The Hemp Connection [Search results for hypertension] 

One of the things I love about social networking…is that I have more information at my fingertips than I would ever have access to if I had to find it all by myself.

One of the things I hate about social networking, especially Twitter, is how much bad information is passed along without any fact checking. I would have to say, 99% of all links that come across my screen were just retweeted without being read. People state their opinions as if they are facts, without providing any references. And the more followers a person has, the more entitled they seem to be, to state their opinion as if is fact, leaving their hundreds or thousands of followers thinking,"Well if _____ said so, it must be true."

Recently I've been reading a lot of things about stevia that are opinion-based, but not factual, which are being circulated without fact checking, so I went in to PubMed and found some references I thought I would throw out to help level the playing field.

Stevia is a natural sweetener. It is not sugar, but it is not a chemical artificially created in the laboratory. It is a plant native to Paraguay that is processed to be used as a sweetener. I have friends here in Phoenix who actually have stevia plants in their gardens in early summer.

Here are some other facts.

Stevia may or may not affect fertility. The very first article appearing in a stevia search, way back in 1968, reports that it does. Others follow with mixed results, looking at both male and female fertility. It does not appear to be related to any toxic aspect of the plant, merely how it affects hormone balance. Anyone using the right mix of references can create an argument leaning in either direction.

Stevia may improve glucose tolerance. It may actually improve function of the pancreatic cells (beta cells) that produce insulin. This is a pretty consistent finding.

Stevia is not cariogenic.

Stevia may help to reduce blood pressure.

Stevia is anti-inflammatory, has antioxidant characteristics, and may discourage tumor production.

Stevia does not cause you to eat more of other sweet foods. I have seen more than one dietitian assert this, and there is no reference (as of this date) to validate that.

For most of you, if you're not trying to conceive, stevia may be a very nice addition to what you're doing to balance your hormones. If you're trying to conceive, it gets a little tricky. If your main barrier to conception is insulin resistance, stevia may actually be beneficial. If it's another issue, such as sperm count, you may want to stay away. I'm providing references so that you can share this information with your reproductive physician and together decide which course of action is most appropriate for your personal situation.

Planas GM, Kucacute J. Contraceptive Properties of Stevia rebaudiana. Science. 1968 Nov 29;162(3857):1007.

Schvartzman JB, Krimer DB, Moreno Azorero R. Cytological effects of some medicinal plants used in the control of fertility. Experientia. 1977 May 15;33(5):663-5.

Yodyingyuad V, Bunyawong S. Effect of stevioside on growth and reproduction. Hum Reprod. 1991 Jan;6(1):158-65.

Das S, Das AK, Murphy RA, Punwani IC, Nasution MP, Kinghorn AD. Evaluation of the cariogenic potential of the intense natural sweeteners stevioside and rebaudioside A. Caries Res. 1992;26(5):363-6.

Melis MS. Effects of chronic administration of Stevia rebaudiana on fertility in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 1999 Nov 1;67(2):157-61.

Jeppesen PB, Gregersen S, Poulsen CR, Hermansen K. Stevioside acts directly on pancreatic beta cells to secrete insulin: actions independent of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and adenosine triphosphate-sensitive K+-channel activity. Metabolism. 2000 Feb;49(2):208-14.

Chan P, Tomlinson B, Chen YJ, Liu JC, Hsieh MH, Cheng JT. A double-blind placebo-controlled study of the effectiveness and tolerability of oral stevioside in human hypertension. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2000 Sep;50(3):215-20.

Lee CN, Wong KL, Liu JC, Chen YJ, Cheng JT, Chan P. Inhibitory effect of stevioside on calcium influx to produce antihypertension. Planta Med. 2001 Dec;67(9):796-9.

Jeppesen PB, Gregersen S, Alstrup KK, Hermansen K. Stevioside induces antihyperglycaemic, insulinotropic and glucagonostatic effects in vivo: studies in the diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats. Phytomedicine. 2002 Jan;9(1):9-14.

Chan P, Tomlinson B, Chen YJ, Liu JC, Hsieh MH, Cheng JT. A double-blind placebo-controlled study of the effectiveness and tolerability of oral stevioside in human hypertension. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2000 Sep;50(3):215-20.
Gregersen S, Jeppesen PB, Holst JJ, Hermansen K. Antihyperglycemic effects of stevioside in type 2 diabetic subjects. Metabolism. 2004 Jan;53(1):73-6.

Lailerd N, Saengsirisuwan V, Sloniger JA, Toskulkao C, Henriksen EJ. Effects of stevioside on glucose transport activity in insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant rat skeletal muscle. Metabolism. 2004 Jan;53(1):101-7.

Hsieh MH, Chan P, Sue YM, Liu JC, Liang TH, Huang TY, Tomlinson B, Chow MS, Kao PF, Chen YJ. Efficacy and tolerability of oral stevioside in patients with mild essential hypertension: a two-year, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Clin Ther. 2003 Nov;25(11):2797-808.
Chen TH, Chen SC, Chan P, Chu YL, Yang HY, Cheng JT. Mechanism of the hypoglycemic effect of stevioside, a glycoside of Stevia rebaudiana. Planta Med. 2005 Feb;71(2):108-13.

Boonkaewwan C, Toskulkao C, Vongsakul M. Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Activities of Stevioside and Its Metabolite Steviol on THP-1 Cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Feb 8;54(3):785-9.

Ferreira EB, de Assis Rocha Neves F, da Costa MA, do Prado WA, de Araújo Funari Ferri L, Bazotte RB. Comparative effects of Stevia rebaudiana leaves and stevioside on glycaemia and hepatic gluconeogenesis. Planta Med. 2006 Jun;72(8):691-6. Epub 2006 May 29.

Chen J, Jeppesen PB, Nordentoft I, Hermansen K. Stevioside counteracts the glyburide-induced desensitization of the pancreatic beta-cell function in mice: studies in vitro. Metabolism. 2006 Dec;55(12):1674-80.

