PCOS- Everything you need to know.
Is PCOS linked to cancer and diabetes?
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) is a lifestyle health disorder that causes irregular periods (menstrual cycles) and hormonal imbalance in women.
Other symptoms include weight gain, excess facial hair growth and acne, insulin resistance, and metabolic and psychological disorders.
Read this blog to understand more:
Globally, changing lifestyles are leading to the rise of PCOS, and Indian women, too, are affected by them. 1 in every 10 women could have PCOS but 65% of Indian women don’t even know about the symptoms.
Diagnosis:
In some cases, it could take a long time to confirm a PCOS diagnosis because there is no specific test that can confirm the same. However, the Rotterdam criteria are widely used by doctors for the diagnosis. The criteria state that if a patient has 2 of the following symptoms then they could have PCOS:
Cyst formations on the ovaries (confirmed by ultrasound)
Irregular or absence of periods
High levels of testosterone (hyperandrogenism)
When PCOS goes untreated…
If PCOS patients don’t receive treatment on time, they could be exposed to some long-term risks such as infertility, diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer. Read more here:
PCOS in urban vs. rural Indian population.
We are aware that the lifestyles of women living in rural areas are different than the ones living in cities. This is reflected in PCOS statistics because there are higher cases of the disorder in adolescent Indian females from urban areas compared to rural.
Hence, immediate environment, dietary patterns, fitness, and products used in day-to-day lifestyle are all proven contributing factors to PCOS.
Natural cure.
PCOS can be managed (and reversed in some cases) if the following 3-dimensional approach is adopted:
Appropriate nutrition (not dieting!)
Lifestyle modifications
Sustainable fitness regime
All three are interdependent and part of our daily lifestyle and must be looked at holistically while treating PCOS.
Foods to avoid
Animal-derived food groups are high in Advanced Glycation End (AGE) - harmful compounds that cause hormonal havoc in the body. Therefore, you must avoid dairy products, meat, and eggs. AGEs are also present in cigarette smoke.
What causes PCOS in Indian women?
Largely, a woman’s lifestyle in India is characterized by the following aspects:
Poor nutrition
Low fiber intake
Bad circadian health
Absence of physical activity
Hormone disruptors
All these parameters are leading to PCOS symptoms.
My recommendation…
There is no single pill or herb that can fix PCOS. A lifestyle disorder can be fixed by fixing the lifestyle. This needs to be done sooner or the chances of reversal could diminish with age.
Here is a customised one- on- one guided program for PCOS management.
Trust this helps,