Natural Remedies for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic ovaries have little, undeveloped follicles that form into clumps. They may not cause any symptoms or affect a woman’s symptoms, but when polycystic ovary syndrome develops, a wide range of disturbing symptoms may develop. Let’s look at some natural solutions, right now!

Polycystic ovary syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOs can cause a woman to get acne, grow heavy body hair, have few or no periods, become overweight and be susceptible to mood swings.

She may even become infertile, have problems conceiving or miscarry. Women with PCOS are also 7 times more likely to get diabetes due to blood sugar problems.

Balance the liver

The liver plays a key role in the body’s hormonal activities, so it’s important to keep it super healthy.

You can try taking herbs like milk thistle and up the amount of greens you consume to detox it. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Make sure they cover at least half your plate! Doing this will lower your consumption of other, less healthy foods and fill you up at the same time.

Reducing your consumption of bad fats is also a great idea to support the liver. Replace them with healthy fats, discussed below.

Regulate the intestines

Taking in friendly bacteria can do so much good in the body. Regulating your intestines by detoxing at least four times a year will help your body balance

Watch out for gluten

Many nutritional advisors recommend women with PCOS cut out gluten. It may disrupt your hormones, according to studies. Wheat crops are also sprayed with pesticides that contain xenoestrogens, which mimic the role of oestrogen in the body, making us more oestrogen dominant.

Unrefined carbohydrates in combination with protein are also advised. Examples include:

• millet, maze, buckwheat and barley
• oily fish, like salmon, and plenty of omega 3-rich foods like nuts and seeds. Try making sesame or almond milks, and experimenting with different types of fish.

Vitex

Vitex agnus castus is one of the most popular herbs for female hormonal and menstrual disorders in Europe. It’s been used for thousands of years, balancing the hypothalamus-pituitary axis to create harmony in the hormonal system of the body.

Vitex is a very safe choice for most women, restoring menstrual regularity, reducing PMS, menopausal symptoms and the chances of conception.

Most women that have PCOS have too much prolactin and not enough progesterone, but vitex corrects this balance. It really is one of the best things to take if you are suffering with PCOS! It’s also great for acne when the cause is hormonal.

Maca

Women that take maca for PCOS often notice that their menstrual cycle balances out in just a couple of weeks.

The maca root looks a bit like a creamy-coloured turnip, and was used by the Inca civilisation to treat hormonal imbalance, fatigue and low fertility.

Maca regulates the functions of all the endocrine glands in the body, and it has been proven to improve fertility, aid weight loss, and help with the underlying issues related to PCOS.

You can take it in capsules, as a tincture, powder or an extract. Follow the dosage guidelines on the product you purchase, but start with a small dose until you know how maca affects you. It certainly gives you energy, which is a nice side-effect, but exceeding your dosage isn’t advisable.

Flax seed oil

Flax is rich in protein (20% of its weight), fibre (28% of its weight), fatty acids (41% of its weight), and lignans and phytoestrogens.

What flax can provide you, if you have PCOS, is the reduction of free testosterone. It increases the body’s production of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), helping with oestrogen dominance.

Flax seed is also very high in antioxidants, stabilises blood sugar, satiates you really well and reduces high cholesterol. What more could a girl want?

According to studies, a couple of tablespoons of ground flax seed every day is a perfect dosage, although you can take up to six.

It’s best to grind up your flax fresh, as you will recieve more of the goodness. You can do this using a blender or a pestle and mortar. Using flax, and the other herbs in this article will really help you on your way back to a PCOS-free life!

Images courtesy of digiyesica, Filip Bunkens and M. Martin Vicente