Spotlight on PCOS
PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is a complex condition. It is an endocrine disorder that affects the whole system. Women with PCOS have too much androgen (male hormones) and also suffer from irregular menstrual cycles and/or polycystic ovaries.
This leads to many difficult symptoms to deal with such as acne, hirsutism (too much hair), thinning hair, infertility, miscarriage, weight gain, sleep disorders, mood disorders, gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and more.
If you have been following me for a while, you will know I specialise in gut health and hormonal health and when I see women with PCOS, we will always talk about gut health.
It is actually known that 40% of women with PCOS also suffer from IBS and in most cases gut health needs to be addressed.
If you have PCOS, an important question to ask yourself is what is driving it?
There are 4 different types of PCOS and understanding which one you have can help you get to the root cause and heal quicker.
Insulin-resistant PCOS
Post-pill PCOS
Inflammatory PCOS
Adrenal PCOS
In this article I want to talk about insulin-resistant PCOS which happens in the majority of cases. It is when your body produces an excessive amount of insulin.
When we eat starchy carbohydrates, sweet foods or alcohol, it gets digested and broken down into a sugar (glucose) that goes into the body’s cells and into the brain to fuel us and to make us feel more energetic. Therefore, how, when and what we eat can have a huge impact on our blood sugar level.
If blood glucose levels are too high, the brain sends a signal to the pancreas to release insulin, which lowers blood glucose.
If blood glucose levels drop too low, the brain triggers the release of glucagon which raises blood sugar.
When blood sugar levels rise too quickly or too often, the body can release excessive amounts of insulin, causing blood sugar to drop too low, making us feel tired, irritable and craving more sweets and stimulants! Permanently high blood sugar levels can cause weight gain and eventually lead to type 2 diabetes which women with PCOS are more at risk of.
Eating more healthy fats, good quality protein and plenty of vegetables whilst reducing your sugar intake, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, caffeine and processed foods will help manage your blood sugar. I know it is not easy!
It is NEVER too late to make some changes and take back control of your health. Every woman with PCOS is affected differently and not everyone will be suffering from the same symptoms. This is why personalised nutrition is essential. Sometimes, looking at the signs and symptoms can be enough to see which type of PCOS you have but in other instances functional testing will be key to determining what is really going on.
You can bring your PCOS symptoms under control, live a better life and reduce your risks of more serious diseases with nutrition and lifestyle medicine.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2021. PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and Diabetes. [online] Available at: <https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/pcos.html> [Accessed 7 May 2021].
Gersh, F. (2018) ‘PCOS SOS’, Paperback
Marshall, J. C., & Dunaif, A. (2012). Should all women with PCOS be treated for insulin resistance?. Fertility and sterility, 97(1), 18–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.11.036