If you have irregular menstrual cycles, signs of elevated levels of androgens such as hirsutism (acne, male pattern baldness, hair growing on unwanted places like your chin, belly, chest etc.), the presence of small cysts on the ovaries you most likely have been diagnosed with PCOS.
PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder, affects 10% of women in reproductive age worldwide. The aetiology of PCOS is unclear, both genetic and environmental factors contribute to its development. But the two aren’t far from each other. Everyone was born with a unique genetic makeup. Some more prone to obesity, some to cardiac problems, and many of us think because our parents and their parents had a certain problem, our fate to have it too, but that’s not quite right. One of my favourite lecturers once said:
“We do not inherit disease, we inherit habits. Our genetics load the gun, but our lifestyle is what pulls the trigger”.
If we think about it there is some truth to it. What and how our grandparents cooked, ate, drink or if they smoked, your parents most likely learned the same ways, then you might develop the same habits too. Slowly these habits causing a disease. So yes, you might have a genetic predisposition to develop PCOS, but it doesn’t mean you cannot help to reduce that risk or to ease on it, once you have it.
Possible causes and complications of PCOS:
Causes and risk factors are:
– insulin resistance
– chronic low-grade inflammation
– obesity/ lack of exercise
– gut dysbiosis
– chronic stress
– sleep apnea
– poor dietary choices (western diet)
– genetics
– smoking or second-hand smoke
– linked in some cases to parasites
Complications are:
– type two diabetes mellitus
– hypertension
– cardiovascular disease
– dyslipidaemia
– non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
– subclinical hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s
– sleep apnea
– depression and anxiety
– endometrial cancer
– difficulties getting pregnant
Some of them can contribute to develop PCOS and be the result of it too. In another blog post I will be explaining a bit more about the PCOS risk factors, so stay tuned!
Finding the root cause, supporting the body to regain its strength is crucial long term to avoid all the unnecessary serious complications.
PCOS and common treatments/ lifestyle recommendations:
About 50% of woman with PCOS are undiagnosed. Most of the woman who has been diagnosed with PCOS has been prescribed oral contraceptive pill, ovulation induction agent, or insulin sensitising agent like metformin. The problem with these drugs (just like most of the drugs in general) that they are depleting key nutrients, and causing side effects such as anxiety, heavy periods, digestive discomfort, increased cholesterol, thromboembolism, increased homocysteine levels, vision disturbances, hot flushes, and more. In some cases, these medications can be useful, or solutions for short term, but without addressing the root cause the problems will never go away.
Common mistakes when approaching PCOS:
Most of the times women are told to take one or more of the above medications, move more and just eat less. But why this approach to PCOS is bad?
When you start eating less, starving yourself, that will increase your stress hormone cortisol to mobilise energy storage. It increases blood sugar levels for energy. Over exercise increases cortisol levels too.
Our sex hormones and cortisol are synthesized in the same pathway. When the body is in an alert, survival mode it prioritises the production of cortisol over sex hormones, slows down non-essential body functions such as digestion, reproduction. Who needs to ovulate and think about getting pregnant when there is a lion chasing you? When stress is prolonged, it increases inflammation and can stimulate the adrenal glands to produce more androgens.
Why weight loss is difficult if you have PCOS?
For the record, PCOS affects women of all sizes, it is not only affecting woman with higher BMI.
The previously mentioned cortisol slows metabolism, promote fat storage, increases appetite, plus when you are hungry, often your energy drops, you can’t focus and you’re body will want a quick fix. That’s when you make poor dietary choices.
Insulin resistance (which also can be triggered by sleeping problems), hormonal changes, thyroid problems, poor self image linked to PCOS can all make weight loss more difficult.
Naturopathic approach to PCOS should look at the whole person. Every woman case is different and will have unique needs.
Know that you are not alone!
