Natural Treatment Options for PCOS

Depending on which type of PCOS you have, there are many fantastic natural treatment options available to help your body thrive and create regular cycles naturally. There is plenty of incredible research done in this field to support the use of herbal, lifestyle, and nutritional practices for treating PCOS. I too have used these strategies and remedies to heal and manage my own PCOS presentation.

I hope this begins to provide some insight as to the possibilities of Natural Medicine to support healthy, happy cycles.

If you would like to know more about identifying which type of PCOS you have first I suggest you read my previous blog post here.

General recommendations for treating PCOS:

Sleep: Poor sleep quality is associated with increased insulin resistance and obesity and may contribute to you feeling like you need to consume more food throughout the day. Without sufficient sleep the quality of your eggs within your ovaries decreases.

Green Tea: Green tea helps to detox the body and is a potent anti-inflammatory which helps to decrease the inflammation associated with chronic PCOS states. Green tea also helps to boost the metabolism and regulate ovarian size. Green tea has mixed research suggesting that it may increase androgens so it should only be used in PCOS with normal androgen levels.

NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine): Is the precursor to glutathione which is involved in your phase 1 detoxification pathway in the liver. NAC and glutathione act as potent anti-inflammatories. Studies have shown that the intake of NAC in patients with PCOS has been linked to better ovulation and therefore increases the chances of getting pregnant, may help to regulate weight, decreased testosterone and hirsutism. Ovulation is very important when it comes to having regular cycles.

Tribulus: Tribulus is a herb with oestrogen modulating capabilities and studies have shown that when taken from day 4 of your cycle up to confirmed ovulation can help to regulate the menses. Tribulus has is fantastic at promoting ovulation and healthy hormone levels.

Myo-Inositol: Helps to regulate blood glucose levels and also lower androgens within the body. It also helps to regulate FSH levels. It also helps to reduce inflammation, improve egg quality and reduce sweet cravings!

Magnesium: Magnesium helps to manage mood, energy, bowel movements, improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the chances of developing metabolic syndrome associated with PCOS. Magnesium is also great for managing stress levels.

Omega 3’s: Help to down-regulate inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity. They also help to decrease the chances of PCOS sufferers developing Non-fatty alcoholic liver disease and help to regulate leptin, modulating your appetite.

Treating Insulin resistant PCOS

Exercise: Exercise is crucial for this type of PCOS as it helps glucose be more readily absorbed into cells and therefore decreases the glucose available in circulation. Exercise also increases the number of mitochondria that can be found in your cells (mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell which convert glucose to energy!) Exercise also helps budge fat deposits and can help contribute to a healthier weight

Note: If you are increasing your exercise you need to ensure that you are meeting your daily requirements for protein. You can calculate this by doing a quick calculation

Body Weight (in kg) x 1.2 = the amount of grams of protein you should be consuming daily. For example, if you weigh 65 kg you would do 65 x 1.2= 78 therefore you need 78 grams of protein throughout the day and roughly 26 grams of protein per meal. 

Magnesium: Magnesium deficiency is a leading factor when it comes to treating insulin-resistant PCOS. Magnesium is essential in the metabolism and breakdown of glucose. Magnesium also helps in the stress response, reduces your sugar cravings and inflammation

Chromium: Is incredibly beneficial at increasing glucose uptake into cells even without dietary modification. 

Reducing sugar and refined carbohydrates: Sugar increases the amount of insulin released from the pancreas. Reducing the intake of foods such as lollies, sweets, chocolate, candies, baked goods, bread, pasta, savoury snacks and crackers.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon contains polyphenols that stimulate insulin receptors which therefore improves insulin sensitivity allowing more glucose to be taken up by cells. My herbal tea blend “Harmonise the Feminine” contains good amounts of cinnamon helping to warm the blood and improve insulin sensitivity.

Gymnema: Gymnema has hypoglycaemic effects meaning that it helps to reduce the level of glucose found in the bloodstream. This helps in PCOS and metabolic syndrome to regulate blood sugar levels and reduce sugar cravings. 

