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What is PCOS?

It is the shorthand for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It is related to the reproductive system and its hormones.

It is a complex mixture of many symptoms which affect a woman’s fertility or ability to get pregnant, period cycle, appearance, and weight. 

1 in 5 women in India and 1 in 10 women worldwide have PCOS.

It has become an urban epidemic and one of the main reasons for infertility in women of reproductive age.

Before we learn more about PCOS. Let us understand parts of the female reproductive system and their functions.

The reproductive system is made up of:

2 Ovaries – Oval shaped sacs that produce the eggs.

2 Fallopian tubes – Pipes which carry the egg from the ovaries to a bag called the uterus

A Uterus – where the egg fuses with the sperm and eventually houses the baby in a pregnant woman

A Vagina- It is the tube through which the sperms flow to the uterus to merge with the egg.

This system needs 4 hormones to function smoothly:

FSH and LH are produced in the brain. FSH- A hormone that tells the ovaries to produce the egg. The newly produced egg is contained in a sac called the corpus luteum.

LH – Tells the ovaries to release the eggs into the uterus.

Progesterone and Estrogen – 2 hormones made by the ovaries. They prepare your uterus for pregnancy by making the uterus lining thick like a soft cushion/ shock proof surface to receive the egg from the ovaries.

What is the cause of PCOS? 

1.  The top one among the issues is Hormone imbalance.
   1. Androgen hormones- Women with high levels of Androgens in the body are at a great risk of getting PCOS. This causes excess facial hair growth.
   2. Insulin Resistance (IR): When the body cannot use a hormone called insulin to lower blood sugar quantity. This can lead to diabetes.
   3. High level of LH, low levels of FSH and low level of progesterone: The egg is not produced, and the uterus is not cushioned enough for the egg or pregnancy.
2. In some people, small compartments of fluids called Cysts can grow in the ovaries and make them produce less eggs. This causes irregular periods.
3. It is genetic for some women, if women in the previous generations in the family have PCOS.  

What does PCOS do to the body?

A woman with PCOS can experience:

Abnormal period cycle (excess, irregular or missed periods), weight gain, acne, oily skin, excess facial hair growth, hair thinning on the head, dark patches on the skin, depression, anxiety, mood swings and irritability.

Women struggle to get pregnant because it affects their fertility. Women can also develop diabetes and obesity in extreme cases.

How can PCOS be treated?

There is no treatment for it, but the symptoms can be managed.

Many women are prescribed synthetic hormones/ medicines to manage the hormonal imbalances or diabetes associated with PCOS. These are only temporary measures with many negative side effects. 

There is a call for a safe and holistic approach to manage PCOS. A synergistic combination of herbs and nutrients can:

1.      Regulate cycles

2.      Manage weight 

3.      Reduce acne and facial hair

1.Regulate cycles

In case of PCOS your period cycles are irregular or absent due to hormonal imbalance. Specific ingredients can balance hormone quantities. They ultimately make sure you ovulate to have regular period cycles.

Lodhra

It is an Ayurvedic herb. It balances FSH and LH in the body. It tells your ovaries to produce eggs and helps in the making of corpus luteum which produces progesterone to prepare the uterus for pregnancy. 

Vitamin B6

This also helps balance hormones in the body.It is required for making the corpus luteum for progesterone. It also prevents progesterone deficiency. 

Zinc

Zinc tells the pituitary gland (a part of the brain) to produce FSH. FSH tells the ovaries to produce eggs and make progesterone for pregnancy. 

2.   Weight management

Women with PCOS have Insulin Resistance (high insulin level in blood) and as a result have high blood sugar levels. High insulin level other hormone changes in the body to increase appetite and decrease fat burning, which leads to weight gain. There are some ingredients which help lose or manage weight:

Chromium

 It is known to reduce insulin resistance and reduce blood sugar levels in the body.

It is also known to suppress appetite/ make you eat less food. Consuming less food or calories leads to weight loss.

Garcinia Cambogia

Also known as Malabar Tamarind. The outer skin of this fruit contains Hydroxy  Citric Acid (HCA).

It tells the intestine to make a hormone called Serotonin which curbs cravings and reduces appetite.  HCA can also burn fat and decrease the fat stored in the body. This helps lose and manage weight.

3.   Reduce facial hair and acne

The hormonal imbalance during PCOS/PCOD leads to production of more Androgens or male hormones in the body. This is responsible for the increase in facial hair for a woman. The increase in androgens in the body can also increase the sebum production in the skin. This leads to acne. Here are some ingredients which can help fight the acne and facial hair

Zinc

It helps protect the epidermis or the outer layer of the skin from infection causing bacteria, reduce the absorption of chemicals from the environment and prevent water loss from the body.  It also helps produce more new skin cells for the skin to heal.

It also tells the skin cells to produce less sebum.

Vitamin B6 

It helps protect the epidermis or the outer layer of the skin from infection causing bacteria, reduce the absorption of chemicals from the environment and prevent water loss from the body.  It also helps produce more new skin cells for the skin to heal.

Lodhra

It helps lower the levels of androgens in the body to restore the levels of female hormones in the body thus reducing acne. It is also known for its antibacterial properties that help fight acne

OTHER KNOWN INGREDIENTS

Shatavari 

Shatavari contains special components called steroidal saponins that control estrogen quantity in the body. This in turn helps to regulate menstrual cycles, manage PMS symptoms, alleviate menstrual cramps, and control the amount of blood lost.

Ashoka 

It makes the ovaries function properly and control heavy period flow. 

Prebiotic fiber

It controls the appetite, reducing the amount of food you eat resulting in weight loss. It allows more good or beneficial bacteria to grow in your gut and also reduces constipation.  

Check out &Me’s PCOS drink that is made of a unique blend that balances hormones from within. &Me PCOS drink has 14 essential micronutrients that nourish the hormones and 5 Ayurvedic herbs that provide the right environment for the effective functioning of the hormones. Herbs like Ashwagandha help to reduce stress and Shatavari (Queen of herbs) balances hormones and micronutrients and Vitamin C boosts immunity.

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