Pinelli G, Tagliabue A
Study and Research Center on Human Nutrition and Eating Disorders, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol. 2007 Dec;53(4):375-82.
The first studies about fertility and nutrition date back to the 70ies and already showed a strict relation among female fertility, weight and body composition. However, the mechanisms of this connection started to be explained only after leptin's discovery. According to some authors' opinion, leptin could interact with reproductive axis at multiple sites with stimulatory effects at the hypothalamus and pituitary and stimulatory or inhibitory actions at the gonads. Leptin could play a role in other physiologic processes such as menstruation and pregnancy, and could initiate the complex process of puberty. It has been showed that conditions in which nutritional status is suboptimal, such as eating disorders, exercise induced amenhorrea, functional hypothalamic amenhorrea and polycystic ovarian syndrome, are associated with abnormal leptin levels. These conditions, are characterized by severe changes in body composition and dietary habits. Since leptin is regulated by body composition and dietary factors, (such as energy intake and macronutrient composition), a strict connection between nutritional intake and fertility regulated by leptin is confirmed. This review focuses on the current knowledge about nutritional factors that influence leptin levels. Since clinical and subclinical nutritional imbalance can determine the development and the maintenance of neuroendocrine and metabolic aberrations, studies on fertility need a deeper attention about dietary habits and nutritional status.
关于生育力与营养的首批研究可追溯到20世纪70年代，这些研究已表明女性生育力、体重和身体成分之间存在紧密联系。然而，直到瘦素被发现后，这种联系的机制才开始得到解释。根据一些作者的观点，瘦素可能在多个部位与生殖轴相互作用，对下丘脑和垂体具有刺激作用，对性腺具有刺激或抑制作用。瘦素可能在月经和怀孕等其他生理过程中发挥作用，并可能启动复杂的青春期过程。研究表明，营养状况欠佳的情况，如饮食失调、运动引起的闭经、功能性下丘脑闭经和多囊卵巢综合征，都与瘦素水平异常有关。这些情况的特征是身体成分和饮食习惯发生严重变化。由于瘦素受身体成分和饮食因素（如能量摄入和常量营养素组成）的调节，因此证实了营养摄入与由瘦素调节的生育力之间存在紧密联系。本综述聚焦于有关影响瘦素水平的营养因素的当前知识。由于临床和亚临床营养失衡可决定神经内分泌和代谢异常的发生与维持，因此关于生育力的研究需要更深入关注饮食习惯和营养状况。
