When you have PCOS, making healthy choices isn’t simply basic sense. The hormone imbalances at the heart of polycystic ovarian syndrome, as well as the symptoms caused by those hormone changes, can be reversed by eating sensibly, being physically active, sleeping properly, and controlling stress.
Insulin resistance
Insulin levels rise shortly after eating in typical circumstances. It causes the liver and muscles to absorb sugar from the bloodstream and convert it into energy. As a result, blood sugar levels drop, and insulin levels drop as well. On a fasting blood test, both sugar and insulin are normal when insulin sensitivity is normal.
Blood sugar levels may be normal, but insulin levels are high in those who have insulin resistance. Why? Because the pancreas must produce increasing amounts of insulin in order to get its message through. Too much insulin can cause inflammation and weight gain. It also has the potential to cause Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. An overabundance of insulin is also a physiological cause of PCOS.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a disease in which the ovaries generate an excess of androgens, male sex hormones that are normally present in modest levels in women. The polycystic ovarian syndrome is the many tiny cysts that develop in the ovaries. However, some women with this disease do not produce cysts, whereas others who do not have the disorder do.
Relationship between PCOS and insulin resistance
Insulin resistance is a common symptom of PCOS in both fat and thin people. It affects 70-95 percent of obese PCOS patients and 30-75 percent of lean PCOS patients. High insulin levels are not just a sign of PCOS; they are also a key cause of the disease. High insulin levels hamper ovulation, which causes the ovaries to produce too much testosterone.
Treatment
Weight loss, aerobic exercise, and the diabetic medication metformin, which increases insulin sensitivity, are all traditional therapy suggestions for the insulin resistance portion of PCOS. Resistance exercise might be beneficial as well, but it is under research.
The only officially prescribed treatment for PCOS is oral contraceptives. However, these can interfere with sugar control and insulin resistance, which are at the root of the condition. At this moment, the relationship between PCOS, insulin resistance, and oral contraceptive pills has been dismissed as a myth, and more study is being conducted in this area.
Shedding weight
Research shows that losing a small percentage of excess weight, especially from the belly and exercising regularly, can improve symptoms like irregular periods and infertility, as well as improve the effectiveness of medications used to help manage your glucose and improve insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Smart diet
Healthy daily decisions can also help prevent you from heart disease and diabetes, two big health concerns for women with PCOS. While there aren’t many studies on PCOS specifically, a balanced diet combined with exercise and stress reduction has been shown to help lower anxiety and depression, improve sleep, reduce tiredness, and increase energy – all of which can help you feel better.