Newly published results suggest that dietary supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which can delay ovarian ageing and promote oocyte quality in mice, could have similar benefits in women who are not obese. Women aged 28–34 years (15 with obesity and 12 with a normal BMI) received daily dietary supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid for 1 month. Compared with baseline, the ratio of plasma omega-6 PUFA to omega-3 PUFA decreased significantly in both groups. Similar levels of reduction in a number of proinflammatory cytokines were seen in both groups, but only the changes in IL-1β and TNF in women with obesity were significant. In women with a normal BMI, but not those with obesity, the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone was significantly reduced following omega-3 PUFA supplementation.
References
Al-Safi, Z. A. et al. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation lowers serum FSH in normal weight but not obese women. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/jc.2015-2913
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Phillips, R. Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on serum FSH in women are dependent on BMI. Nat Rev Endocrinol 12, 6 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2015.207
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2015.207