Probiotics and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Study Overview
Understanding Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
In a recent study, researchers explored the potential of probiotic pills as a treatment for women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormonal disorder affecting approximately 10% of women, leading to ovarian enlargement and various metabolic complications. This condition is known to impact fertility, glucose metabolism, and insulin resistance, increasing the risk of long-term issues such as type 2 diabetes and endometrial cancer.
The Role of Insulin Resistance and Inflammation
Previous studies have identified a relationship between insulin resistance and inflammatory factors in the development of PCOS. In recent years, the benefits of probiotics have garnered attention for their efficacy in treating gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes, and infections. Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when ingested, can positively influence gut microbiomes. Emerging evidence indicates that gut microbiota may significantly contribute to the onset of PCOS, particularly by affecting insulin resistance, obesity, and inflammation.
Investigating the Impact of Probiotics
Given these connections, researchers led by Karimi and colleagues aimed to determine if modifying gut microbiota could serve as a therapeutic approach for overweight patients with PCOS. They conducted a randomized, double-blind study involving 88 overweight women aged 19 to 37 with PCOS. Over a period of 12 weeks, 44 participants received a placebo while the other 44 were administered probiotics containing seven bacterial strains. This research was recently published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Findings on Inflammation and Blood Sugar
The study included various tests to assess the overall health of participants in both the placebo and probiotic groups. Plasma glucose fasting 2-hour (PGF-2h) levels were measured, revealing that the treatment group had higher baseline PGF-2h levels compared to the control group. However, after 12 weeks, no significant differences were found in fasting blood sugar, inflammation markers, or insulin resistance levels between the two groups. Notably, a reduction in apelin 36, a peptide linked to weight, was observed in the treatment group.
Challenges in Data Interpretation
The data produced only a change in apelin levels without impacting insulin resistance or inflammation, leading the authors to suggest that this reduction might indicate an unknown mechanism related to PCOS. They acknowledged the difficulty in interpreting their findings due to the limited existing literature connecting PCOS and apelin. It is possible that changes in gut microbiota might influence apelin production independently of PCOS outcomes.
Need for Further Research
The study had limitations that hindered the ability to draw definitive conclusions. Notably, the researchers did not analyze changes in the bacterial population through stool samples, and nutrition logs were self-reported, potentially introducing bias. Additionally, the insulin response measurements were not the most accurate, and the 1000mg dosage of probiotics had not been previously documented, though it received approval from a pharmacist. Further research is necessary to investigate this relationship, with more extensive replication studies involving larger sample sizes and diverse bacterial strains.
References
Karimi E, Moini A, Yaseri M, Shirzad N, Sepidarkish M, Hossein-Boroujerdi M, Hosseinzadeh-Attar MJ. Effects of synbiotic supplementation on metabolic parameters and apelin in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. British Journal of Nutrition. 2018;119(4): 398-406. doi: 10.1017/S0007114517003920.