Ghanta S, Banerjee A, Poddar A, Chattopadhyay S. Oxidative DNA damage preventive activity and antioxidant potential of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni, a natural sweetener. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Dec 26;55(26):10962-7. Epub 2007 Nov 27.
Shukla S, Mehta A, Bajpai VK, Shukla S. In vitro antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of ethanolic leaf extract of Stevia rebaudiana Bert. Food Chem Toxicol. 2009 Sep;47(9):2338-43. Epub 2009 Jun 21.

Melis MS, Rocha ST, Augusto A. Steviol effect, a glycoside of Stevia rebaudiana, on glucose clearances in rats. Braz J Biol. 2009 May;69(2):371-4.
Figlewicz DP, Ioannou G, Bennett Jay J, Kittleson S, Savard C, Roth CL. Effect of moderate intake of sweeteners on metabolic health in the rat. Physiol Behav. 2009 Dec 7;98(5):618-24. Epub 2009 Oct 6.

Anton SD, Martin CK, Han H, Coulon S, Cefalu WT, Geiselman P, Williamson DA. Effects of stevia, aspartame, and sucrose on food intake, satiety, and postprandial glucose and insulin levels. Appetite. 2010 Aug;55(1):37-43. Epub 2010 Mar 18.

Shukla S, Mehta A, Mehta P, Bajpai VK. Antioxidant ability and total phenolic content of aqueous leaf extract of Stevia rebaudiana Bert. Exp Toxicol Pathol. 2011 Mar 4. [Epub ahead of print]

Not long ago Sasha Ottey of PCOS Challenge e-mailed me to see if I knew anything about"eggplant water". Seems it had been written up in the Los Angeles Times as a weight loss aid. It sounded strange, and she was looking to see if there was any scientific backing.

I was a little skeptical, but I did go to the National Library of Medicine database to see if anything existed. There was nothing about eggplant water specifically, but I did find a research abstract about the potential benefits of an eggplant-based diet. It appears that the antioxidants in eggplant are especially good for combating the types of degenerative processes common to insulin resistance.

Here it is, along with the reference. And below that, is a recipe for ratatouille, my favorite eggplant recipe. Enjoy!

National Diabetes Education Program of NIH, Mayo Clinic and American Diabetes Association recommend eggplant-based diet as a choice for management of type 2 diabetes. The rationale for this suggestion is the high fiber and low soluble carbohydrate content of eggplant. We propose that a more physiologically relevant explanation lies in the phenolic-linked antioxidant activity and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory potential of eggplant which could reduce hyperglycemia-induced pathogenesis. Results from this study indicate that phenolic-enriched extracts of eggplant with moderate free radical scavenging-linked antioxidant activity had high alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity and in specific cases moderate to high angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. Inhibition of these enzymes provide a strong biochemical basis for management of type 2 diabetes by controlling glucose absorption and reducing associated hypertension, respectively. This phenolic antioxidant-enriched dietary strategy also has the potential to reduce hyperglycemia-induced pathogenesis linked to cellular oxidation stress. These results provide strong rationale for further animal and clinical studies.

Kwon YI, Apostolidis E, Shetty K. In vitro studies of eggplant (Solanum melongena) phenolics as inhibitors of key enzymes relevant for type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Bioresour Technol. 2008 May;99(8):2981-8. Epub 2007 Aug 13.

Ratatouille

2 1/2 lb tomatoes (4 large)
8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
20 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 large onions (1 1/2 lb total), quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
3 assorted bell peppers (green, red, and/or yellow; 1 1/2 lb total), cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium zucchini (2 lb), quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick pieces
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Garnish: Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings and fresh basil

Cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch together in a 4-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.

Coarsely chop tomatoes and transfer to a 5-quart heavy pot with garlic, parsley, basil, and 1/3 cup oil. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, toss eggplant with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large colander and let stand in sink 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook onions in 3 tablespoons oil with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer onions with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, then add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook bell peppers with 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer peppers with slotted spoon to bowl with onions. Add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook zucchini with 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer zucchini with slotted spoon to bowl with other vegetables.

While zucchini are cooking, pat eggplant dry with paper towels. Add remaining oil (about 1/4 cup) to skillet and cook eggplant over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to12 minutes.

Add vegetables, remaining teaspoon salt, and black pepper to tomato sauce and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour. Cool, uncovered, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Women with PCOS tend to have higher risk pregancies. A risk that is pretty well acknowledged is gestational diabetes. However, the rate of pre-eclampsia is also higher in cysters. Did you know diet can help you reduce your risk?

Researchers analyzed the diets of women with pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension to see if any specific nutrients were correlated with these problems. The specific nutrients they looked at were: calcium, omega-3 and omega-6-6 fatty acids, trans fatty acids, magnesium, folate, and vitamins C, D, and E. There was a slight reduction in risk of pre-eclampsia in women with a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA and EPA, are two essential items you should include in your"Healthy Pre-pregnancy, Pregnancy, and Nursing Toolbox".

Boomsma CM, Eijkemans MJ, Hughes EG, Visser GH, Fauser BC, Macklon NS. A meta-analysis of pregnancy outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Hum Reprod Update. 2006 Nov-Dec;12(6):673-83.

Oken E, Ning Y, Rifas Shiman SL, Rich Edwards JW, Olsen SF, Gillman MW. Diet during pregnancy and risk of preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. Ann Epidemiol 2007 Sep;17(9):663-8.

If you or someone you know is an employee of Sony Pictures Studios, and you've been looking for someone to talk to about nutrition and lifestyle approaches for any of the following situations:

better skin
insomnia and sleep disorders
infertility
obesity
gastric bypass surgery
hypertension
high cholesterol
metabolic syndrome X
irritable bowel syndrome
eating disorders

Come to the Sony Pictures Studios Health and Wellness Fair and meet Dori Zerlin, MS, RD

Dori will be offering free nutrition consultations on the following dates, for the following issues:

July 8, 2008 12 pm — 4 pm Nutrition and Healthy Skin
August 5, 2008 12 pm — 4 pm Nutrition for Better Sleep
September 9, 2008 12 pm — 4 pm Ideas for Healthy Dining Out

To meet Dori, and/or sign up for one of these free sessions or arrange for a personal consultation, visit the Sony Pictures Studios Athletic Club, Tuesday, June 10, 2008, between 11:00 am and 2:30 pm.

