Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects the hormone balance in women, favoring the production of male hormones like testosterone over female hormones like estrogen and progesterone. This imbalance can lead to symptoms such as menstrual problems and infertility. Many women with this condition also develop insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, blood sugar control, weight loss, and cardiac risk were all improved when women with PCOS were put on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. [Read more…]Can Diet Reverse PCOS?
April 2, 2012 by
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects the hormone balance in women, favoring the production of male hormones like testosterone over female hormones like estrogen and progesterone. This imbalance can lead to symptoms such as menstrual problems and infertility. Many women with this condition also develop insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. In a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, blood sugar control, weight loss, and cardiac risk were all improved when women with PCOS were put on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. [Read more…]PCOS and Diet
January 25, 2012 by
A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Jan 2012) showed that women with PCOS who followed a higher protein diet (>40% of energy from protein), as opposed to women who consumed the “standard” amount of protein (<15% of energy from protein), were able to lose weight more effectively. The study also showed that the women on a higher protein diet were also able to maintain healthier blood sugar levels, even after adjusting for changes in weight.
This is the type of diet I’ve always emphasized with PCOS patients, and have found this to be one of the most effective means of helping these women lose weight. Clinically, I’ve also found that this diet is the single most important factor when it comes to controlling other PCOS-related symptoms, such as hirsutism and menstrual irregularities. In fact, most women are able to discontinue metformin and related prescription medications upon adhering to a higher protein diet. Other nutritional interventions (chromium, fiber, etc.) can also be incorporated, with the main emphasis being that of blood sugar control.
If you’re currently undergoing treatment with prescription interventions, and not responding well, don’t be discouraged. Seek out a practitioner who can guide you through a high protein diet, and offer some of the many other nutritional options that will be effective in the management of PCOS.
PCOS Patients Benefit From Exercise and Acupuncture
February 24, 2011 by
Acupuncture and physical exercise improve hormone levels and menstrual bleeding pattern in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), reveals research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
PCOS is a common disorder that affects up to 10% of all women of child-bearing age. Women with PCOS frequently have irregular ovulation and menstruation, with many small immature egg follicles in the ovaries. This causes the ovaries to produce more testosterone which, in turn, leads to troublesome hair growth and acne. Obesity, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease are also widespread among these patients.
In the current study, published in the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, a group of women with PCOS were given acupuncture where the needles were stimulated both manually and with a weak electric current at a low frequency that was, to some extent, similar to muscular work. A second group was instructed to exercise at least three times a week, while a third group acted as controls. All were given information on the importance of regular exercise and a healthy diet.
“The study shows that both acupuncture and exercise reduce high levels of testosterone and lead to more regular menstruation,” says docent associate professor Elisabet Stener-Victorin, who is responsible for the study. “Of the two treatments, the acupuncture proved more effective.”
Although PCOS is a common disorder, researchers do not know exactly what causes it. “However, we’ve recently demonstrated that women with PCOS have a highly active sympathetic nervous system, the part that isn’t controlled by our will, and that both acupuncture and regular exercise reduced levels of activity in this system compared with the control group, which could be an explanation for the results.”
In my experience, women I’ve seen with PCOS respond extraordinarily well to nutritional, botanical, and dietary interventions. Plus, conventional medical treatments tend to be very “piecemeal”, treating each component of PCOS as individual symptoms, rather than addressing the body as a whole. As this study confirms, exercise and acupuncture are other treatments that can be implemented to successfully reverse PCOS.
