Dietary fat intake and reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulation in regularly menstruating women

Sunni L Mumford; Jorge E Chavarro; Cuilin Zhang; Neil J Perkins; Lindsey A Sjaarda; Anna Z Pollack; Karen C Schliep; Kara A Michels; Shvetha M Zarek; Torie C Plowden; Rose G Radin; Lynne C Messer; Robyn A Frankel; Jean Wactawski-Wende

doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.119321

Reproductive Endocrinology · Ovarian Hormones

Dietary fat intake and reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulation in regularly menstruating women

Mumford SL, Chavarro JE, Zhang C, Perkins NJ, Sjaarda LA, Pollack AZ, Schliep KC, Michels KA, Zarek SM, Plowden TC, Radin RG, Messer LC, Frankel RA, Wactawski-Wende J

Published March 2016 The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

DOI 10.3945/ajcn.115.119321 PMC PMC4763493

RRM Academy Synopsis

Higher Fat Intake Linked to Slightly Higher Testosterone

This study tracked diet and hormones in 259 healthy women over two cycles. Total fat and polyunsaturated fat intake were linked to a small rise in testosterone. One omega-3 fat was tied to higher progesterone. In this study, women with higher intakes of it were less likely to skip ovulation.

Key Findings

Women in the highest third of total fat intake had 4.0% higher testosterone (95% CI: 0.7%, 7.3%) than those in the lowest third.
The same women had 4.1% higher free testosterone (95% CI: 0.5%, 7.7%) than those in the lowest third.
For polyunsaturated fat, the highest third showed 3.7% higher total testosterone (95% CI: 0.6%, 6.8%) and 4.0% higher free testosterone (95% CI: 0.5%, 7.5%).
After adjusting for other fats in the diet, women with the most docosapentaenoic acid were less likely to skip ovulation than those with the least (relative risk: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.95).
Of 509 cycles studied, 42 (8.3%) had no ovulation; total fat intake was not linked to this risk. Fat intake was also not linked to estradiol, LH, FSH, or SHBG.

Interpretation

This cohort study measured diet and hormones at the same clinic visit across two cycles in 259 healthy women. Women with the most total fat and polyunsaturated fat in their diet had higher testosterone. Women with the most docosapentaenoic acid were less likely to miss ovulation in a cycle. The authors call their results exploratory, since the study tested many comparisons at once. The findings support larger studies of diet's role in ovarian hormones.

RRM Context

Restorative reproductive medicine treats ovulation as a signal from the body. The signal can be tracked over time. Fertility awareness-based methods track that same kind of data through daily charts of hormones and cycle timing. The study checked ovulation with timed blood tests each cycle, the same check-before-treat idea that guides RRM care.

Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.

Abstract

Background

Emerging evidence suggests potential links between some dietary fatty acids and improved fertility, because specific fatty acids may affect prostaglandin synthesis and steroidogenesis.

Objective

The objective of this exploratory study was to evaluate associations between total and specific types of dietary fat intake and 1) hormone concentrations and 2) the risk of sporadic anovulation in a cohort of 259 regularly menstruating women in the BioCycle Study.

Design

Endogenous reproductive hormones were measured up to 8 times/cycle for up to 2 cycles, with visits scheduled with the use of fertility monitors. Dietary intake was assessed with up to four 24-h recalls/cycle. Linear mixed models and generalized linear models were used to evaluate the associations between dietary fatty acids and both reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulatory status. All models were adjusted for total energy intake, age, body mass index, and race.

Results

Relative to the lowest levels of percentage of energy from total fat, the highest tertile was associated with increased total and free testosterone concentrations (total: percentage change of 4.0%; 95% CI: 0.7%, 7.3%; free: percentage change of 4.1%; 95% CI: 0.5%, 7.7%). In particular, the percentage of energy from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the highest tertile was associated with increases in total and free testosterone (total: percentage change of 3.7%; 95% CI: 0.6%, 6.8%; free: percentage change of 4.0%; 95% CI: 0.5%, 7.5%). The PUFA docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3) was not significantly associated with testosterone concentrations (P-trend = 0.86 in energy substitution models) but was associated with increased progesterone and a reduced risk of anovulation (highest tertile compared with the lowest tertile: RR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.95). Fat intakes were not associated with other reproductive hormone concentrations.

Conclusions

These results indicate that total fat intake, and PUFA intake in particular, is associated with very small increases in testosterone concentrations in healthy women and that increased docosapentaenoic acid was associated with a lower risk of anovulation.

Topics

Reproductive Endocrinology › Ovarian Hormones › Progesterone · Lifestyle and Environment › Nutrition and Metabolic Health › Dietary Patterns · Menstrual Cycle › Cycle Physiology › Hormonal Regulation

Sunni L Mumford, Jorge E Chavarro, Cuilin Zhang, Neil J Perkins, Lindsey A Sjaarda, Anna Z Pollack, Karen C Schliep, Kara A Michels, Shvetha M Zarek, Torie C Plowden, Rose G Radin, Lynne C Messer, Robyn A Frankel, Jean Wactawski-Wende

S Mumford, J Chavarro, C Zhang, N Perkins, L Sjaarda, A Pollack, K Schliep, K Michels, S Zarek, T Plowden, R Radin, L Messer, R Frankel, J Wactawski-Wende

DOI 10.3945/ajcn.115.119321 10.3945/ajcn.115.119321 Mumford et al. 2016, Mumford 2016

Dietary fat intake and reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulation in regularly menstruating women

Higher Fat Intake Linked to Slightly Higher Testosterone

Key Findings

Interpretation

RRM Context

Abstract

Topics

By this author

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