my dietary program. They also have an expanded list of health conditions and problems, like premenstrual syndrome, menopause, osteoporosis and breast cancer that can be addressed by the same dietary technology with a few small adjustments.

An adult female’s unique hormonal life can be divided into three distinct time periods: pre-menopause (menstruation and pregnancy), menopause, and post-menopause. Let’s see how my dietary program can help alleviate conditions that may occur through the pre-menopause phase of her life.

Pre-menopause
Pregnancy & Infertility

During the 1960s, many pre-menopausal women would have identified their main health concern as “not becoming pregnant”. Now, as women choose to delay their pregnancies, they face a growing problem of how to become pregnant. Women who wait until they are over 30 to become pregnant increase their risk of infertility. I also believe that a dietary component may be involved. Americans are eating far more carbohydrates today compared to the 1960s, and this has caused a dramatic surge in our insulin levels. Another clue to increased female infertility may involve an imbalance in eicosanoids since research has indicated that low-dose aspirin significantly improves the success rates in women undergoing in-vitro fertilization. This would suggest that my dietary recommendations might provide a unique intervention to improve fertility. Let me discuss why.

A primary cause of female infertility is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This condition is linked to increased insulin levels. In women with PCOS, the ovaries release an egg from a follicle sporadically, if at all, instead of the usual every 28 days. These irregular cycles can be corrected once women with PCOS lower their elevated insulin levels, At this point their fertility almost magically reappears. Unfortunately, even after women with PCOS become pregnant, they still have higher rates of miscarriages. Thus, simply reducing insulin levels alone is not the total answer.

The other important factor [with PCOS] appears to be an imbalance of eicosanoids that can be treated with the increased consumption of fish oil. Epidemiological studies of pregnant women who consume large amounts of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids, like EPA and DHA, found in fish oil tend to carry their babies for a longer period of time. They also have a correspondingly lower rate of premature births which can cause physical and neurological problems such as learning disabilities. Since 6 to 10 percent of all births in America are premature, I feel it is quite likely this unfortunate statistic may be linked to our growing decrease of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids containing EPA/DHA in the diet.

Even if you don’t suffer from infertility, high-dose fish oil is the most important supplement you can take during pregnancy for several reasons, but most importantly for the development of the child’s brain. Long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for fetal brain development to provide your child the best possible mental advantage coming into this world. The fetus’ need for DHA is greatest in the last trimester of the pregnancy as fetal brain cells are being created at a prodigious rate (more than 250,000 nerve cells per minute). If you don’t have adequate supplies of DHA in your body, your fetus’ brain is going to have trouble keeping up with the growing demand for DHA building blocks. Thus, pregnancy is a critical time to take fish oil supplements.

Fish oil can also help pregnant women avoid two serious conditions that can occur during pregnancy: pregnancy-induced hypertension (pre-eclampsia) and gestational diabetes. Both of these conditions can be treated either by lowering insulin levels (gestational diabetes) or by decreasing the levels of “bad” eicosanoids (pre-eclampsia). To accomplish the first goal, pregnant women need to consume an optimal ratio of carbohydrates to protein. To accomplish the second, they need to take ultra – refined EPA / DHA fish oil concentrate supplements.

Thus, the best diet to accomplish both goals and also provide adequate levels of DHA is one following my dietary recommendations. If you are pregnant you should be consuming extra calories beyond a typical woman’s nutritional needs—on the order of about 300 calories more a day. This simply means using a slightly larger plate at each meal, but still keeping the correct balance of foods. (Alternatively, you can consume an extra two or three glasses of low-fat milk every day, since milk has the appropriate balance of carbohydrates to protein.)

Following my dietary plan during pregnancy will ensure adequate protein for both you and your fetus, and the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables will supply the necessary micronutrients for both. It’s never too late in your pregnancy to go on my dietary program—because your fetus actually gets the biggest benefits during the last trimester.

After giving birth, new mothers should keep supplementing their diet with high-dose fish oil to lower their risk of getting post-partum depression. After birth, the levels of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids (especially DHA) drop dramatically in the mother’s blood. This is similar to the decreased levels of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids that are observed in depressed patients. By supplementing her diet with adequate levels of high-dose fish oil, a new mother can avoid that drop in long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids, and thus will likely avoid any resulting depression.

