Serum Antioxidants Are Associated with Serum Reproductive Hormones and Ovulation among Healthy Women

Sunni L Mumford; Richard W Browne; Karen C Schliep; Jonathan Schmelzer; Torie C Plowden; Kara A Michels; Lindsey A Sjaarda; Shvetha M Zarek; Neil J Perkins; Lynne C Messer; Rose G Radin; Jean Wactawski-Wende; Enrique F Schisterman

doi:10.3945/jn.115.217620

Lifestyle and Environment · Nutrition and Metabolic Health

Serum Antioxidants Are Associated with Serum Reproductive Hormones and Ovulation among Healthy Women

Mumford SL, Browne RW, Schliep KC, Schmelzer J, Plowden TC, Michels KA, Sjaarda LA, Zarek SM, Perkins NJ, Messer LC, Radin RG, Wactawski-Wende J, Schisterman EF

Published January 2016 The Journal of nutrition, 146(1), 98-106

DOI 10.3945/jn.115.217620 PMID 26581679 PMC PMC4700980

RRM Academy Synopsis

Blood antioxidants were associated with hormones in 259 healthy women

A study of 259 healthy women aged 18-44, tracked across menstrual cycles, found that blood levels of vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C were associated with reproductive hormone levels. One vitamin E ratio was also associated with a higher risk of not ovulating.

Key Findings

Ascorbic acid was associated with higher progesterone and with lower follicle-stimulating hormone.
Across the 259 women, higher retinol and higher α-tocopherol were each associated with higher estradiol and higher testosterone.
Antioxidant levels in blood shifted over the course of the menstrual cycle in 259 women followed for up to 2 cycles.
Women with a higher α- to γ-tocopherol ratio had a greater risk of anovulation (RR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.06).

Interpretation

The BioCycle Study is a prospective cohort. Researchers drew blood 5-8 times per cycle and measured six fat-soluble vitamins and micronutrients, ascorbic acid and reproductive hormones. Models accounted for body size, age, diet energy and markers of oxidative stress, among other factors. The authors say the results fit their hypothesis that vitamin levels in blood influence steroid hormone production, even after accounting for oxidative stress. This synopsis draws only on the published abstract.

RRM Context

Restorative reproductive medicine treats the ovulatory cycle as a vital sign. Clinicians look for the cause when ovulation fails. This cohort links nutrient status to hormone patterns and ovulation in the healthy women of this cohort. Nutrition therefore joins the questions a cause-based evaluation can raise.

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

Abstract

Background

Evidence is growing that the equilibrium between reactive oxygen species and antioxidants plays a vital role in women's reproductive health.

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate variations in serum antioxidant concentrations across the menstrual cycle and associations between antioxidants and reproductive hormones and anovulation among healthy women.

Methods

The BioCycle Study, a prospective cohort, followed 259 women aged 18-44 y for up to 2 menstrual cycles. Serum fat-soluble vitamin and micronutrient (α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, retinol, lutein, lycopene, and β-carotene), ascorbic acid, and reproductive hormone concentrations were measured 5-8 times/cycle. We used weighted linear mixed models to assess associations between antioxidants and hormone concentrations, after adjustment for age, race, body mass index, parity, sleep, pain medication use, total energy intake, concurrent hormones, serum cholesterol, F2-isoprostanes, and other antioxidants. Generalized linear models were used to identify associations with anovulation.

Results

Serum antioxidant concentrations varied across the menstrual cycle. Retinol and α-tocopherol were associated with higher estradiol [RR: 1.00 pg/mL (95% CI: 0.67, 1.34 pg/mL); RR: 0.02 pg/mL (95% CI: 0.003, 0.03 pg/mL), respectively] and testosterone [RR: 0.61 ng/dL (95% CI: 0.44, 0.78 ng/dL); RR: 0.01 ng/dL (95% CI: 0.001, 0.01 ng/dL), respectively]. Ascorbic acid was associated with higher progesterone (RR: 0.15 ng/mL; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.25 ng/mL) and with lower follicle-stimulating hormone (RR: -0.06 mIU/mL; 95% CI: -0.09, -0.03 mIU/mL). The ratio of α- to γ-tocopherol was associated with an increased risk of anovulation (RR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.06).

Conclusions

These findings shed new light on the intricate associations between serum antioxidants and endogenous hormones in healthy premenopausal women and support the hypothesis that concentrations of serum vitamins affect steroidogenesis even after adjustment for oxidative stress.

Topics

Lifestyle and Environment › Nutrition and Metabolic Health › Dietary Patterns · Menstrual Cycle › Cycle Biomarkers › Hormonal Markers · Reproductive Endocrinology › Ovarian Hormones › Estrogen

Sunni L Mumford, Richard W Browne, Karen C Schliep, Jonathan Schmelzer, Torie C Plowden, Kara A Michels, Lindsey A Sjaarda, Shvetha M Zarek, Neil J Perkins, Lynne C Messer, Rose G Radin, Jean Wactawski-Wende, Enrique F Schisterman

S Mumford, Rick Browne, Dick Browne, Rich Browne, R Browne, K Schliep, Jon Schmelzer, J Schmelzer, T Plowden, K Michels, L Sjaarda, S Zarek, N Perkins, L Messer, R Radin, J Wactawski-Wende, E Schisterman

PMID 26581679 26581679 DOI 10.3945/jn.115.217620 10.3945/jn.115.217620 Mumford et al. 2016, Mumford 2016

Serum Antioxidants Are Associated with Serum Reproductive Hormones and Ovulation among Healthy Women

Blood antioxidants were associated with hormones in 259 healthy women

Key Findings

Interpretation

RRM Context

Abstract

Topics

By this author

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