PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome): Myths, Facts and Natural Treatment

The statistics are that Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) affects 5-10% of women of childbearing age, personally I think the numbers should be much higher because I think the condition often goes unrecognized and undiagnosed. I think current diets and lifestyles are making the condition more prevalent. Higher than normal blood sugar levels interfere with normal egg development each month. These improperly developed eggs can remain on the ovary as a cyst. Since ovulation is either delayed or doesn't occur at all, the hormone progesterone is either reduced or absent in that cycle, leading to many of the symptoms of PCOS. Lack of progesterone leads to a relative imbalance between estrogen and progesterone so that estrogen's activity isn't balanced out properly by progesterone; this is referred to as estrogen dominance. The two hormones tend to have equal and opposite functions: estrogen causes proliferation of the lining of the uterus, while progesterone helps maintain it, estrogen causes proliferation of breast tissue while progesterone keeps it healthy, estrogen tends to provoke emotions like sadness and progesterone had anti-depressant qualities. Progesterone reduces spasm of smooth muscle, normalizes clotting and vascular strength, helps thyroid function and bone building and helps prevent endometrial cancer. PCOS women have more circulating, active testosterone to cause problems like anovulation, infertility, acne, excess body and facial hair growth and loss of head hair. Regulation of dietary starch and sugar intake can greatly improve symptoms of PCOS including infertility, hair loss, weight gain, absence of regular periods, lack of ovulation, and facial hair growth. PCOS is not an infertility sentence and can be treated naturally through diet, exercise and nutritional supplements. Aside from the fact that naturopathic medicine addresses the underlying cause of the disease, many women cannot tolerate the side effects of the conventional drug metformin and so naturopathic treatment offers a much more viable solution. Article Source: http://www.naturopathtoronto.ca/PCOS.htm Image Source: http://www.victoriaosullivan.com.au