Women's Health Information Centre

Newsletter

Winter 2009

Contents of this months newsletter:

• Parentline
• Treats that are good for you
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
• Iron Deficiency 


Hi everyone! It looks like summer is well and truly over so I hope you are all prepared to stay warm over winter.  I’d like to tell you about a new project that is under way at the Centre. Some of you might already be familiar with the information packs aimed at different age groups that the Centre gives away.
We’ve decided to expand upon that idea and create information packs on a range of different health topics.

They will all be specifically women focused and a new one will be featured each month. The first feature topic will be stress, followed by depression and pre-menstrual tension. Feel free to drop into the Centre and pick up a pack.                                                                            Cindy

Hello! My name is Carla and I’m the new newsletter writer for the Women’s Health Information Centre. I recently completed a Ph.D. in English at the University of Canterbury. I’ve always been interested in women’s issues so writing this newsletter is a perfect match for me.

I’m happy to be involved with the Centre and highly recommend the excellent information available there. It really is a goldmine and well worth checking out.

                    Carla
 
 

ParentLine

ParentLine is a free, confidential telephone counselling service for parents. It is staffed by trained counsellors who are themselves parents and carers and who come from a diverse range of backgrounds. 
 

Parents call ParentLine for many reasons:
 

• You may be experiencing violence or abuse

• You may feel like no one appreciates or listens to you

• You may have concerns about the way you are bringing up your children

• Your children may have behavioural problems that you feel unable to resolve

• You may feel like your situation is hopeless, or that nothing you try seems to work

• You may have problems with alcohol abuse

ParentLine respects all cultures and acknowledges the rights and individuality of parents and children. It recognises that men and women may share parenting or parent alone, and its counsellors are aware of the social and economic constraints within which parents live.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

In PCOS, the pituitary gland—a gland at the base of the brain that regulates much of the body’s hormones—drives the ovaries too hard. This causes them to produce excessive amounts of male hormones (androgens). These excess androgens can in turn interrupt the normal cycle of the ovaries. In a normal cycle, an egg follicle grows on an ovary until it is about 2cm in size and the egg is released. In PCOS, however, the development of the egg is often interrupted, leaving small cysts on the ovaries.
 

PCOS is also associated with insulin resistance (when the body uses the hormone insulin inefficiently and needs to produce it in greater amounts than normal to regulate sugar in the blood). This means women with PCOS are at greater risk of developing type-2 diabetes and heart disease.
Not all women who suffer from the hormonal problems described here have cystic ovaries, and not all women who have cystic ovaries have hormonal problems.

Symptoms of PCOS can include

• Excess body hair
• Irregular or absent periods
• Weight gain
• Infertility
• Scalp hair loss
• Acne

Diagnosis of PCOS
An ultrasound scan can check for polycystic ovaries, and blood tests can detect hormone imbalances. Your doctor may also check your blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Treatment of PCOS
There is currently no cure for PCOS, but it can be treated in a number of ways.
 

The contraceptive pill can be prescribed to regulate irregular periods.

Anti-androgens can be prescribed to reduce excess hair growth in severe cases. They can take up to 6 months to work and the effect will wear off after medication is discontinued.

Treating insulin resistance can often lower androgen levels in the body and restore normal periods. Medication can be taken to control insulin resistance. Avoiding sugary foods also helps, because sugar increases insulin levels, which in turn causes weight gain and aggravates hormonal imbalances.

 Exercise and diet will help with losing weight. Eat protein rich foods and avoid eating carbohydrates, as they can cause surges in insulin. Suitable foods include plain yoghurt, cheese, nuts, and low starch vegetables like cucumber and broccoli. Eating small meals (for example, replacing the normal three meals per day with five or six small meals) may also help.

If infertility is a problem, weight loss alone can sometimes restore fertility. Other treatments include medication to stimulate ovulation.

 Cysts on ovaries are not harmful or painful and don’t normally need to be treated.

To see our old newsletters

How you can help improve and promote WHIC

- Volunteer as a Health Information Worker or a Committee Member 

- Distribute brochures, posters and newsletters to friends, relatives and groups.

- Send us articles you have found good and tell us of books that you would recommend for WHIC’s library. We also welcome donations of books.

- Give us feedback on Doctors, Counsellors, Complementary practitioners etc. that you have been to see. We are particularly keen to get up-to-date feedback on Midwives, Lawyers and Childcare centres.

- Could you make a small donation of a $5 book of stamps to help with our postage costs?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Treats that are actually good for you

Red Wine
Red wine contains antioxidants called polyphenols that have been proven to lower the risk of heart disease by increasing the rates of good cholesterol in the blood. Another antioxidant that is found in the skin of grapes, resveratrol, also has a number of health benefits: it can slow the growth of cancerous tumours, help with the formation of nerve cells, and it may be helpful in treating neurological diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Red wine is even good for your teeth!