If you can't make this event and you would like to make an appointment with Dori, contact her at dzerlin@gmail.com.

I've mentioned before that receiving any kind of medical diagnosis that can leave you backed into a corner, with no place to go, is one of life's most extreme stresses. If you're someone who is used to being in control, losing that control can throw you into a complete tailspin. That is when you are most likely to be susceptible to something called"magical thinking". This type of behavior is something you engage in to allow yourself to feel as if you you have more control over a situation than you actually have. Some examples in recent months that I've personally experienced:

-- A gentleman I really wanted to do business with because I liked his product, started to panic because sales of that product were not matching his projections. I started receiving e-mails from him about all kinds of interesting"effects" he was personally noticing that he attributed to the special powers of his product. I mentioned to him once that if his observations were true, science would validate them. He told me he didn't have time to wait for science. Can you hear the desperation and wishful thinking that was interfering with his overall long-term success? I felt sad, because his product was good, but he was gradually burning business bridges before he could get the sales he wanted and should have had.

--A young woman who had failed one IVF and was scheduled for another, afraid she'd lose that success too, wrote me asking to help her with a detox/cleanse, less than a week before her procedure. She wanted to rid her body of any negative influences that might work against her. We decided against the detox, and simply set up a very balanced eating/exercise/relaxation plan focusing on nurturing instead. (She's pregnant, BTW). I don't think she really wanted to detox, she really needed something constructive to do as an anxiety outlet, and to give her hope she wasn't going to fail again.

Supplements are the place where magical thinking really takes control. I watch women with PCOS throw the entire kitchen sink at a problem, without knowing exactly what kind of effect they're looking for, what dose, what brand, what kind of interactions their multiple supplements may have with each other…which ones duplicate the effects of others…all it seems to take is for one person out there to mention one supplement and the"wave" rolls across the PCOS blogs and Facebook pages. Because no one ever really took the time to figure out how to use the supplement in a scientific fashion, it doesn't work, women give up on it before it might have a chance to work, and they're off on a search for the next magical supplement.

We're starting to understand here at inCYST that there is more than one kind of PCOS. So if anyone is recommending any particular supplement, and it's a one-size-fits-all recommendation, they're either telling you what worked for them (which may not work for you), or they are throwing together a little bit of something from every study they could find, which makes their answer extremely expensive because half of what is in it, most women don't even need.

Just because you can buy supplements yourself over the counter, and dose them yourself, does not mean they're safe. If your physician is anti-supplement and you're not telling him/her about the supplements you're taking because you know s/he is against them, you could be negating the effects of both your medications and your supplements. There are ways to use both, but it's only going to work if whoever you are asking for help, is amenable to combining both approaches.

The supplement that currently seems to be the rage right now seems to be n-acetyl-cysteine, or NAC. I'm not sure where this wave got started. I'm not going into the nuts and bolts of the chemistry, you can find that elsewhere. But here are some things to consider.

1. NAC has also been shown to reduce the symptoms of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. I'm guessing that the subpopulation of women with PCOS who also have one of these diagnoses (and that's a pretty significant percentage of the PCOS population BTW), are the ones most likely to benefit from NAC. But since mood regulating medications are powerful, it's super important, if this is you, to let the prescribing physician of any mood stabilizers know so that you don't experience a dangerous adverse reaction between medication and supplement. And by all means, DO NOT stop taking medication for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder because you read what I just wrote!!!

2. NAC is also being considered as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder, something I know is also very common with PCOS. If you're going to use a supplement, I'm more comfortable with your using myoinositol for this purpose, which has also been shown to help improve fertility rates. Again, please let your caregiver know what you're doing. One of our fans recently shared that she took a blog post regarding inositol to her physician, who now recommends it to his PCOS patients. In talking to your doctors, you have to potential to teach them important things. (That's why I reference posts, so your doctors can read the research themselves and know my thoughts are evidence-based.)

2. There is some evidence that large doses of NAC can increase the risk of pulmonary hypertension, a very dangerous condition. I can't stop you from taking this supplement, but I can encourage you, if you decide you want to use it, to do so in conjunction with a knowledgeable health professional who can help you to properly dose it.

3. In the most recent study I found regarding NAC compared to metformin/clomiphene, metformin/clomiphene was found to be superior. But if you remember, I wrote pretty extensively not too long ago about the peer-reviewed finding that metformin increased ovulation and pregnancy rates but not live births (thus increasing the miscarriage rate). Perhaps you should think a little bit about whether or not this is the path you wish to embark on, using a supplement that has not been proven to be as"effective" as a medication that hasn't even been proven to be effective.

4. One reason NAC is thought to be useful is that it protects against"glucose toxicity". Here's a thought — why not eat less glucose? Even if you choose myoinositol over NAC based on what you're reading, consider that your own inositol stores may have found themselves depleted in the first place from imbalanced eating. No way around it, supplements do not replace healthy choices. If you're going to experience the greatest benefit from a supplement, it needs to complement, not replace, better eating.

You're all grown women and you can make your own choices. I hate seeing you struggle with PCOS. But worse than that, I hate seeing you jump around from supplement to supplement without any kind of plan of action for how you're going to use it, how you're going to know if it's working, and how you're going to know if you need to not use it.

The people who benefit the most from magical thinking…are the ones who play on your anxiety and frustration and take your money, offering"solutions". Be a wise consumer. And remember, something you ALWAYS have control over…is healthier food choices, activity schedules, and stress management.

