Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal condition affecting 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. Hormone imbalances associated with the condition are known to impact egg production, ovulation, and fertility, and can also cause facial hair growth, acne, balding, excessive perspiration, and weight gain.
PCOS can lower the quality of life for many and lead to more serious health issues, but symptoms can be managed with the right care. In this article, we cover what causes PCOS, the impact of insulin resistance, common symptoms, and treatment options, including a scientifically researched natural supplement that can be taken long-term for PCOS without the side effects of medication.
What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)?
PCOS is a hormonal disorder that primarily affects the ovaries by signaling them to overproduce testosterone and underproduce estrogen and progesterone. When male hormones such as testosterone (known as androgens) are overproduced in females, hyperandrogenism can occur in the form of excess facial and body hair growth, balding, oily skin, and acne.
Many women with PCOS experience an increase in the rhythmic secretion of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), leading to higher levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) compared to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which causes immature follicles to develop on the ovaries.
Because follicles often fail to mature with PCOS, ovulation occurs haphazardly, if at all, and menstrual cycles become irregular or absent, making conception more challenging. Failing to release eggs, the immature follicles instead form multiple (poly) fluid-filled sacs, or cysts, on the ovaries. That said, it’s also possible to have PCOS without cysts forming on the ovaries.
Furthermore, the hormone imbalance associated with PCOS is known to impact the body’s metabolism and increase the likelihood of metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, weight gain, diabetes, obesity, excessive perspiration, and cardiovascular disease.
What Causes PCOS?
Despite extensive research, the exact cause of PCOS remains unknown. Because it often runs in families, a genetic connection is suggested, which essentially means that some women could be more prone to hormone imbalances than others.
Research also proposes that insulin resistance and an increase in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) could contribute to PCOS.
What’s the Link Between Insulin Resistance and PCOS?
70% of women with PCOS demonstrate some level of insulin resistance, which can be caused by stress, genetics, poor diet, or weight gain. When it occurs, insulin resistance often results in increased testosterone production, poor ovulation, and more weight gain. However, scientists also point out that in some cases, PCOS-related hormone imbalances worsen existing insulin resistance.
Therefore, insulin resistance could contribute to PCOS in some women, and in other women, PCOS could cause insulin resistance.
How is GnRH Linked to PCOS?
When GnRH secretion increases, as we learned earlier, the balance of LH and FSH release is disrupted, ovulation and menstruation become irregular, and fertility issues often follow. All of which are symptoms of PCOS.
That being said, an increased secretion of GnRH is typically influenced by insulin resistance, high androgens, and low progesterone.
This means the GnRH relationship to PCOS is similar to the condition’s link to insulin resistance, in that increased GnRH secretion can contribute to the development of PCOS. However, PCOS symptoms, such as high androgens and insulin resistance, also accentuate the increased GnRH secretion.
Therefore, both insulin resistance and increased GnRH secretion are considered chicken-and-egg situations with PCOS, where it’s not always clear which comes first, because they can reinforce each other.
What are the Symptoms of PCOS?
Below is a list of the most common PCOS symptoms; however, not every patient will experience all of them, intensity can vary, and these symptoms can also ease and return for some.
- Irregular menstruation, which can vary between infrequent, long, or absent
- Trouble conceiving (infertility) due to poor ovulation or anovulation
- Excess facial and body hair growth (hirsutism), especially on the face, chest, stomach, or back
- Oily skin & acne – often on the chest and upper back as well as the face
- Thinning hair on the scalp that resembles balding in men
- Weight gain or difficulty losing weight, particularly around the abdomen
- Darkened skin patches (acanthosis nigricans) – typically in body folds like the neck or underarms
- Anxiety or depression – due to the effect of hormone imbalances on serotonin and dopamine
How Do Doctors Diagnose PCOS?
Should you experience two or more of the above symptoms that are common with PCOS, it’s helpful to schedule a consultation with a women’s health specialist, endocrinologist, or gynecologist to confirm or rule out the condition.
Puberty, postpartum hormones, and stress can cause irregular menstruation, for instance, and thyroid disorders, adrenal issues, or high prolactin levels can produce similar symptoms to PCOS.
Because PCOS is believed to be a genetic condition, a healthcare provider would typically discuss your symptoms and medical history before performing a physical exam and possibly blood tests to check your hormone levels. In some cases, an ultrasound is done to examine the ovaries.
To rule out other conditions, a set of guidelines known as the Rotterdam Criteria helps medical professionals diagnose PCOS. The three criteria are:
- Irregular or absent periods
- Evidence of higher-than-normal androgen levels
- Polycystic ovaries are apparent on an ultrasound
However, because cysts are not always present with PCOS, and adolescents are often naturally disposed to small, harmless cysts on the ovaries during puberty, the National Health Institutes (NIH) suggest that ultrasound evidence of polycystic ovaries is no longer required for a PCOS diagnosis. Therefore, the first two Rotterdam Criteria - irregular menstruation and high androgen levels - are now considered sufficient evidence of PCOS.
What’s the Best Way to Treat PCOS?