Supplementation with ultra - refined EPA / DHA fish oil concentrate is also important for the mother who is breast feeding her child to maintain the DHA levels in her breast milk that are crucial for the development of a young baby’s still rapidly growing brain.

Excerpted from The Omega-Rx Zone. Copyright 2005 by Barry Sears, Ph.D. Used by permission.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. As with any natural product, individual results will vary.

For PCOS/Zone Diet Success stories click here:
http://www.soulcysters.net/showthrea...832#post338832

Zone Diet Online program:

Zone Diet Meal Delivery:

Dlicious FroZone meals across the nation

SABTeacher · 02-25-2006, 10:24 PM

I have heard this from a nutritionist as well and have been taking 1000 mg fish oil supps per day. I wonder what the recommended amount is? Does anyone know?

KatCarney · 02-25-2006, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SABTeacher

I have heard this from a nutritionist as well and have been taking 1000 mg fish oil supps per day. I wonder what the recommended amount is? Does anyone know?

Dosage & Other Recommendations

Take one teaspoon of Carlson's liquid fish oil for every 50 pounds of body weight daily.

For Carlson's Cod Liver Oil Softgels with Low Vitamin A, I highly recommend taking one softgel for every ten pounds of body weight. However, do not exceed more than15 pills per day -- unless you have had your fatty acid levels tested.

Source: http://www.mercola.com/forms/carlsons.htm

SnowFlower · 02-25-2006, 11:58 PM

good article!

bcylab · 02-26-2006, 01:21 AM

Thanks that was very informative. I was taking the fish oil for high cholesterol. BUt since I have gotten pregnant I have not been taking it. BUt now that I am not as nauseated, I think I should start taking it again. I now have to wonder if it had anything to do with helping me concieve without the use of fertility drugs.

nobimbo · 02-26-2006, 11:31 AM

Cod Liver Oil is not the same as fish oil. Cod Liver Oil contains high amounts of Vitamin A and D, and too much of it can be toxic. It's much safer to take fish oil to get your EFA's.

Here's dosage info from a PCOS site:

Each softgel capsule contains:
100% Pure Fish Oil
Providing 360 mg EPA and 240 mg DHA
Suggested Dosage:
1-3 capsules 2-3 times daily, or as directed by your doctor..
The amount of fish oil you need depends on your diet, body size, and health status. Please consult with your healthcare professional about the amount that is best for you. If you are on blood-thinning medication, consult with your physician before taking any fish oil.

More info from that site:

Fish Oil Benefits for PCOS
Women with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) have a number of symptoms that can be partially allieviated by omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil.

Insulin resistance
Chronic inflammation
Higher risk of heart disease
High blood pressure
High blood fats (high triglycerides)
Higher risk of diabetes
Depression
Stress
High Quality Fish Oil Is Available Here

The Evidence for Fish Oil
Insulin Resistance. Insulin resistance is a primary cause of PCOS. It's not established that fish oil can directly reduce insulin resistance. However, there is one study of 12 overweight men and women who had insulin resistance. They were given DHA (a component of fish oil) for 12 weeks. 70% of the participants showed a decrease in insulin resistance.(1) In rats, insulin resistance was reduced by substituting fish oil for vegetable and animal fats in their diet.(2)

Inflammation. Women with PCOS have a greater tendency toward inflammation than other women. There is also an association between insulin resistance and inflammation.(3) A primary value of fish oil is that is helps to reduce inflammation.(4)

Heart Disease. Among women, a higher consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease.(5)

High blood pressure. Omega 3 oils may help to reduce hypertension.(6)

High Triglycerides. Many women with PCOS have high triglycerides, a blood fat that indicates insulin problems that could lead eventually to diabetes. Fish oil has been shown to consistently lower triglycerides.(7)

Diabetes Risk. Omega 3 oil can reduce the risk of diabetes by reducing triglycerides without impairing glucose tolerance.(8)

It improves the rate of glycogen storage and enhances insulin secretion from beta cells in the pancreas.(9,10) Both of these actions improve glucose and insulin control.