Berk M, Dean O, Cotton SM, Gama CS, Kapczinski F, Fernandes BS, Kohlmann K, Jeavons S, Hewitt K, Allwang C, Cobb H, Bush AI, Schapkaitz I, Dodd S, Malhi GS. The efficacy of N-acetylcysteine as an adjunctive treatment in bipolar depression: An open label trial. J Affect Disord. 2011 Jun 28. [Epub ahead of print]

Camfield DA, Sarris J, Berk M. Nutraceuticals in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): a review of mechanistic and clinical evidence. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Jun 1;35(4):887-95. Epub 2011 Feb 23.
Abu Hashim H, Anwar K, El-Fatah RA. N-acetyl cysteine plus clomiphene citrate versus metformin and clomiphene citrate in treatment of clomiphene-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2010 Nov;19(11):2043-8. Epub 2010 Oct 12.

Kaneto, H. Kajimoto, Y. Miyagawa, J. Matsuoka, T. Fujitani, Y. Umayahara, Y. Hanafusa, T. Matsuzawa, Y. et al. (1999). Beneficial effects of antioxidants in diabetes: possible protection of pancreatic beta-cells against glucose toxicity. Diabetes 48 (12): 2398–406.

If you're looking for pasta alternatives, consider soba noodles. This gluten-free Japanese creation is made with buckwheat, a food with potential multiple health benefits. Buckwheat has repeatedly been shown to improve blood lipids, by lowering blood pressure, total cholesterol, bad cholesterol (LDL), and triglycerides, and raising good cholesterol (HDL). It has also been reported to prevent the development of gallstones

Buckwheat is also a potent cancer fighter. It contains anthocyanin compounds (yes, that stuff that makes blueberries so healthy!), and it has been shown to fight tumor growth in a respectable list of body parts.

Photo credit: http://www.thekitchn.com/

Buckwheat is also good for people with insulin resistance. In one study, people who did not regularly consume buckwheat were five times more likely to have hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) than those who did. When it comes to our recent theme of increasing protein and maximizing muscle mass, buckwheat has been found to be a good vegan protein source for accomplishing this goal.

If you have been following my interest in bees and colony collapse disorder (important to PCOS because many hormone-friendly foods are dependent on bees for pollination), eating soba noodles is good for bee health as well. Provided the buckwheat is organic and not laced with pesticide, one acre of the crop supports an entire hive of bees, important in US locations where bees have been found to be declining because of exposure to neonicotinides used on corn. And buckwheat honey is good for you as well; it has a reputation for its antioxidant and antifungal content. You can make a difference! Increasing demand for crops that are healthy for everyone in the ecocycle is a win-win situation.

One note for celiacs: soba is only partially buckwheat. Be sure you read the labels and use a brand like Eden 100% Whole Buckwheat Soba.

The photo above is from a blog post I found on Pinterest. The recipe looked easy and like it was a great noncommittal Americanized way to put a little soba on your plate.

Kayashita J, Shimaoka I, Nakajoh M, Yamazaki M, Kato N. Consumption of buckwheat protein lowers plasma cholesterol and raises fecal neutral sterols in cholesterol-Fed rats because of its low digestibility. J Nutr. 1997 Jul;127(7):1395-400.

Metzger BT, Barnes DM, Reed JD. Insoluble fraction of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) protein possessing cholesterol-binding properties that reduce micelle cholesterol solubility and uptake by Caco-2 cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Jul 25;55(15):6032-8. Epub 2007 Jul 4.

Tomotake H, Yamamoto N, Kitabayashi H, Kawakami A, Kayashita J, Ohinata H, Karasawa H, Kato N. Preparation of tartary buckwheat protein product and its improving effect on cholesterol metabolism in rats and mice fed cholesterol-enriched diet. J Food Sci. 2007 Sep;72(7):S528-33.

Kuwabara T, Han KH, Hashimoto N, Yamauchi H, Shimada K, Sekikawa M, Fukushima M. Tartary buckwheat sprout powder lowers plasma cholesterol level in rats. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2007 Dec;53(6):501-7.

Bijlani RL, Sud S, Sahi A, Gandhi BM, Tandon BN. Effect of sieved buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) flour supplementation on lipid profile and glucose tolerance. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1985 Apr-Jun;29(2):69-74.

Lin LY, Peng CC, Yang YL, Peng RY. Optimization of bioactive compounds in buckwheat sprouts and their effect on blood cholesterol in hamsters. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Feb 27;56(4):1216-23. Epub 2008 Jan 24.
Zhang HW, Zhang YH, Lu MJ, Tong WJ, Cao GW. Comparison of hypertension, dyslipidaemia and hyperglycaemia between buckwheat seed-consuming and non-consuming Mongolian-Chinese populations in Inner Mongolia, China. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2007 Sep;34(9):838-44.

Pui KC. [Inhibition of tumor growth in vitro by the extract of Fagopyrum cymosum]. Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2003 Jul;1(2):128-31.

Alvarez P, Alvarado C, Mathieu F, Jiménez L, De la Fuente M. Diet supplementation for 5 weeks with polyphenol-rich cereals improves several functions and the redox state of mouse leucocytes. Eur J Nutr. 2006 Dec;45(8):428-38. Epub 2006 Oct 11.

Zduńczyk Z, Flis M, Zieliński H, Wróblewska M, Antoszkiewicz Z, Juśkiewicz J. In vitro antioxidant activities of barley, husked oat, naked oat, triticale, and buckwheat wastes and their influence on the growth and biomarkers of antioxidant status in rats. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Jun 14;54(12):4168-75.

Watanabe M. An anthocyanin compound in buckwheat sprouts and its contribution to antioxidant capacity. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2007 Feb;71(2):579-82. Epub 2007 Feb 7.

Wang ZH, Gao L, Li YY, Zhang Z, Yuan JM, Wang HW, Zhang L, Zhu L. Induction of apoptosis by buckwheat trypsin inhibitor in chronic myeloid leukemia K562 cells. Biol Pharm Bull. 2007 Apr;30(4):783-6.

Wang KJ, Zhang YJ, Yang CR. Antioxidant phenolic constituents from Fagopyrum dibotrys. J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Jun 3;99(2):259-64. Epub 2005 Apr 7.

