Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome who took 5 milligrams of folic acid per day for 8 weeks decreased insulin levels by 38.2% and improved cholesterol levels as well.
Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age across the world, affecting 5-10% of women (1). It is associated with menstrual cycle disturbances, infertility, polycystic ovaries, blood vessel endothelial dysfunction and high blood pressure (2, 3). As insulin resistance is the primary cause of polycystic ovary syndrome (4), finding ways to maintain healthy insulin levels is paramount. Now a new study (5) suggests folic acid may help.
The study involved 81 obese women (weight ranging from 143 to 242 pounds) between the ages of 18 and 40 and diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. They received either 1 milligram folic acid, 5 milligrams folic acid, or a placebo per day for 8 weeks. Blood samples were drawn before and after the study.
After 8 weeks, researchers noted several significant improvements in the folic acid groups compared to the placebo group:
What Was Measured Folic Acid 1 mg per day
Before/After
% Change
Folic acid 5 mg per day
Before/After
% Change
Placebo
Before/After
% Change
p-value
Homocysteine 14.6/12.9
11.7% decrease
17/14.8
13% decrease
19.5/20.5
5.1% increase
0.009
Insulin
(micro Int. Units/milliliter)
10.0/9.6
4% decrease
12.1/10.4
16.6% decrease
12.0/14.6
21.6% increase
0.006
HOMA-IR 2.1/1.9
9.6% decrease
2.4/2.1
12.5% decrease
2.0/2.7
35% increase
0.01
Total Cholesterol
(milligrams/deciliter)
160.1/156.1
2.5% decrease
166.6 / 138.8
16.7% decrease
161.8/161.5
0.2% decrease
0.01
LDL cholesterol (mg/dL) 88.4/85.4
3.4% decrease
100.4/70.7
29.6% decrease
98.0/92.9
5.3% decrease
0.007
Total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio 3.3/3.2
3.1% decrease
3.8 /3.1
18.5% decrease
3.8/ .9
2.6% increase
0.01
When suggesting how folic acid produced these healthful benefits, the researchers suggested that folic acid increases activation of an enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase which improves insulin function (6). They concluded that “5 milligrams per day of folic acid supplementation for 8 weeks among women with polycystic ovary syndrome had beneficial effects on metabolic profiles.”
Source: Asemi, Zatollah, Maryam Karamali, and Ahmad Esmaillzadeh. “Metabolic response to folate supplementation in overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled clinical trial.” Molecular nutrition & food research 58.7 (2014): 1465-1473.
© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Posted September 8, 2014.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- Costello, M.-F., Shrestha, B., Eden, J., Johnson, N.-P. et al., Metformin versus oral contraceptive pill in polycystic ovary syndrome: a Cochrane review. Hum. Reprod. 2007, 22, 1200– 1209.
- Brown, M.-A., Chang, R.-J., Polycystic ovary syndrome: clinical and imaging features. Ultrasound Q. 2007, 23, 233–238.
- Dumesic, D.-A., Abbott, D.-H., Padmanabhan, V., Polycystic ovary syndrome and its developmental origins. Rev. Endocr. Metab. Disord. 2007, 8, 127–141
- Yilmaz, M., Biri, A., Bukan, N., Karakoc, A. et al., Levels of lipoprotein and homocysteine in non-obese and obese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Gynecol. Endocrinol. 2005, 20, 258–263
- Asemi Z. Metabolic response to folate supplementation in overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Mol Nutr Food Res 2014 Jul;58(7):1465-73. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201400033. Epub 2014 May 15
- Buettner, R., Bettermann, I., Hechtl, C., Gabele, E. et al., Dietary folic acid activates AMPK and improves insulin resistance and hepatic inflammation in dietary rodent models of the metabolic syndrome. Horm. Metab. Res. 2010; 42: 769–774