Depression. Decreased omega-3 fatty acid consumption correlates with increasing rates of depression.(11)

Stress. Chronic stress leads to overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn increases insulin resistance. Fish oil blunts the "stress response".(12)

All in all, omega 3 oil is likely to be beneficial to women with PCOS and ovarian cysts.

What Are Good Dietary Sources?
Wild, cold-water ocean fish are especially rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Good dietary sources of fish oil are: herring, cod liver, salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, black cod and albacore tuna.

Oil Supplements
If your diet is not rich in cold-water ocean fish, you may need to take a fish oil supplement.

You have two basic choices: cod liver oil, or EPA/DHA capsules.

Cod liver oil. Cod liver oil contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Cod liver oil is especially high in the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Cod liver oil also contains a significant amount of vitamins A and D. On average, 20 milliliters of cod liver oil contains 1.8 grams EPA, 2.2 grams DHA, 15,000 IU vitamin A, and 1,500 IU vitamin D.

Cod liver oil can have a fishy taste and might cause belching, nosebleeds, halitosis, or heartburn in some people. Gastrointestinal side effects can be minimized if cod liver oil is taken with meals and if doses are started low and gradually increased.

EPA/DHA fish oil capsules. People who are concerned about their caloric intake may prefer to take EPA/DHA capsules, which has the same benefit as cod liver oil, but is much more concentrated and has far fewer fat calories. Moreover, if fish oil is disagreeable to you, you can take less of it and get the same effect by taking EPA/DHA capsules.

EPA/DHA capsules also do not contain vitamins A and D, which may be toxic in high doses for some people.

Toxicity and Drug Interactions
Any unsaturated oil, including fish oil, can become rancid if exposed to heat, light or oxygen. Rancid oils are very unhealthy because they contain free radical molecules that damage your cells. To prevent possible free radical damage, you should also take an antioxidant formula that includes vitamin E.

Excessive vitamin A and D is possible with too much cod liver oil. Pregnant women and women who are trying to become pregnant must be careful about excessive intake of vitamin A due to its potential effect on the fetus. Fish oils extracted from non-liver sources are usually not a problem. Check the label of your product for its vitamin A and D content.

Fish oil may increase homocysteine concentrations and nitric oxide metabolism in healthy humans. At excessive levels, these substances can tip you in the direction of inflammation and oxidant stress (free radical damage to your cells). You can control this potential problem with a high-quality B-complex vitamin that includes folate and vitamin B12.

Fish oil, especially in large doses over a period of time, has a blood-thinning effect and thus affect bleeding time. The thinner your blood, the longer it usually takes the bleeding to stop if you have a wound. If you're on a blood thinning medication (aspirin, coumadin, etc.), consult with your physician before taking fish oil or EPA/DHA capsules.

Fish have no refuge from environmental pollution and most have become contaminated to some extent with mercury, dioxins, and other petrochemicals. When oil is extracted from fish, the chemicals come along with the oil. In addition, if too much heat is used during processing, free radical peroxides will be present in the oil. Therefore you should be very selective when purchasing any oil product.

Buy fish oil only from reputable companies who have verified by independent laboratory analysis that their product is free from chemical contamination and peroxides.

http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/fish-oil.html

KatCarney · 02-26-2006, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nobimbo

Cod Liver Oil is not the same as fish oil. Cod Liver Oil contains high amounts of Vitamin A and D, and too much of it can be toxic. It's much safer to take fish oil to get your EFA's.

Generally the rule of thumb is to take Fish Oil in warmer months, and Cod Liver Oil in cooler months when we have less exposure to daylight.

Cod liver oil isn't 'unsafe', per se, it's just that people need to take precautions:

Don't overdose
Talk with doctor and disclose other supplements you might be taking (to avoid overconsuming vit's A & D)

Personally, I take fish oil...to me, it tastes better. Plus my office window is in direct sunlight, so I get a lot of sun everyday

SnowFlower · 02-26-2006, 06:21 PM

So can you go with fish oil year round and do you have to take a ton? I have a hard time with capsules. How do I find out if its safe to take with my combo of meds ?

