What is PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)?

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excerpts from The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS

What is PCOS?

In each menstrual cycle, follicles grow on the ovaries. Eggs develop within those follicles, one of which will reach maturity sooner than the others and be released into the fallopian tubes. This is "ovulation." The remaining follicles will dissolve back into the ovary.

In the case of polycystic ovaries, however, the ovaries are larger than normal and there are a series of undeveloped follicles that appear in clumps, rather like a bunch of grapes. [My doctor calls it "Chocolate Chip Cookie Ovaries."] Polycystic ovaries are not necessarily troublesome and may not even affect your fertility.

However, when the cysts cause a hormonal imbalance, a pattern of symptoms may develop. This pattern of symptoms is called a syndrome. These symptoms are the difference between suffering from PCOS and from simply having polycystic ovaries.

We referred to PCOS as a "metabolic" disorder. By this we mean that there are numerous factors in basic body processes that have gone off track. Because your body is a unified whole, a problem or dysfunction in one area causes dysfunction in other areas. PCOS is a dysfunction that is related to your whole body, not just your ovaries.
What are the symptoms of PCOS?

PCOS presents a complex and baffling array of symptoms. Each woman with PCOS will have some combination of the following symptoms:

* Multiple ovarian cysts
* Polyscystic ovaries 2-5 times larger than healthy ovaries
* Irregular or absent menses
* Infertility
* Acne
* Obesity or inability to lose weight
* Excessive body or facial hair
* Insulin resistance and possibly diabetes
* Thinning of scalp hair
* Velvety, hyperpigmented skin folds
* High blood pressure
* Multiple homone imbalances, commonly including:
o androgens
o cortisol
o estrogens
o FSH (follicle stimulating hormone)
o Insulin
o LH (luteinizing hormone)
o progesterone
o prolactin
o thyroid hormones

How Common is PCOS

PCOS is the most common hormonal disorder occurring in women during their reproductive years. It is thought that 4% to 10% of all women have PCOS. However, since many women don't know they have PCOS or some aspect of it, the actual number probably exceeds 10%. PCOS is the leading cause of infertility. Symptoms of PCOS frequently start to show up soon after puberty.
Long term affects

The long-term health consequences of PCOS may include but are not limited to:

* Cardiovascular disease
* diabetes
* pregnancy-associated disorders
* cancers
* seizure disorders

Sampling of Medical Studies

Evidence of pancreatic exhaustion is seen frequently in women with PCOS. Insulin resistance normally forces the pancreas to overwork to secrete lots of insulin. This leads to cellular dysfunction, an inability to produce enough insulin to control blood sugar and diabetes.

* 40% of women with PCOS have abnormal blood sugar levels and 10% already have Type 2 diabetes.

* The incidence of diabetes in adolescents with PCOS is comparable to that seen in adults.

* Women with PCOS have blood sugar imbalances at rates as high as those in the highest risk ethnic groups in the world, such as the Pima Indians.

* PCOS is associated with elevated LDL "bad" cholesterol, regardless of weight.

* PCOS and obesity together lead to chronically elevated triglycerides, which contribute to heart disease.

* High blood pressure is commonly seen in women with PCOS.

* PCOS is associated with indicators of cardiovascular disease, including increased blood clot formation, increased inflammation and thickening of blood vessel walls and abnormal cholesterol and triglycerides.

* 77% of women with abnormally infrequent or scanty menstrual flow have evidence of PCOS and 33% have abnormal blood sugar levels.

* Women with PCOS have reproductive abnormalities, including increased gestational diabetes in both obese and non-obese women, pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a condition that can develop in late pregnancy. It is characterized by a sudden rise in blood pressure, excessive gain in weight, generalized swelling, protein in the urine, severe headache and visual disturbances.

* PCOS women also have an increased endometrial cancer risk. The risk of ovarian cancer is increased 2.5 fold, particularly among women who have never used oral contraceptives.

Can PCOS Be Treated by Diet?

Improvements in diet, exercise and lifestyle are essential methods of dealing with PCOS.

A mere 7%-10% weight loss may lead to regular ovulatory cycles in many women. A healthy diet is a vital component of a successful weight loss program.

Several recent studies have shown that a calorie-restricted diet tends to normalize hormones, induce ovulation, improve fertility and reduce other PCOS problems. Whether the "best" diet for PCOS is low-fat or low-carb is not so clear; the studies suggest that either diet works, provided the calories are kept low.

The problem with a calorie-restricted diet is that it is hard to maintain over the long term. After all, who wants to have to "count calories" for the rest of her life?

Another problem with using these restricted diets is that, according to one recent study, women with PCOS have an impaired satiety mechanism. In other words, it may be harder for PCOS women to feel that they have eaten enough. Impaired satiety makes it doubly difficult to stay on an artificially restricted calorie diet.