Leung EH, Ng TB. A relatively stable antifungal peptide from buckwheat seeds with antiproliferative activity toward cancer cells. J Nutr Biochem. 2008 Oct;19(10):700-7. Epub 2008 Mar 6.
Kim SJ, Maeda T, Sarker MZ, Takigawa S, Matsuura-Endo C, Yamauchi H, Mukasa Y, Saito K, Hashimoto N, Noda T, Saito T, Suzuki T. Identification of anthocyanins in the sprouts of buckwheat. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Jul 25;55(15):6314-8. Epub 2007 Jun 20.

de Francischi ML, Salgado JM, da Costa CP. Immunological analysis of serum for buckwheat fed celiac patients. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 1994 Oct;46(3):207-11.

He J, Klag MJ, Whelton PK, Mo JP, Chen JY, Qian MC, Mo PS, He GQ. Oats and buckwheat intakes and cardiovascular disease risk factors in an ethnic minority of China. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Feb;61(2):366-72.

In addition to PCOS, I specialize in the nutritional aspects of medications affecting the brain and nervous system. That includes psych meds, Parkinson's meds…pretty much any medication that has the potential to affect how the brain and nervous system function.

A few years ago, while compiling a series of fact sheets about the nutritional implications of these medications, I started reading about the anti-obesity medication called Meridia (generic name sibutramine). This drug appeared on the market after the famous phen-fen combination was deemed dangerous. It was supposed to be a kindler, gentler alternative. And it supposedly can reduce the severity of symptoms associated with PCOS.

I was floored by what was showing up, unedited, in the peer-reviewed literature about this medication. But not at all surprised with the announcement yesterday that this drug is potentially dangerous for people with heart conditions.

Repeatedly and consistently, researchers were reporting reactions. Some of the most common problems this medication seemed to incite, were anxiety, hypertension, and elevated heart rate.

If Meridia was a drug intended to treat cancer, or glaucoma, or hangnail, and it caused this battery of symptoms, I don't think the FDA would have tolerated consistent reports that it had the ability to send the cardiovascular system into a tailspin.

Yet, in the obese research subject, in the face of these observations, researchers continued to report some of the following conclusions:

**In a 21 patient study, 40% experienced sleep disturbances and 30% complained of irritability, unusual impatience, or"excitation".
RESEARCH CONCLUSION: Sibutramine, 5 and 20 mg, added to a multimodal program assisted participants in losing weight.
Weintraub M, Rubio A, Golik A, Byrne L, Scheinbaum ML. Sibutramine in weight control: a dose-ranging, efficacy study. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1991 Sep;50(3):330-7.

**In a review study, the author reported,"In controlled studies, 84% of sibutramine-treated patients reported adverse events, compared with 71% of patients receiving placebo. The most frequently reported adverse events are related to pharmacological actions of sibutramine, and include dry mouth, decreased appetite, constipation and insomnia. Despite the high incidence of"side effects" in the control population, the author of this article attributed the problems in the tested population to"pharmacological actions of sibutramine".
Lean ME. Sibutramine--a review of clinical efficacy. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1997 Mar;21 Suppl 1:S30-6; discussion 37-9.

**In a study of 226 people comparing sibutramine to dexfenfluramine, researchers reported,"174 patients (77%) experienced adverse events; 17 patients withdrew due to adverse events. Pulse rate increased significantly in sibutramine-treated patients." Then they concluded,"Sibutramine (10 mg once daily) is at least as effective as dexfenfluramine (15 mg twice daily) in achieving weight loss in patients with obesity."
Hanotin C, Thomas F, Jones SP, Leutenegger E, Drouin P. A comparison of sibutramine and dexfenfluramine in the treatment of obesity. Obes Res. 1998 Jul;6(4):285-91.

**In a study of 235 people, the following was reported,"a significant increase in heart rate (about 4 beats/min) was noted for patients who received 10 mg or 15 mg sibutramine, compared with the placebo." Then it was concluded,"Doses of 10 mg and 15 mg once daily were shown to be similarly effective, well tolerated and significantly more effective than the placebo."
Hanotin C, Thomas F, Jones SP, Leutenegger E, Drouin P. Efficacy and tolerability of sibutramine in obese patients: a dose-ranging study. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1998 Jan;22(1):32-8.

**In a study of 11 men, it was observed that"the sibutramine-induced increase in energy expenditure was accompanied by an increase in plasma epinephrine, heart rate, blood pressure, and plasma glucose. The conclusion:"Sibutramine caused a significant increase in both energy expenditure and satiety, which may both contribute to its weight-reducing properties.
Hansen DL, Toubro S, Stock MJ, Macdonald IA, Astrup A. Thermogenic effects of sibutramine in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Dec;68(6):1180-6.

As of 2006, I had found 14 studies reporting an elevated heart rate with use. You can easily find them yourself in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/; I encourage you to see for yourself. I've supported myself here with enough references and my Saturday has other obligations prohibiting me from using it to repeat work I've already done. I hope I've encouraged you to see for yourself what I've been talking about with colleagues for several years.

I like to call this the Biggest Loser Mentality. It doesn't matter if we make these people vomit, pull a muscle, or give them a bloody heart attack. This market of obese people is just too lucrative to ignore.

If you have PCOS and you are obese, you deserve better. You're not where you are because you have a deficiency of ANY kind of medication in your body. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

I'm hearing more and more that many of you are switching to raw eating, and you're asking me if it's good for PCOS. It's not something that has been formally researched, so my answer is pulled together using what I do know about nutrition.

"Raw" refers to whether or not a food's temperature has exceeded a certain temperature during preparation. I actually tried to write a blog post about this several years ago and at the time could not find a specified temperature defining"raw" for a long time. I finally found something that suggested if it stayed below 124 degrees it would be considered raw. Then, last year, I ate lunch at the Whole Foods Venice, and decided to try a raw lunch for myself. The name of the restaurant that prepared my food was"118 Degrees," referring to the threshold raw temperature. This week, when researching it again, found everything from 104 to 118 degrees listed, without any scientific references for any of those values. It's one reason the diet can't be studied easily — those who follow it have yet to consistently define it.

