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PCOS & Nutrition
Victoria Beckham is amongst its most famous sufferers; it affects 6-10% of women of a reproductive age and 70% of which are obese…
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is on the rise, and remains one of the most misunderstood conditions of today.
Common symptoms of this confidence-crippling condition include weight gain, unwanted facial hair, severe acne, and fertility challenges.
Obesity in sufferers of this condition is often of the android type, i.e. fat distribution tends to contribute to adipose (central) weight gain, otherwise known as the ‘apple’ shaped figure.
There is often a family history of diabetes or obesity, and common characteristics include elevated levels of testosterone and insulin as well as borderline or abnormal blood glucose readings.
Many sufferers have taken control of their symptoms and sought professional nutrition advice where key programme goals include addressing insulin levels, reducing androgen levels, improving uterine function, enhancing fertility and managing a healthy weight.
PCOS sufferers often find weight loss to be challenging, which can bring about a whole manner of complications in itself. The higher your body fat percentage, the less sensitive you are to insulin, resulting in eventual insulin resistance. Gradually insulin levels builds up in the body, which causes the ovaries to secrete androgen hormones and inhibit secretion of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) which results in an abundance of sex hormones in the blood stream. The interaction of the circulating sex hormones with insulin can lead to the symptoms of PCOS, including skin inflammation and facial hair growth.
It is common practice for GP’s to prescribe the contraceptive pill to PCOS sufferers however this has been found to provoke further hormonal complications. For a start, it is only controlling symptoms rather than the underlying cause – and it is doing so through administration of artificial sex hormones, which can contribute further to the imbalance.
PCOS is a vicious cycle of hormonal disarray and the cause is not entirely clear. A genetic link has been found, and diet and lifestyle are also known to be common contributing factors of the condition.
Through nutrition, insulin levels can be improved significantly by balancing meals and nutrient intake according to the unique requirements of the individual.
When blood sugar levels are stabilised using professional diet and supplement intervention, healthy weight loss is often a welcome outcome.
Using a programme of herbal remedies, dietary intervention and professional supplementation, hormonal balance can be achieved, which has been found to control many symptoms of PCOS including acne, facial hair growth and fertility levels.
PCOS is an incredibly complex condition and a generic cure does not exist. Everybody’s symptoms and biochemistry is unique, which is where a nutrition consultation from a functional medicine perspective may turn your life around…
Rachel Henderson is co-founder and co-director of Food Fairy Nutrition Ltd. The Food Fairies are a team of dynamic, passionate and fully qualified nutritionists who created http://www.foodfairynutrition.com/.They offer a range of unique online nutritional consultations from a functional medicine perspective. The Food Fairies specialise in weight loss, fertility enhancement, IBS, acne, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and MUCH more.Browse our site, read our blog and check out our range of nutritional packages and E-books available.Because real life can be a fairytale…
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