Miss Philadelphia Opens Up about Having PCOS

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 20:59:00 -0400

Miss Philadelphia Opens Up about Having PCOS

by Angela Grassi, MS, RD, LDN

In April, at the age of 20, Francesca Ruscio, a woman with PCOS, was crowned Miss Philadelphia by blowing away judges (and her family) with her fantastic opera singing. When I first talked with Francesca before the pageant, she was bursting with energy and excitement at the potential opportunity to use her diagnosis of PCOS as a platform if crowned Miss Philadelphia. Now, several months after her big win, I sat down to talk with Francesca about what it's like to wear the crown and to be able to spread awareness of PCOS to a large audience and her upcoming Miss Pennsylvania competition.

Pregnitude: A First-Line Natural Treatment for ALL Women with PCOS

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 20:33:00 -0400

Pregnitude: A First-Line Natural Treatment for all Women with PCOS

By Angela Grassi, MS, RD, LDN

Don't let the name of this product fool you: Pregnitude is a high-quality myo-inositol (MYO) supplement for all women with PCOS, not just those looking to get pregnant. Before I tell you why, I want to briefly discuss what MYO is and how it can improve PCOS.

What is Myo-Inositol?

A member of the B vitamins, MYO is believed to improve egg quality and acts as a secondary messenger involved in glucose utilization. It's believed that women with PCOS may have a defect in secondary messengers contributing to insulin resistance.

Acne: The Role of Dairy in the Nutrition Management for PCOS

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:25:00 -0400

Acne: The Role of Dairy in the Nutrition Management for PCOS

Got acne? Don't get milk! This, according to new research published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, showing a positive link between dairy consumption and acne (1). Acne is a common symptom of PCOS that can significantly affect quality of life in women of all ages.

The connection between dairy, androgens and insulin

In their review of 27 studies, researchers conclude frequent dairy intake as well as a high glycemic load diet (GL) contribute to acne. As the figure below shows (1), there are several ways dairy influences acne development:

1. Dairy ingestion can lead to increased insulin levels leading to increased cellular growth and acne.
2. Dairy products are carbohydrates which stimulate insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1), resulting in high insulin levels. "Both skim and whole milk (but not cheese products) have a 3 to 6 fold higher glycemic-load compared with other carb foods". High insulin levels lead to increased androgens creating more sebum production.
3. Milk contains growth-stimulating hormones, including IGF-1 and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which increases androgens resulting in higher sebum production and acne.

PCOS, Periods and Iron Loss

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:13:00 -0500

PCOS, Periods and Iron Loss

What are your periods like lately? While some women with PCOS may not experience a period at all, others may have several periods each month, prolonged bleeding, or heavy monthly flow. According to Dr. Shahab Minassian, Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center and IVF-Fertility Division of the Women's Clinic Ltd. in Reading, PA, women with PCOS can suffer from heavy uterine bleeding for numerous reasons. "Overgrowth of endometrial tissue inside the uterine cavity, which can cause heavy periods, is common. This overgrown tissue can also bleed irregularly causing dysfunctional uterine bleeding (D.U.B.)." Minassian adds "PCOS also puts patients at risk for endometrial polyps, which can also result from the overgrowth. These polyps can cause bleeding between periods as well as heavier flow during periods." Heavy bleeding associated with menstrual disturbances can increase a woman's risk for iron deficiency, or the more severe iron deficiency anemia.

A New Name for PCOS? A Summary of the NIH Workshop on PCOS

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:59:00 -0500

New Name for PCOS? A Summary of the NIH Workshop on PCOS

The NIH Office of Disease Prevention held an important workshop on PCOS that took place December 4-5, 2012. Top researchers in PCOS from all over the world met for this 2 day workshop to present evidence-based information on PCOS and to clarify the following:

The benefits and drawbacks of different diagnostic criteria
The causes, predictors, and long-term consequences of PCOS
Optimal prevention and treatment strategies

After the meeting concluded, an executive summary was drafted. Here are some highlights from that summary and what it means for women with PCOS:

GMOs in Our Food: What you Need to Know and Why

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 20:58:00 -0400

GMOs in Our Food: What you Need to Know and Why

I clearly remember the day I first learned about genetically modified food. I was sitting in on one of my nutrition classes and my professor was informing us that the U.S. had begun to genetically alter our food crops. This meant that we could have larger, perfect tomatoes. We could feed more people on less land. We could grow food all year round that was immune to drought and increasing climate change. What wasn't clear were safety concerns and what long-term effects were going to happen.