Fun fact: when Gymnema is consumed on the tongue it binds to the sweet receptors and prevents you being able to taste the sweet components of your food so is best taken after meals!

Testosterone driven PCOS

Individuals with testosterone PCOS may also have a larger problem contributing to their high androgen levels such as insulin resistance or adrenal PCOS. Blood tests and a good practitioner to interpret your results may help to find where your excess androgens are coming from and work on that alongside treating the already high levels of testosterone. For example, individuals with insulin resistance have a higher chance of developing increased testosterone levels due to the chain of chemical reactions caused in the body. You would therefore treat the insulin resistance as the root cause of the problem as well as the androgens to lessen the symptoms that the individual is experiencing.

St Mary’s Thistle: A constituent found in St Mary’s Thistle called silymarin has been shown to lower testosterone level, increase sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) protein synthesis (therefore decreasing testosterone), and inhibit inflammation.

White Peony: Helps to regulate lowered progesterone, reduce elevated androgens via its constituent called paeoniflorin. It also helps to modulate prolactin and estrogen which is crucial to having happy, regular length cycles

Licorice: Licorice is beneficial for reducing the androgens in PCOS due to its ability to block enzymes that synthesise testosterone and oestrogen. It also acts as a adrenal restorative which is especially beneficial for women who  

Vitex (Also known as Chaste Tree): Vitex increases progesterone levels by increasing LH (luteinising hormone) levels and decreasing prolactin levels. This results in more ovulatory cycles! However, if your blood tests show elevated LH Chaste Tree should be avoided.

Brassicas or DIM (Concentrated form): Help to detoxify the body by up-regulating phase II detoxification in the liver. Brassica vegetables contain a compound called indole-3-carbinole helping your body to detoxify hormones.

Spearmint tea: Spearmint is an incredible tonic for women who experience PCOS. Studies have shown that it can reduce androgen levels by up to 30%, therefore, decreasing acne and hirsutism. Spearmint tea is known to increase luteinising hormone by up to 30% which can help promote ovulation and also increases follicle-stimulating hormone by 15% which helps to ensure proper health and maturation of ovarian follicles. You can purchase potent, high-quality spearmint tea called “Banish Androgens” blend on my website linked here.

Adrenal PCOS

Rhemmania: Is an ancient herb used in traditional Chinese medicine as a reproductive tonic for women. Rhemmania has adrenal trophorestorative action meaning that it helps to heal and nourish the adrenal glands and kidneys. It is also a potent anti-inflammatory. Rhemmania also helps to protect and improve the health of the liver. It also helps to reduce pelvic congestion and pain.

With adrenal PCOS it is especially important to manage your stress to down regulate the bodies production of testosterone and cortisol to evoke hormonal harmony. Methods of doing so include having a good work-life balance, yoga, meditation, exercise, swimming, cooking, nature time or doing anything that you love! Sleep is also incredibly beneficial for reducing stress and treating adrenal PCOS.

Disclaimer: This information is not to replace or diagnose proper medical attention by a health professional.

References:

Bahman, M., Hajimehdipoor, H., Afrakhteh, M., Bioos, S., Hashem-Dabaghian, F., & Tansaz, M. (2018). The Importance of Sleep Hygiene in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome from the View of Iranian Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine. International journal of preventive medicine, 9, 87. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_352_16

Thakker, D., Raval, A., Patel, I., & Walia, R. (2015). N-acetylcysteine for polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. Obstetrics and gynecology international, 2015, 817849. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/817849

Unfer, V., Facchinetti, F., Orrù, B., Giordani, B., & Nestler, J. (2017). Myo-inositol effects in women with PCOS: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Endocrine connections, 6(8), 647–658. https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-17-0243

https://drbrighten.com/supplements-for-pcos/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3693666/

https://www.verywellhealth.com/inositol-for-pcos-info-2616286

https://natural-fertility-info.com/rehmannia-support-fertility-vitality.html