title: Dietary fat intake and reproductive hormone concentrations and ovulation in regularly menstruating women.
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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
authors: Division of Intramural Population Health Research and mumfords@mail.nih.gov.
authors: Sunni L
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0133-3176
authors: SL
authors: Mumford
authors: Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA;
authors: Jorge E
authors: JE
authors: Chavarro
authors: Division of Intramural Population Health Research and.
authors: Cuilin
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7446-4495
authors: C
authors: Zhang
authors: Division of Intramural Population Health Research and.
authors: Neil J
authors: NJ
authors: Perkins
authors: Division of Intramural Population Health Research and.
authors: Lindsey A
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0539-8110
authors: LA
authors: Sjaarda
authors: Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA;
authors: Anna Z
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4313-3298
authors: AZ
authors: Pollack
authors: Division of Intramural Population Health Research and.
authors: Karen C
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1771-3157
authors: KC
authors: Schliep
authors: Division of Intramural Population Health Research and.
authors: Kara A
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2431-2079
authors: KA
authors: Michels
authors: Division of Intramural Population Health Research and Program of Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD;
authors: Shvetha M
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2178-6623
authors: SM
authors: Zarek
authors: Division of Intramural Population Health Research and Program of Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD;
authors: Torie C
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9086-2947
authors: TC
authors: Plowden
authors: Division of Intramural Population Health Research and.
authors: Rose G
authors: RG
authors: Radin
authors: School of Community Health, Portland State University, Portland, OR.
authors: Lynne C
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7332-6170
authors: LC
authors: Messer
authors: Division of Intramural Population Health Research and.
authors: Robyn A
authors: RA
authors: Frankel
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY; and.
authors: Jean
authors: J
authors: Wactawski-Wende
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000858:Anovulation / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002149:Energy Intake; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D010060:Ovulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D013739:Testosterone; D011374:Progesterone; C026219:docosapentaenoic acid
keywords: dietary fats; estradiol; menstrual cycle; ovulation; testosterone