Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is estimated to affect between 6 and 25% of women before menopause. Common symptoms of PCOS include irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, acne, thinning of hair, and insulin resistance.
Low grade inflammation is common in women with PCOS and has been suggested to be responsible for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Recently, a 25 year study reported that epicatechin, a phytochemical found in green tea and chocolate, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The role of tea (Camellia sinensis) has long been suggested to reduce markers of inflammation and promote weight loss.
Tea comes in a variety of different forms including green, black, oolong which are all derived from the same plant, Camellia sinensis.
Tea has been reported to have many health benefits including reducing the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, diabetes and more.
A clinical trial published in the journal Phytotherapy Research evaluated the role of tea in patients with PCOS.
Here are the study details:
– Study design: randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. 25 Subjects consumed green tea (4 tablets a day with each tablet being 500 mg). The placebo group consumed corn starch.
– Duration of study: 45 days
– Human subjects: 50 women with PCOS were enrolled. Age ranged from 18 to 55 years.
– PCOS was diagnosed according to guidelines that included the Rotterdam criteria
Here are the main results with green tea in patients with PCOS:
– Green tea reduced IL-6 (interleukein-6) by 31% *
– Weight loss was associated with green tea consumption and IL-6 reduction.
– No changes were observed with the inflammatory markers TNF-alpha or CRP (c-reactive protein)
*The size of the clinical trial was too small to determine if it was statistically significant.
Take away message:
Green Tea and green tea catechins including EGCG, ECG, EGC, and EC have been shown to reduce markers of inflammation previously. This appears to be the first clinical trial to assess green tea polyphenols in patients with PCOS.
Given the small sample size of people included in the study future studies will be needed to determine the potential of green tea being used as one lifestyle tool to help relieve symptoms of PCOS. Another benefit of green tea was on weight loss which has been reported in other studies.
Reference: Phytotherapy Research. 2017; Volume 31 (Issue 5): pages 747-754.
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Clinical Trials, Inflammation, Menstrual Cycle, Women's Health