Why Mainstream PCOS Diet Recommendations Are Making You Worse
And how to actually address the root cause
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Content for entertainment purposes only. Not medical or health advice.
PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, affecting up to 25% of women in certain populations.
The allopathic approaches to managing PCOS come with notable side effects. For example, Spironolactone, which is a common medication prescribed for PCOS that helps to manage acne and the growth of unwanted facial hair by lowering androgen levels is known to be able to sometimes cause life-threatening hyperkalemia1.
It is no wonder then that with how common the disorder is, there is an abundance of information on PCOS diets and alternative treatment options. Most of them recommend cutting out dairy, limiting red meat and saturated fat, cutting out sugar, lowering calories, eating a high-fibre diet, and using spearmint or flaxseeds to lower androgenic symptoms. The unfortunate thing is that following the above recommendations is basically like shooting yourself in the foot, as they will likely make the underlying dysfunction worse.
My goal in this article is to explain what is actually happening in a body with PCOS and what can be done to achieve long-term success, without using band-aid solutions that only mask unwanted symptoms.
In this article:
What is PCOS?
PCOS - is it just a response to excessive stress?
The hormones of the HPA axis
Why the hormones of the HPA axis elevate
The thyroid connection
Are the high androgens protecting you?
Are most PCOS treatments improving symptoms while worsening the root issue?
PCOS and insulin resistance
You can’t fight stress with more stress
An alternative nutritional approach for PCOS (with a list of foods)
Increasing insulin sensitivity
Reducing estrogenic load
Improving thyroid function
Lowering HPA activity
Increasing progesterone levels
Conclusion
What is PCOS?
PCOS, short for polycystic ovary syndrome, is a female hormonal disorder characterized by:
Having an excess of androgens, such as testosterone and DHEA, leading to symptoms such as excess facial, chest or back hair.
Anovulation (lack of ovulation) or inconsistent ovulation.
Ovaries that are enlarged and might contain many fluid-filled sacs (follicles). These follicles are referred to as “cysts” in polycystic ovary syndrome, but they are not actually cysts, but rather follicles that didn’t mature completely.
Women with PCOS also tend to present with weight gain, insulin resistance, central obesity and overactivity of the HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) axis2.
The mainstream consensus is that the root cause of PCOS is unknown, listing factors such as genetics and family history as potential root causes, which in my opinion is just medical speak for “we have no clue what the root cause is.” When we don’t know where an issue stems from, then the best that we can do is treat symptoms.
However, after looking deeper into PCOS and connecting some dots, I think that the mechanism behind PCOS might actually be quite straightforward, allowing us to get to the root of the issue, and not rely on bandaid solutions.
PCOS - is it just a response to excessive stress?
As mentioned above, PCOS is characterized by the overactivity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis3. To understand the importance of this, I want to explain the role of the HPA axis and go into the reasons why the HPA axis becomes upregulated.