Now, 20 years later since the introduction of these foods, we know that GMOs impact our health. There are definite associations between consumption of GMO foods and the increases we are seeing in asthma, autism, allergies and sensitivities, skin eruptions, behavior problems and cancer (breast, prostate, colon). Yet, the USDA doesn't require safety studies for GMOs. An alarming new study shows that a variety of corn engineered by Monsanto has been linked to mammary tumors, kidney and liver damage and other serious illnesses in the first ever peer-reviewed, long-term animal study of GMO foods.

September is PCOS Awareness Month: 30 Facts About PCOS

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 14:24:00 -0400

30 Interesting Facts About PCOS

1. Women with PCOS have higher rates of anxiety and depression than women without the syndrome.
2. Women with PCOS reach menopause two to five years later than women without PCOS.
3. Elevated insulin or insulin resistance are not part of the diagnostic criteria for PCOS.
4. Precise and uniform criteria for diagnosing PCOS has not yet been established.
5. In 2010, the estimated annual national health care cost associated with PCOS was $1.16 billion. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21747019
6. Women with PCOS are at a higher risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea due to the influence of androgens affecting sleep receptors in the brain.
7. Women with PCOS can have monthly menstrual cycles and still have PCOS.
8. Despite its name, not all women with PCOS actually have cysts on their ovaries.
9. Characteristics of PCOS were first described in 1935 by researchers Stein and Leventhal.
10. There are at least 10 different phenotypes associated with PCOS.

Introducing PharmaNAC: A High Quality NAC Supplement

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 13:06:00 -0400

Introducing PharmaNAC: A High Quality NAC Supplement

The antioxidant N-Acetyl-cysteine, also known as NAC, got some much deserved attention as a natural alternative to managing PCOS when a report published in the European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology showed this derivative of the amino acid L-cysteine performed equally as well as metformin on improving weight, insulin, hirsutism, and irregular periods (if you missed our latest blog post about the benefits of NAC for PCOS you can read it here). Other added benefits of NAC include maintenance of good respiratory function, treatment of colds and to support a healthy immune system. I was surprised to learn that NAC is actually one of the highest selling over-the-counter supplements in Europe! That's why I am thrilled to introduce to you a great NAC product called PharmaNAC.

My Internship Experience at the PCOS Nutrition Center

Wed, 30 May 2012 09:42:00 -0400

My Internship Experience at the PCOS Nutrition Center

My name is Katie Myrold, and I am a Dietetic Intern at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, NC. I was fortunate enough to spend a week of my nine-month journey toward becoming a registered dietitian working with Angela Grassi, dietitian and founder at the PCOS Nutrition Center.

As a woman with PCOS and an aspiring dietitian, I realize just how important a healthy lifestyle is to my overall quality of life. I was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 16 after reading about the syndrome in a magazine. I saw, in myself, many of the symptoms the article was describing and asked my primary care physician to test me for it. When the test results revealed that I did, indeed, have the disorder, my doctor gave me a brief handout about PCOS, prescribed me some oral contraceptives, and sent me on my way. PCOS was foreign to me, and I was eager to learn more about it. Through my own research I discovered that by adopting a healthy lifestyle, complete with good nutrition, physical activity, and stress management, I could greatly improve my symptoms and prevent serious complications like diabetes and heart disease. I became determined to do just that, and that determination instilled in me a passion for nutrition that led me to pursue a career in dietetics.

What's Your Phenotype?

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:40:00 -0400

used with permission from USDA

What's Your Phenotype?

A phenotype is a unique set of characteristics based on your genetic makeup and influence of environmental factors. In a position paper published in Fertility and Sterility, the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society Task Force suggest that there at least 10 possible phenotypes of PCOS. The difference in phenotypes explains how the syndrome has so much variation in symptoms. For example, despite the core feature of PCOS being high levels of androgens, not all women with the syndrome have excess hair growth on their body while some women may have full-grown beards. Others have acne and some have none. Some women with PCOS are lean while others are overweight. A small percentage of women may have no symptoms of PCOS whatsoever. The classification of phenotypes also includes ovulation. The most difficult phenotype to treat may be the non-ovulatory hyperandrogenism group.