Given that PCOS is a lifelong condition and no cure currently exists, finding a natural treatment plan that works is the most recommended path forward. In severe cases of PCOS, fertility treatment could be required for those hoping to conceive, in addition to taking hormone therapy, diabetes medication, and hyperandrogenism medicine for the rest of the patient’s life.
What Is a Natural Treatment Plan for PCOS?
Insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, weight gain, and irregular menstruation associated with PCOS can be managed through a well-balanced diet, regular exercise, and daily inositol supplements.
Dietary Changes and Regular Exercise
A balanced diet that limits refined carbohydrates and sugar and replaces them with whole foods, lean protein, vegetables, grains, nuts, and fruit lowers insulin resistance and reduces abdominal weight gain.
Exercise, while helpful to manage weight, can also ease the anxiety, depression, and stress often common in PCOS patients. Additionally, cardiovascular exercise, like brisk walking, hiking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or skipping, is known to improve metabolism and hormone balance, which can positively impact ovulation, regular menstruation, and fertility issues.
Studies show that women with PCOS who improved their diet alone for 20 weeks experienced improved ovulation by 49% and spontaneous ovulation resumed by as much as 90% for those who added regular exercise.
Inositol Supplements for PCOS
Extensive scientific evidence also confirms that a daily inositol supplement significantly benefits hormone balance, insulin resistance, and ovulation in PCOS patients without the side effects of medication.
As a natural sugar produced by the body from glucose or consumed through beans, fruits, grains, and nuts, inositol regulates insulin, metabolism, cholesterol, mood, and cell structure.
Myo-inositol (MI) is the most significant inositol found in the body, and with the help of an enzyme epimerase, MI is converted into eight other forms of inositol. Of the remaining eight types of inositol, D-chiro-inositol (DCI) is the most important for PCOS. This is because it helps MI regulate blood sugar, insulin resistance, cholesterol, mood, and ovarian function.
Interestingly, women with PCOS typically exhibit imbalances in how MI is converted into DCI. Therefore, inositol supplements with a ratio of 40:1 (MI:DCI) are recommended for PCOS patients to mimic the body’s regulated metabolism of MI to DCI.
A 2023 study confirmed that women taking a daily inositol supplement for PCOS were 79% more likely to regain regular menstrual cycles than those on a placebo, and inositol was just as effective as metformin (diabetes medication) to improve menstrual cycle regularity.
Where Can You Buy Inositol Supplements for PCOS?
Several brands sell inositol supplements for PCOS, both online and in drugstores; however, not all undergo clinical testing to verify inositol purity.
Intimate Rose, which earned the Clean Label Project Purity Award for their Myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol supplement, is our top endorsement. Not only does their supplement undergo rigorous testing to verify its purity and omission of harmful contaminants, but they also added ashwagandha and vitamin D to ease the anxiety, stress, and mild depression linked to PCOS.
Indeed, as one of the global leaders in female health products, Intimate Rose Myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol supplements are not only our first choice but are recommended by gynecologists, female health specialists, and PCOS patients worldwide.
How is PCOS Treated Medically?
The medical route for treating PCOS involves hormone therapy, diabetes medication, anti-androgen drugs, and sometimes, surgery.
Combined hormone contraceptives (COCs), for instance, rebalance the production of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone to regulate menstrual cycles; however, this will also prevent pregnancy.
Anti-androgen medication is sometimes used in connection with COCs to lower excess testosterone production. Side effects, however, can include liver toxicity, headaches, reduced libido, and increased urination.
Metformin is a diabetes medication prescribed for PCOS patients to ease severe insulin resistance, which can cause nausea, diarrhea, and bloating in some.
If medication does not improve PCOS symptoms, surgery may be performed to remove cysts from the ovaries; however, new cysts can appear if hormone balance, weight gain, MI:DCI conversion, and insulin resistance are not addressed.
Conclusion
Although the cause of PCOS remains unknown, research proposes links to genetic hormone imbalances, insulin resistance, and increased GnRH secretion. Affecting mainly women of reproductive age, the condition can result in irregular menstruation, a lack of ovulation, fertility issues, insulin resistance, weight gain, acne, and excess facial or body hair growth due to excess androgen (testosterone) production.
While no cure yet exists, a natural treatment plan incorporating healthy dietary changes, regular exercise, and a daily Myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol supplement with a 40:1 ratio has been shown to ease symptoms, improve ovulation by 60-90%, and help patients avoid the side effects of life-long medication.
Medically treating PCOS involves three types of medication, depending on symptoms. Combined oral contraceptives to rebalance hormone production, diabetes medication to reduce insulin resistance, and anti-androgen medication to lower increased testosterone production. Each can result in side effects and may need to be taken for the rest of a patient’s life.
When medication doesn’t ease symptoms, surgery is sometimes performed to remove cysts on the ovaries; however, new cysts will grow within a few months if a natural treatment plan for PCOS or medication is not implemented.
References
National Institutes of Health – Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459251/
National Institutes of Health - Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Insights into the Therapeutic Approach with Inositols - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28642705/
National Institutes of Health - Weight loss in obese infertile women results in improvement in reproductive outcome for all forms of fertility treatment - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9688382/
National Institutes of Health - Inositol is an effective and safe treatment in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36703143/