Drink too much, of course, and you cancel out all the health benefits by increasing your risk of cancer, liver damage, high blood pressure, strokes and stomach ulcers—so stick to no more than two small glasses per day.

Chocolate
It’s true—chocolate is actually be good for you! Dark chocolate contains antioxidants called flavenoids, which can help protect against aging caused by free radicals. Flavenoids can also help to lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol. In addition, dark chocolate contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant.

Don’t forget that even the healthiest chocolate still has lots of sugar and calories, so limit your consumption to two or three pieces a day.

Coffee
Like red wine and chocolate, coffee contains antioxidants. Studies show that it may help prevent skin cancer, Parkinson’s disease, gallstones, colon cancer and liver damage. Just don’t have more than four cups per day.
 
 

Iron Deficiency

Why do we need iron?
Iron makes haemoglobin, the compound that transports oxygen to all the cells in the body. It also has other important uses, such as helping to regulate the body's metabolism and making DNA.

Who is at risk of iron deficiency?
Women are more at risk than men, because they lose iron during their monthly periods. Groups who are at particular risk include pregnant women, vegetarians and people who have experienced significant blood loss (for example, women who have heavy menstrual bleeding as a result of endometriosis). 

Symptoms of iron deficiency
Some of the most common symptoms are fatigue, poor resistance to infection, headaches and pale skin. Other symptoms include cracks in the corner of the mouth; ridged or concave (spoon shaped) nails; a sore, swollen or smooth tongue; craving for non-food matter like ice, dirt or paint; and shortness of breath. Because iron is needed to transport oxygen to the brain, iron deficiency can also affect mental performance and memory.

Treatment of iron deficiency
Iron deficiency can be detected with a blood test and is easily treated with iron supplements, although it can take 6-10 weeks to notice significant improvements. If you suspect you have low iron, it's recommended that you get your iron levels checked before taking supplements because excess iron can be harmful (confusingly, the symptoms of excess iron are similar to the symptoms of iron deficiency). Some supplements, such as ferrous sulphate, can cause constipation. Natural supplements such as ferrous glutomate are less likely to have side effects, and it's believed that liquid supplements are easier for the body to tolerate than tablets. 

Getting enough iron in your diet
Iron is most easily absorbed from meat, which contains a kind of iron called haem iron.
Non-haem iron, which is found in plant products, is absorbed less efficiently than haem iron (it has an absorption rate of about 2-10%, compared with an absorption rate of about 20-30% for haem iron). This means vegetarians need to consume higher rates of iron than meat eaters. 

The New Zealand daily recommendations for iron intake are:
Adult woman: 18mg 
Pregnant woman: 27mg
Post-menopausal woman: 8mg 
Teenage female: 15mg
Adult man: 8mg 
Teenage male: 11mg
Child over 1 year: 9-10mg

How to get the most out of your iron intake
Vitamin C helps with iron absorption, so eat iron rich foods or take iron supplements with foods that contain Vitamin C like fruit juice, tomatoes and capsicums. Meat also helps with the absorption of iron. 
There are a number of substances that inhibit iron absorption, including calcium (found in milk, for example), tannins (found in tea and coffee), phytates (found in unprocessed grains), phosphates (found in soft drinks) and oxalates (found in spinach and rhubarb). Avoid eating these foods within an hour of eating iron rich food. 
 

Amounts of iron in common foods
Chicken liver (cooked), 100g: 12.8mg
Lentils (boiled), 1 cup: 8mg
Mussels (cooked), 100g: 11mg 
Kidney beans (boiled), 1 cup: 5.2mg
Beef rump steak (grilled): 3.8mg 
Lima beans (boiled), 1 cup: 4.5mg
Hoki (smoked or poached), 100g: 3.5mg 
Firm tofu, ½ cup: 3.4mg
Lean lamb (grilled), 100g: 3.4mg
Blackstrap molasses, 1 Tbsp: 3.5mg
Chicken breast, 100g: 1.9mg 
Spinach (boiled), ½ cup: 3.2mg
Soybeans (boiled), 1 cup: 8mg 
Tahini, 2 tablespoons: 2.7mg
Prune juice, 1 cup: 3mg
Egg: 1mg
 

 WHIC thanks it’s supporters who make its work possible. In particular. NZ Lotteries Grants Board, Ministry of Health, The Canterbury Community Trust, The Southern Trust, The Perry Foundation, COGS, COGS Rural, CCC, John Illot Charitable Trust, Lion Foundation, JR Mc Kenzie Trust, NZ Post, The Perry Foundation, and all those who have donated money, stamps, raffle prizes or equipment. 

Contact WHIC at:

2nd Floor, 115 Cashel Mall, Entrance next to Whitcoulls, PO Box 326
Christchurch, New Zealand
Tel: (03) 379 6970
Txt: 027 379 6971
Rural line: 0800 379 6970
email: whic@womenshealthinfo.co.nz