What is PCOS?

Primarily, PCOS is a failure to ovulate. In an individual menstrual cycle, a woman begins the cycle with a number of follicles (that contain eggs) that grow on each ovary. As these follicles develop, 1 (or very rarely 2 – hello twins!) become the strongest, most mature follicles that are released into the fallopian tubes. The remaining follicles that aren’t strong enough degenerate. This is the process of ovulation – and I talked about it in lots more detail in my blog; The Beginners Guide to Healthy Hormones and Fertility In women that suffer from PCOS, the under-developed follicles that should degenerate don’t get the key hormonal messages to do so, therefore they hang about on the ovaries. In severe cases this can be picked up on an ultrasound looking like a bunch of grapes.

Why do I have PCOS?

We don’t know exactly what the 1 cause of PCOS is. What we do know from research is this; common causes include; problems with blood sugar, inflammation, producing too many male hormones and your genetic predisposition.

Blood Sugar – Insulin Resistance

Insulin is a hormone that we produce in the pancreas. Its primary function is to transfer glucose/i.e. sugar (our primary energy supply) to our cells and liver. Insulin helps our body utilise sugar. What can happen in sufferers of PCOS, is that the cells in our bodies become resistant to the message of insulin; i.e. so glucose and sugar cannot be taken into the cells and the liver. Therefore, sugar stays in our bloodstream and our blood glucose levels rise. When blood sugar levels rise, it signals the body to make more insulin – and the cycle continues. Too much insulin in the body triggers us to make androgens, or male hormones which can stop our body ovulating correctly, causing irregular or non-existant periods, plus some of the other ‘fun’ symptoms of PCOS, acne and cysts and facial hair growth. Insulin resistance is caused by consuming too much sugar, plus environmental toxins like pollution and pesticides, stress, inflammatory foods (e.g. milk protein casein and high fructose corn syrup found in soft drinks) and even consuming trans-fats.

Heredity – Genetic Predisposition and Epigenetics

If you have an immediate sibling, parent or grandparent who has, or had PCOS, research suggests that you will be at a higher risk of developing this condition yourself. However……there is no reason to use your genes as an excuse. We used to believe that we were born with a set of genes and your fate was set on whether you would develop a condition – any condition, or not. What the emerging field of epigenetics (meaning ‘outside the gene’) is teaching us is that our fate isn’t set. Epigenetics is the study of the outside influences (e.g. nutrition, environment, even the way we think) that determine whether or not a particular gene is expressed – or switched on or off. Basically, we can change the way our genes influence our health for the better by supporting our body through good nutrition. So you are not 100% doomed by the genes you inherited and the power of health is in your hands.

PCOS Symptoms

This is the super confusing part. There are literally so many common symptoms of PCOS. I’ve listed the symptoms that I see most regularly in practice below. However, I never see 2 women with the same set of symptoms.

• Irregular cycles and missing in action periods – i.e. never knowing when your period is coming or never seeing it at all
• Acne, cystic acne (particularly on the jaw line) and very oily skin
• Body hair in places you don’t want – e.g. face, breasts, inside of legs, buttocks
• Losing hair in places where you want hair – e.g. particularly around your hairline
• Mood swings together with depression and anxiety
• Sugar cravings
• Weight gain
• Infertility and miscarriages
• Sleep apnoea
• Pigmentation marks on body

Conventional PCOS Treatment

As with endometriosis (Gill – link to blog), being prescribed the contraceptive pill is the first line of treatment for many that suffer with PCOS. The pill works well to suppress symptoms, however, should you want to have a break – or stop taking the pill, symptoms normally return. In addition, the contraceptive pill has debilitating side effects of its own including anxiety, depression, moodiness and bone loss – so it is not a 1 size fits all approach. Read more about the pill and how it can affect you here.

Metformin

Metformin works to lower your insulin levels. It is commonly prescribed for people who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and/or for those already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It works in 3 ways;

• Stops your liver producing glucose
• Decreases the absorption of carbohydrates you consume
• Increases the sensitivity of your liver

The most common side effects to Metformin are to the gastrointestinal tract and include nausea, gas, bloating. Metformin can also stop our body absorbing B vitamins, particularly B12. B vitamins help to turn our food into energy and help convert hormones we no longer need into safe, water soluble compounds that can be safely excreted from the body.

Natural Solutions to PCOS that work

Maybe you’re not able to tolerate the contraceptive pill or Metformin. Or maybe you simply don’t want to take anything synthetic for your PCOS? Whatever the reason, nutritional supplements and herbs offer ways for you to improve your insulin sensitivity and lower your inflammation – without harmful side effects! See below for my top picks.

Chromium 

Chromium is a really important micro-mineral (meaning we only need it in very small amounts) if you have PCOS. It basically makes insulin much more efficient in the body. An insufficiency or deficiency of chromium in the body can cause insulin resistance, a major contributing factor to PCOS. Better yet, Chromium has been heavily researched for its effectiveness. In addition to helping with insulin resistance, it can help to curb sugar cravings and reduce hunger. Warning – please speak to your healthcare practitioner if you are on any medications, particularly diabetes medications like Metformin before taking Chromium.

Myo-Inositol 

This is my absolute favourite product in practice for patients with PCOS. Myo-inositol helps to reduce androgens/male hormones and by doing so, it can restore ovulation in many women. It works by improving the action of insulin. What does this mean for you? Reducing male hormones and improving the action of insulin will mean; few sugar cravings, regular cycles, less acne, less body hair and even less mood swings. Powerful stuff! Myo-inositol is well tolerated for long term use, even in high doses.

Chaste Tree

Also called Vitex or Chaste Tree Berry, this is a powerful and popular herb. However, it’s not for everyone. Chaste Tree works by increasing progesterone levels and encouraging ovulation. It will supress another hormone, called prolactin and raise luteinizing hormone (LH). Moral of the story…make sure you get a blood panel done before you commence taking this powerful herb. I wrote about what hormones to ask for and when in my article; Ovulation Calculator….The Beginners Guide to Healthy Hormones and Fertility. Once you know that your LH is in a safe range and not too high, Chaste Tree can be a fantastic herb to promote regular cycles and lower PMS symptoms, particularly anxiety.

Zinc

Zinc is important for so many chemical and enzymatic reactions in the body. For PCOS sufferers it can help your body eliminate excess androgens, or testosterone, which contribute to so many of the symptoms including acne, facial hair and changes in mood. 10mg a day of highly bioavailable Zinc is recommended. Zinc is always best to take just before bed as some people can feel a little bit of nausea after taking.  We have a number of excellent quality and therapeutic zinc products available, at amazing prices. Check out our offering here;

PCOS and Fertility

In some cases, having PCOS won’t affect your fertility one little bit. However, it was only 1 generation ago that women were commonly told that they could never have children if they had PCOS. Nothing could be further from the truth. Whilst PCOS may impact your fertility, there is so much you can do to support your body to reverse and assist with the symptoms of this condition and harmonise your body so that it naturally does what it’s meant to every cycle.