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Selected Works of Lynne C. Messer
Article
Dietary Fat Intake and Reproductive Hormone Concentrations and Ovulation in Regularly Menstruating Women
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
  • Sunni L. Mumford, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Jorge E. Chavarro, Harvard University
  • Cuilin Zhang, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Neil J. Perkins, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Lindsey A. Sjaarda, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Anna Z. Pollack, George Mason University
  • Karen C. Schliep, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Kara A. Michels, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Shvetha M. Zarek, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Torie C. Plowden, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Rose G. Radin, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Lynne C. Messer, Portland State University
  • Robyn A. Frankel, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Jean Wactawski-Wende, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
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Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2016
Subjects
  • Estradiol,
  • Menstrual cycle,
  • Anovulation -- Risk factors,
  • High-fiber diet
Disciplines
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.

Description

To the best of our knowledge, this work was authored as part of the Contributor's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government.

Published 2016 by the American Society of Nutrition.

DOI
10.3945/ajcn.115.119321
Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/16965
Citation Information
Mumford, S. L., Chavarro, J. E., Zhang, C., Perkins, N. J., Sjaarda, L. A., Pollack, A. Z., … Wactawski-Wende, J. (2016). Dietary fat intake and reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulation in regularly menstruating women. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103(3), 868–77.