One of the issues I have with any of those temperatures is that some of the foods popular in the raw community, by virtue of the fact that they grow in tropical climates, are regularly exposed to temperatures exceeding even the highest threshold. The mesquite trees growing in my backyard, yesterday alone, were exposed to an ambient temperature of 118 degrees the entire afternoon. The mesquite beans are dark, meaning they absorb heat and get even hotter. The flour made from them would not technically be raw, though mesquite flour is valued by the raw community. Coconuts, rice…both grow in tropical climates and therefore cannot be guaranteed to be"raw" if the benchmark is the definition above.

I'm assuming for the average person, for whom food is sustenance and not a religion,"raw" more likely means food that was not formally heated during preparation, and for the rest of this article that is the definition I will use.

Though raw eating has not been studied with regards to PCOS, it has been studied. It has been found to have both risks and benefits. The very first study of a raw food diet, published in 1985, found that after 7 months, subjects following this diet dropped their blood pressure, lost weight, and tended to spontaneously give up smoking and drinking.

One study found that raw foodists have lower cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. However, a couple of other cardiovascular risk factors, serum homocysteine and HDL, were elevated, likely because a raw diet tends to be low in vitamin B12. It would be wise to take a multi-vitamin just to be safe.

Another study reported more dental caries in raw foodists. I'm assuming this is related to the increased carbohydrate and simple sugar content of the diet. So don't forget to brush and floss!

Here's what all you readers really need to pay attention to. One study specifically looked at menstrual function and raw food. It found that about 30% of women studied who were under 45 years of age had partial to complete amenorrhea, with subjects eating high amounts of raw food (>90%) being more affected than moderate raw food dieters. Ouch, ouch, OUCH.

A raw diet is also low in DHA and EPA, the omega-3 fatty acids primarily found in fish. If you're a raw foodist and also vegan, consider taking an omega-3 supplement derived from marine algae.

One benefit to a raw diet is that most people who consume it eat far more fruits and dark green leafy vegetables than they used to. Yay for antioxidants! Interestingly, however, one study found that though raw foodists had higher beta-carotene levels than average, their serum lycopene levels were low. Since lycopene is found in easily found fresh fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and watermelon, this suggests that even when eating raw, it's important to make conscious choices and not limit yourself to a few favorites. It can't just be about carrot juice!

The flip side of all those fruits and vegetables, however, is that protein is a difficult nutrient to get with this diet without soaking and sprouting legumes, in adequate quantities to balance out all of that carbohydrate. It may aggravate your insulin resistance. Be sure to add some protein powder to your cooking to prevent that from happening. Growing Naturals organic brown rice protein isolate powder has designed its product to be raw-compatible; be sure to check them out!

Another natural consequence of cutting out so much protein is that the fat content of the diet naturally increases. And even if it's raw fat, and good fat, it still has calories. I would recommend working out some menus on paper or running them through http://www.fitday.com/ just to be sure the diet doesn't push you in the wrong direction.

How your diet affects your health appears to be more determined by the proportions of carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that your diet contains. If you want to do that with raw foods, just be sure you do it right.

Douglass JM, Rasgon IM, Fleiss PM, Schmidt RD, Peters SN, Abelmann EA. Effects of a raw food diet on hypertension and obesity. South Med J. 1985 Jul;78(7):841-4.

Koebnick C, Garcia AL, Dagnelie PC, Strassner C, Lindemans J, Katz N, Leitzmann C, Hoffmann I. Long-term consumption of a raw food diet is associated with favorable serum LDL cholesterol and triglycerides but also with elevated plasma homocysteine and low serum HDL cholesterol in humans. J Nutr. 2005 Oct;135(10):2372-8.

Ganss C, Schlechtriemen M, Klimek J. Dental erosions in subjects living on a raw food diet. Caries Res. 1999;33(1):74-80.

Koebnick C, Strassner C, Hoffmann I, Leitzmann C. Consequences of a long-term raw food diet on body weight and menstruation: results of a questionnaire survey. Ann Nutr Metab. 1999;43(2):69-79.

Garcia AL, Koebnick C, Dagnelie PC, Strassner C, Elmadfa I, Katz N, Leitzmann C, Hoffmann I. Long-term strict raw food diet is associated with favourable plasma beta-carotene and low plasma lycopene concentrations in Germans. Br J Nutr. 2008 Jun;99(6):1293-300. Epub 2007 Nov 21.

I'm all for local eating. But another endeavor I enjoy is helping other cultures find worthwhile products to produce that encourage preservation of the rainforest and farming of products other than coca. So I was excited to see the country of Peru have such a beautiful and informational pavilion at Expo West.

We all know about quinoa and I've written about purple corn…here are some other foods you might be seeing more of that could be fun to try!

Maca Most of us think of maca as a supplement to enhance sexual prowess. It's actually been studied in the laboratory and been found to enhance libido and semen quality. It may also help alleviate sexual dysfunction related to antidepressant use. It may also help reduce enlarged prostate glands.

That being said, Americans have a really bad habit of taking something they think is"good", grinding it up, concentrating it, and using it in larger quantities than would be possible in nature. In this case, there is some thought that excessive maca consumption may negatively affect thyroid function. In addition, there are several varieties of maca, and only the red was found to have significant hormonal effect. Labeling on supplements may not contain this information and you may be wasting your money.

Bottom line, if you see it on a restaurant menu or a fun international market, take it home and cook it like a turnip! Be careful, however, about the supplement version.

Amaranth Gluten-free enthusiasts love this grain, but like quinoa, it's not actually a grain…it's a seed. It can be toasted and eaten like popcorn, or cooked like a grain. Here is more information on how to use amaranth in your kitchen. In other parts of the world, such as Asia and Africa, amaranth leaves and roots are also culinary specialties.

