the polycystic ovary syndrome (or “ovarian dystrophy”) is still a poorly understood disease. According to statistics, 1 in 10 women would be affected: it is the most common hormonal anomaly in female individuals of childbearing age. In concrete terms, it is a syndrome that affects the ovaries : follicles do not mature and accumulate. As a result, there is anovulation, that is to say an absence of ovulation.
Polycystic ovary syndrome leads to many health problems: fertility problems, of course, but also cardiovascular problems (related to the increase in the quantity of lipids in the blood), irregular periodsacne, increased hair growth…
Researchers at the Kashan University of Medical Sciences (in Iran) may have just found a way to improve the lives of women who suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome: soy. “Soy reduces the risk of developing heart problems or cardiovascular diseases in women who suffer from ovarian dystrophy” they explain in the scientific journal Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Insulin and “bad” cholesterol
To reach this conclusion, the researchers organized an experiment with 70 women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome aged 18 to 40 – average age: 26 years. These were divided into two groups: for 12 weeks, the women in group 1 received soy food supplements – the equivalent of 500 ml of soy milk each day. The women in group 2 were only given placebos.
Results ? At the end of the experiment, the volunteers in group 1 had more satisfactory insulin levels and lower “bad” cholesterol levels than those in group 2. According to the researchers, this effect is mainly attributable to the isoflavones present in soy, a subfamily of flavonoids whose structure is close to that of estrogens.
“We therefore advise women who suffer from ovarian dystrophy to consume more soy, by integrating this food into their daily diet or by taking regular soy supplements.” The good idea? A large glass of soy milk each morning !
