Polycystic Ovary Syndrome affects around 1 in 10 women in the UK, according to nhs.uk. Its causes are unclear, but its effects are all too clear: irregular periods, unwanted hair growth and weight gain being just three. Most troubling for many, however, is PCOS’ impact on fertility.
The first line pharmaceutical treatment for PCOS is the contraceptive pill, but this is clearly inappropriate if you are trying to conceive, and though it regulates bleeding, the pill does not address the underlying issues.
Fortunately, there is a great deal that homeopathy and dietary changes can do for women suffering from PCOS, and we’ll take a closer look at these natural measures in this and next week’s blog.
Although the causes of PCOS are not known, what is clear is the connection with insulin and blood sugar. Insulin resistance is at the root of most PCOS symptoms, and a system that is resistant to insulin, will actually produce more insulin, and the effects of having more insulin circulating in the body are:
Weight gain
The ovaries producing more testosterone, which then affect the levels of reproductive hormones so your menstrual cycle is disrupted
More testosterone in the body leads to acne and unwanted hair growth
The insulin factor is the reason why diet is such a crucial factor in PCOS management, ensuring that blood sugars can be stabilised. The way to do this is to limit processed sugars and refined carbohydrates such as white bread and white pasta. Creating this change alone can have a powerfully positive effect on your symptoms.
In addition to diet, stress is another crucial consideration. Under stress, the body produces hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones prepare your body for the fight or flight response by giving more energy to the body, but they also exacerbate insulin resistance and increase blood sugar.
As a result, both the presence of stress in your life and your responses to stressors need to be examined really closely.
Homeopathy can be extremely helpful both with stress management and with PCOS directly, and next week we will look at some primary homeopathic remedies for this very prevalent syndrome.
