Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Lowers Serum FSH in Normal Weight but not Obese Women
Zain A Al-Safi Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2016 Early Release
Dietary omega-3 fatty acids delay ovarian aging and promote oocyte quality in mice.
Objective:
To test if dietary supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) modulates reproductive hormones in reproductive age women.
Participants:
15 obese and 12 normal weight (NW) eumenorrheic women, ages 28–34.
Intervention:
Two frequent blood-sampling studies were performed before and after one month of omega-3 PUFA supplementation with 4 grams of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) daily.
Results:
The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 PUFA was significantly reduced in plasma and red blood cell components for both groups after treatment (both p<0.01). Omega-3 PUFA supplementation resulted in reduction of FSH and FSH response to GnRH by 17 % on average (p=0.06, and p=0.03, respectively) in NW but not obese women. Serum levels of IL-1 β and TNF-α were reduced after omega-3 PUFA supplementation (-72% for IL-1β; -56% for TNF-α; both p<0.05) in obese but not in NW women. This reduction, however, was not associated with a hormonal change in obese women.
Conclusions:
Dietary administration with omega-3 PUFA decreased serum FSH levels in NW but not in obese women with normal ovarian reserve. This effect is intriguing and is directionally consistent with murine data whereby higher dietary omega-3 PUFA extends reproductive lifespan. Our results imply that this nutritional intervention should be tested in women with diminished ovarian reserve in an attempt to delay ovarian aging.
- See more at: http://press.endocrine.org/doi/abs/10.1 ... PWLxF.dpuf