Regular consumption of amaranth seed may help regulate hypertension and cholesterol, and the leaves and roots are very high in vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese.

Both Bob's Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills sell amaranth flour, but if you can't find it in your store, here are amaranth options on amazon.com.

Aguaymanto This fruit is related to one of my local favorites, the tomatillo (you can see the similar husks in the photo). It is currently being researched for its potential as an antioxidant source, and it has been found to contain melatonin.

Locals like to use it in jams, syrups, and pastries, but it is also seen in fruit salads and salsas.

Lucuma, or eggfruit, if you Google it, will pop up quite frequently as the next big superfood, and ground powders are available online. (As with maca, I am not providing links, as I am not telling you about these foods to encourage a superfood or supplement mentality.) This fruit tree can grow in warmer US climates such as Florida or Arizona. It's a Peruvian favorite, as illustrated by the blog Peru Food. It is described as tasting a little bit like maple syrup ice cream.

It is a favorite of raw food enthusiasts. They promote it as low-glycemic, though I was not able to find the actual scientific reference for it in my search; most references circle back to the same video. If anyone out there can direct me to that, I'm happy to post for everyone.

Nutritionally, lucuma is high in fiber, iron, and as you might guess from its beautiful color, beta carotene.

Sacha Inchi, or the Peruvian peanut, comes from the rainforest. I actually tried this at Expo West; it was prepared like corn nuts and there was also a version coated with fair-trade chocolate (isn't that the best way to get Americans to try anything new and different?) It's pretty high protein, and it contains ALA, the vegan omega-3 fatty acid. (With respect to the omega-3's it's an option to flaxseed.) In Peru, its oil is used for cooking so I imagine some day it will show up in US markets as well.

Again, American marketing reps are trying to capitalize on the superfood craze when selling this food. It's fine to eat, and its nutritional value is nice, but no need to abandon everything else you're doing for it. Try it when you can, enjoy it when you find it, and know it fits well into a hormone-friendly lifestyle.

One of the reasons I put this blog post together is to illustrate why closing out food choices can deny you some food fun, not to mention nutrition! If you're locked into a top ten list of foods, you may miss some great culinary experiences…that can be healthy as well! Sometimes when you're focused on"fixing" a disease it can take the fun out of food. The more enjoyable it is, the more likely it is you'll have a healthy relationship with it. Every culture has its gems, even if they're not salmon, blueberries, and broccoli!

I admit, I had a personal reason for writing this blog post. My Peruvian friend Denise has told me she wants to share her favorite local Peruvian restaurant with me sometime soon. I wanted to be sure I knew what I would be seeing when I looked at the menu. Now that I've done my homework, I'm hungry and looking forward to what the menu has in store.

Gonzales GF, Miranda S, Nieto J, Fernández G, Yucra S, Rubio J, Yi P, and Gasco M. Red maca (Lepidium meyenii) reduced prostate size in rats. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2005; 3: 5.

Dording CM. Fisher L. Papakostas G. Farabaugh A. Sonawalla S. Fava M. Mischoulon D. A double-blind, randomized, pilot dose-finding study of maca root (L. meyenii) for the management of SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction.

Czerwiński J, Bartnikowska E, Leontowicz H, et al. Oat (Avena sativa L.) and amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) meals positively affect plasma lipid profile in rats fed cholesterol-containing diets". J. Nutr. Biochem. 15 (10): 622–9, 2004.

Wu, SJ; Tsai JY, Chang SP, Lin DL, Wang SS, Huang SN, Ng LT (2006). Supercritical carbon dioxide extract exhibits enhanced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Pysalis peruviana. J Ethnopharmacol 108 (3): 407–13

Kolar J., Malbeck J. Levels of the antioxidant melatonin in fruits of edible berry species. Planta Medica 2009 75:9

You may know of melatonin as a potent sleep aid. So much so, that if you took melatonin and you did not experience an enhanced ability to sleep, you stopped taking it.

Did you know, melatonin is a very powerful antioxidant as well? Some of the benefits of this compound relevant to PCOS include:

--lowered blood pressure
--improved memory
--reduced adrenal gland activity and cortisol secretion
--reduced cortisol response to stress
--reduced blood glucose, insulin levels, and insulin response to a glucose load
--reduced cholesterol and triglycerides
--reduced testosterone levels
--increased progesterone synthesis
--slows gastric emptying (which can help you to feel fuller, longer)

That's a lot of stuff! And it's not just not sleeping well that interferes with melatonin metabolism. So does fasting and starvation…which includes any kind of radical diet, including the medically supervised ones and the HCG ones. Melatonin levels in all three types of eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, are disrupted. Obesity suppresses normal melatonin daily rhythms. Omega-3 deficiency reduces melatonin synthesis and total tissue levels.

Vitamin deficiencies such as B12, zinc, and magnesium, can interfere with good melatonin status. When I read that, I immediately thought of the many vegetarians reading this blog, as those are common deficiencies when vegetarian eating is not proactively balanced.

Normal melatonin metabolism may be dependent on physical activity.

Medical problems associated with a melatonin imbalance include: affective disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, asthma, autism, bipolar disorder, cervical cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, cluster headaches, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, Cushing’s syndrome, depression, diabetes, duodenal ulcer, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, hypertension, idiopathic pain syndrome, lung cancer, metabolic syndrome, migraine headaches, obesity, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, Parkinson’s disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, pre-eclampsia, premenstrual syndrome, schizophrenia, seasonal affective disorder, sleep apnea, and ulcerative colitis.

I'm well aware that many people reading this blog are looking for a magic supplement to erase the need for making healthy lifestyle choices. If you choose to supplement with melatonin, it likely will not hurt you, and it may help you to restore normal sleep patterns, but it will never replace the power of regular, adequate sleep. Just sayin'.: )

If you've never used melatonin before, and you decide to start, you may want to try it on a night when it's not essential that you be up and functioning early the next day. It can have a paradoxical reaction in some people.