KatCarney · 02-26-2006, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KimberlyHeidi

So can you go with fish oil year round and do you have to take a ton? I have a hard time with capsules. How do I find out if its safe to take with my combo of meds ?

Ask your pharmacist, or your doctor.

SnowFlower · 02-26-2006, 07:12 PM

I will thanks =)

ABumpyGal · 02-28-2006, 11:38 PM

Thank you again Kat!

I do know that the Zone Diet has been kind to me and would love to add the recommended fish oil capsules, but every kind I've tried thus far has made me, ahem, vomit. This doesn't happen immediately, so I don't think the issue is rancidity or sensitivity. It seems to happen at the end of the first month or early in the second month. I always take them with food and ramp up the dosage very, VERY slowly. Still sick

Has anyone else had this problem and possibly overcome it?

The most common "ideal" dosage I've seen for DHA/EPA is 1,800mg DHA and 1,200mg EPA daily. This is where those "Max EPA" formulas come in handy! But even the best I can find has you taking quite a few pills daily. It has so many health benefits though! For me, personally, I'm interested in helping my Fibromyalgia, PCOS, weightloss, eczema, and Bipolar/ depression. Breast cancer runs heavily in my family and I hear that fish oil, especially when combined with Evening Primrose Oil, can reduce one's chances for this particular cancer. I'd also like to stave off Type II Diabetes, as I'm IR and this runs in the family as well (as does Type I).

I'm willing to put up with the other side effects of this particular supplement, but the vomiting is sadly a deal breaker. I hear there are some formulas that do not break down until they hit the intestine. Has anyone tried those? I'm skeptical they would work as well. Has anyone found a particular brand easy on the stomach? High DHA/EPA would be preferred, but I'll take anything at this point! Any tips on how to keep this stuff down?

ANY and ALL advice would be heartily appreciated!

Dana

--Oh! And even with a seemingly benign supplement as fish oil, still try to check with your doctor if you are on medications before taking it. Another Cyster was told by her doctor she couldn't take fish oil due to being on Lexapro. This stumped a fellow Cyster (a nurse) and I. Today I finally learned why! Lexapro can thin the blood, and so can fish oil. Bingo! There's your interaction! Sadly many doctors aren't wise about supplements, but please try to talk to them anyway folks! I like ya, and I'd miss you if you weren't around

KatCarney · 03-01-2006, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABumpyGal

--Oh! And even with a seemingly benign supplement as fish oil, still try to check with your doctor if you are on medications before taking it.

Good advice!!

Re: vomiting...

I've always seen Carlson's Fish Oil recommended, and that's the kind I take (by the teaspoon). I have no 'after effects' like I've had with others.

www.carlsonlabs.com

chelle_belle99504l · 03-01-2006, 01:36 AM

One thing about fish oil pills, if they smell like fish, then they have used rotten oils. Only take pills that don't smell of fish. I have no experience with straight oil, but in the capsule form, if it smells find something else.

Chelle

SABTeacher · 03-01-2006, 03:19 AM

Someone (maybe nobimbo) posted a link to a website that rated all the different fish oil tabs for safety and effectiveness. Do a search, I remember that she posted this in the diet and exercise section.

I used to have a huge problem with belching back up a fishy taste after taking my fish oil tabs (sorry if that's TMI). A nutritionist told me to freeze the tablets and take them directly from the freezer. Not sure why, but this works and I do not have that fishy taste anymore!

Dana--I take a much smaller dosage (I think it's like 300 or 350mg of each DHA and EPA. Whoops, I guess I should be upping my dosage. I thought that was enough because it's 2 big pills. I have to look into that. I also have to check with my doctor since I already take aspirin for blood thinning and will be going on a blood thinner when I get pregnant. Thanks for bringing that up.

Thanks,
Shari

nobimbo · 03-01-2006, 11:39 AM

Here's the link to the post about fish oil products ratings:

How Safe Is Your Fish Oil Supplement?

Linda