Had Deena known, it would have been hers. As it is, changing her diet and starting her first-ever exercise program proved to be just what the doctor ordered. Her daughter may still demand nightly room service, but Deena is brimming with energy and joy. "I get less sleep than I used to," she says happily, "but I finally have what I've always wanted."
What is polyscystic ovarian syndrome?
Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), who have irregular or nonexistent menstrual cycles, are at an increased risk of developing endometrial cancer, says Dr. Yaakov Bentov, a research fellow at the Toronto Centre for Advanced Reproductive Technology. During a cycle, a mix of progesterone and estrogen protects the endometrium, or lining of the cervix. Like women in menopause, those with irregular cycles only produce estrogen, which increases the risk of endometrial cancer. "You usually think of it as an old person's disease," says Bentov, "but PCOS patients have developed it at 30. If a woman is not having her period at all or every few months, she must go to her doctor."
Diet and pregnancy
Trying to get pregnant? Try these foods:
• Olive oil: While fat does beget fat, some is necessary for your well-being. Olive oil is a great choice – it reduces your risk of insulin resistance.
• Decaffeinated drinks: The coffee debate is back on. For years, researchers believed caffeine was the reason coffee stops blood sugar from spiking. Not so. It seems chlorogenic acid, a compound in coffee, may be behind this benefit and that caffeine actually impairs insulin sensitivity. Solution? Kick the habit or make it a decaf.
• Green tea: Yes, it does have small amounts of caffeine, but green tea also contains epigallocatechin gallate, an antioxidant that greatly improves glucose tolerance.
• Royal jelly: A 2002 study found that when researchers fed this honeylike substance to ewes (whose placental physiology is close to that of humans), ovulation and pregnancy rates substantially increased. Most manufacturers recommend 500 milligrams twice daily.
• Buckwheat: Researchers at Commonwealth University in Virginia discovered that when patients with polycystis ovarian syndrome took a 600-milligram daily dose of D-chiro-inositol (dCI), a compound found in buckwheat seeds, their insulin levels dropped by 33 per cent and ovulation increased threefold.
• Cinnamon: What's apple pie without cinnamon? Just another sugar hit. Cinnamon contains a compound that actually makes fat cells more responsive to insulin. In 2003, a Pakistani study established that half a teaspoon (two millilitres) a day greatly reduces blood sugar, triglycerides and total cholesterol.
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