And, if you happen to be a professional pilot, the FAA advises against using melatonin while on duty. It certainly wouldn't hurt on your days off, especially if you've been on some grueling red eye flights, just beware of this disclaimer while officially on duty.

I have an extensive list of references I've collected from which this blog post was derived. If you would like them you can contact me directly.

Bottom line, if you don't value sleep, your body is going to have a really, really, really hard time being healthy.

My clients' food diaries tell me a whole lot about current trends in diets in general, as well as what's being said about PCOS. More and more, I'm seeing women report eating coconut oil by the tablespoonful. So I thought I'd dissect the information and evaluate whether or not this is advisable.

Overall, the recommendations for a heart healthy, low glycemic diet, are to eat 30-35% of your calories as fat, equally distributed between saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. Here is how that works out for most calorie levels you're likely to be on. First row is 30% of calories, second is 35% of calories.

1200 360 fat calories, 40 grams of fat, 120 calories/13.3 grams each, S-P-M
1200 420 fat calories, 47 grams of fat, 140 calories/15.5 grams each, S-P-M

1300 390 fat calories, 43.3 grams of fat, 130 calories/14.4 grams each, S-P-M
1300 455 fat calories, 50.6 grams of fat, 152 calories/17.0 grams each, S-P-M

1400 420 fat calories, 46.7 grams of fat, 126 calories/14.0 grams each, S-P-M
1400 490 fat calories, 54.4 grams of fat, 163 calories/18.1 grams each, S-P-M

1500 450 fat calories, 50.0 grams of fat, 150 calories/16.7 grams each, S-P-M
1500 525 fat calories, 58.3 grams of fat, 175 calories/19.4 grams each, S-P-M

1600 480 fat calories, 53.0 grams of fat, 160 calories/17.8 grams each, S-P-M
1600 560 fat calories, 62.2 grams of fat, 187 calories/20.7 grams each, S-P-M

1700 510 fat calories, 56.7 grams of fat, 170 calories/18.9 grams each, S-P-M
1700 595 fat calories, 66.1 grams of fat, 198 calories/22.0 grams each, S-P-M

1800 540 fat calories, 60.0 grams of fat, 180 calories/20.0 grams each, S-P-M
1800 630 fat calories, 70.0 grams of fat, 210 calories/23.3 grams each, S-P-M

1900 570 fat calories, 63.3 grams of fat, 190 calories/21.1 grams each, S-P-M
1900 665 fat calories, 73.9 grams of fat, 222 calories/24.6 grams each, S-P-M

2000 600 fat calories, 66.7 grams of fat, 200 calories/22.2 grams each, S-P-M
2000 700 fat calories, 77.8 grams of fat, 233 calories/25.9 grams each, S-P-M

One teaspoon of coconut oil contains 5 grams of saturated fat. Assuming that most fat that is found in milk and dairy is also saturated, let's work backwards and see on each of these calorie levels, at the two percentages, at any calorie level, you would not have any saturated fat left to allocate to your major sources of protein, calcium, and vitamin D. Keep in mind, women who consume at least one serving of fat-containing dairy a day are significantly more fertile than those who do not.

In the other direction, if you are eating entirely lean sources of protein (fish, poultry, lean red meat), and one serving of dairy a day, you should assume that about 23 grams of saturated fat will come from those sources. Again, even if you are aiming for 2000 calories a day, that leaves you room for 2.9 grams, or half a teaspoon of coconut oil per day.

Let's say you choose to switch out your unsaturated fat (where your pro-inflammatory omega-6 oils are found), for coconut oil. If, and only if, you had absolutely no other fats from these oils, you could include this much coconut oil in your diet.

1200 2.6 tsp/3.1 tsp
1300 2.7 tsp/3.4 tsp
1400 2.8 tsp/3.6 tsp
1500 3.3 tsp/3.9 tsp
1600 3.6 tsp/4.1 tsp
1700 3.8 tsp/4.4 tsp
1800 4.0 tsp/4.6 tsp
1900 4.2 tsp/4.9 tsp
2000 4.4 tsp/5.2 tsp

Even at the highest level I calculated, there is not enough room for 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in your diet. The excess calories will eventually set you up to gain weight. All oils, even healthy oils, in excess, promote weight gain.

There is some evidence to suggest that this proportion of saturated fat to monounsaturated fat may be too high, because fluidity of neuron membranes is important for healthy brain and nervous system function…and too much saturated fat of any kind, is correlated with rigid (undesirable) membranes.

I double checked peer-reviewed references in Pub Med and was not able to find any articles describing studies that would have been the source for this dose. I did find some cautionary information, however.

A high-fat diet, when the fat is coconut oil, in one study, was associated with lower bone density than high-fat diets based on either flaxseed (omega-3) or safflower oil (omega-6).

Yes, a diet that is 10% coconut oil, as described above, has been reported to improve metabolic parameters. However, when the amount of fat is increased, to 25%, increased blood free fatty levels, insulin resistance, and hypertension, all increase as well. The incidence of atherosclerosis in this study also doubled.

It looks to me like what may be going on here, is that one study was taken out of context and used as a promotional piece of information by companies with much to gain if their sales of coconut oil increase. When you're looking for good information, go to the source. Websites primarily intended to sell a product, even if they provide references, are not"the source". Chances are, they will omit any references that encourage any kind of limitation of use of their product.

I have more information on coconut oil in future posts. I don't think it's bad, I just think it's being over-hyped and misused, in a way that can be especially problematic for women highly at risk of metabolic and hormonal disorders.

Lau BY, Fajardo VA, McMeekin L, Sacco SM, Ward WE, Roy BD, Peters SJ, Leblanc PJ. Influence of high-fat diet from differential dietary sources on bone mineral density, bone strength, and bone fatty acid composition in rats. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2010 Oct;35(5):598-606.

Waqar AB, Koike T, Yu Y, Inoue T, Aoki T, Liu E, Fan J. High-fat diet without excess calories induces metabolic disorders and enhances atherosclerosis in rabbits. Atherosclerosis. 2010 Nov;213(1):148-55. Epub 2010 Aug 11.