Yay, another reason to love red wine! It’s been found to help the hormonal imbalance associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Affecting between 5 and 10 percent of women, PCOS is marked by hormonal changes that prompt abnormal periods and too much androgen in the body. The ovaries also become engorged and full of fluid.
PCOS is also characterised by an over-production of testosterone.
A new study from University of California-San Diego, published in the Endocrine Society’s "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism" has, for the first time, looked at the effects of resveratrol (a natural antioxidant) on PCOS.
What is resveratrol?
Found in red wine, peanuts, grapes, and some other plants, resveratrol has been found to have many health benefits. Why? Because it’s an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and has been shown to cut the risk of heart disease and cancer.
How does resveratrol help PCOS?
So, what’s the link with PCOS? We’ll let senior author Dr Antoni J Duleba explain:
"Our study is the first clinical trial to find resveratrol significantly lowers PCOS patients' levels of testosterone as well as dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), another hormone that the body can convert into testosterone.
"This nutritional supplement can help moderate the hormone imbalance that is one of the central features of PCOS."
Dr Duleba continued:
"The findings suggest resveratrol can improve the body's ability to use insulin and potentially lower the risk of developing diabetes. The supplement may be able to help reduce the risk of metabolic problems common in women with PCOS."
Originally published on Oct 31, 2016
