Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal imbalance that can cause irregular periods, making it challenging to conceive, causes overweight and obesity, and fatigue. It is the most common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age. The majority of women who have PCOS have multiple small cysts on their ovaries, which is where the term Polycystic Ovaries comes from. While these cysts are not harmful as they are not malignant, but they can cause, and are caused by, hormonal imbalances that can lead to mood alteration and decreased levels of energy. If it's not cured it may give rise to other health problems.
Insulin is a hormone made by an organ in the body called the pancreas. The food you eat is broken down into simple sugar (glucose) during digestion. Glucose is absorbed into the blood after you eat. Insulin helps glucose enter the cells of the body to be used as energy. If there's not enough insulin in the body, or if the body can't use the insulin due to some pathological reasons, sugar levels in the blood become higher.
If your body is resistant to insulin, it means you need high levels of insulin to keep your blood sugar normal. PCOS is directly linked to insulin resistance. PCOS can also cause insulin resistance.
Causes:
- Genetics: The main risk factor for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a family history of the syndrome. Mutations in a combination of yet unidentified genes may be responsible. Sisters and daughters of patients with PCOS have a 50% chance of also developing PCOS
- Diabetes: A family history of diabetes may increase the risk of developing PCOS
- Use of seizure medication may increase the risk of PCOS
Indications:
- Improves ovarian function & pregnancy rate
- Plays vital role in the process of conception
- Provides comprehensive antioxidant properties
- Reduces androgen levels & optimizes reproductive health
- Helps to balance hormones that are required for menstrual functions, ovulation & fertility
- Premature ovarian failure
- Helps to decrease insulin resistance
- Useful in pregnancy complications
About Composition:
Natural Extracts:
Green Tea Extract:
Green tea is a potent antioxidant since it contains catechins, polyphenols and hypoxanthine which are the main ingredients. Green tea can be considered as a potentially effective drug for treatment of PCOS, Insulin resistance and Type II diabetes.
Green tea can cause an increase in higher percentage of viable embryos. Polyphenols also act as antioxidants which can help get rid of unwanted toxins in the body. They can repair and mitigate the oxidative damage that occurs in most of our bodies from the environment, food, bodily stress and aging, which is great overall for the body, not just with fertility issues.
It also acts as starch blocker. Starchy, high-carb diet is a big driver of PCOS because it increases blood sugar too much. The high blood sugar causes increases in insulin, which leads to a condition called "insulin resistance". And insulin resistance is widely believed to be the main cause of PCOS and other chronic health issues.
Chastberry Extract:
Chastberry also called as vitex is a well-known herb that has been used for centuries in Europe for hormonal imbalances in women.
Chasteberry Extract corrects Luteal phase insufficiency thereby increasing the level of Progesterone and thus helps in Implantation. Chasteberry extract suppresses the level of Prolactin, therefore improves fertility. It has a great role to play in PCOS as well since Chasteberry extract also exhibits anti- androgenic effects.
Working
- It acts on the hypothalamus and pituitary glands inside your brain by increasing luteinizing hormone (LH) production and mildly inhibiting the release of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). The result is a shift in the ratio of estrogen to progesterone, in favor of progesterone
- Also, high levels of the hormone prolactin are commonly found with corpus luteum insufficiency. Vitex is useful for reducing high prolactin levels. It inhibits prolactin release by the pituitary gland, especially when you are under stress
Minerals:
Magnesium:
Magnesium is an essential mineral found in all of our tissues, but mainly in our bones, muscles, and brain. It is a critical factor in over 300 body processes including muscle building, maintaining nerve function, keeping a healthy heartbeat, sustaining optimal immune system function and facilitating sleep. Magnesium is a natural anti-inflammatory, making it particularly critical for women with PCOS.
Magnesium enhances insulin secretion, which facilitates sugar metabolism. Without magnesium, glucose is not able to transfer into cells.
Many women with PCOS have significantly low serum and total magnesium, contributing to the progression of insulin resistance to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Since magnesium improves insulin-mediated glucose uptake and insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes patients, it is considered a critical mineral for women with PCOS.
Zinc:
Zinc is an inorganic trace element, which plays an important role in glucose metabolism and the synthesis, secretion, and signaling of insulin. One of the possible mechanisms of zinc's relationship to PCOS other than insulin signaling system is its effect on oxidative stress. Zinc is a potent antioxidant and its deficiency causes increased oxidative damage in multiple organs, including the heart.
Zinc is helpful to cure mainly acne related to hormonal imbalance in PCOS, its deficiency leads to increase in male hormones which is the major part leading to PCOS hence its importance in preventing the disease.
Iron:
Iron is one of the most important nutrients for women. As the pathology defines PCOS problems as also associated with no period or abnormal period, prolonged bleeding or heavy monthly flow leading to blood loss. This is due to overgrowth of endometrial tissue. This may lead to great iron loss and hence anemia, which ultimately leads to loss of interest in daily activities and fatigue leading to low immunity level and lower grades of health. To overcome these problems iron is very important to be taken in such condition.
Manganese:
Manganese acts in the human body to activate certain enzymes, allowing for absorption of important vitamins such as vitamin C, biotin, thiamin, and choline. Manganese also plays an important part in the regulation of sex hormones, reproduction and fertility, nerve health and the production of bone.
Manganese deficiency can actually cause symptoms of its own including poor sugar metabolism, dizziness ovarian cysts, infrequent menstrual cycles, endometriosis, infertility & migraine.
It also plays an important role in the functioning of the pituitary gland and the manufacture of sex hormones. The highest levels of manganese in the human body are found in the pituitary gland.
Copper:
Copper, an essential trace mineral, is vitally important for both physical and mental health. Copper is closely related to estrogen metabolism, and is required for women's fertility and maintain pregnancy.
Chromium:
Chromium may help improve glucose tolerance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Chromium may help improve fertility in people with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), due to the fact that it is thought to help to lower insulin levels and as result, testosterone levels are lowered. Insulin resistance is a core condition in PCOS and greatly contributes to hormonal imbalances that cause many PCOS symptoms.
Selenium:
Selenium is one of nature's best kept secrets. We actually only need very small amounts, but deficiencies have adverse effects on our health. Selenium protects us against many health problems which are associated with the aging process. More importantly, it's vital for normal thyroid production. Low selenium is associated with diabetes and metabolic syndrome. All of these are conditions normally associated with PCOS and, therefore, show how crucial selenium is for combating the symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
Iodine:
The ovary has the highest concentration of iodine, second only to the thyroid. Iodine also has a critical role in insulin function, which may explain the insulin resistance often seen in PCOS.
Iodine is necessary for thyroid hormone balance and production. With newer research, iodine is now important since having low levels of iodine in the body can be linked to breast and ovarian dysfunction and PCOS as well as thyroid imbalance and under activity.
Iodine deficiency in the ovaries may cause the ovaries to develop cysts, nodules and scar tissue.
Amino Acids:
L-Arginine:
Arginine is a semi essential amino acid, which means that although the body normally makes enough of it, supplementation with additional amounts is sometimes needed. L-arginine is an important mediator of vasodilation with a potential preventative role in health and growth of the fetus in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia.
It uses l-arginine to build a protein called "nitric oxide synthase" (NOS). NOS is a vasodilator (expands blood vessels & increases blood flow) - thus helping in lowering maternal blood pressure and increase blood flow to the placenta. With increased blood flow there is increased oxygen in placenta and production of the chemicals that the placenta produces is reduced. It might reduce or eliminate the symptoms of preeclampsia and allow delivery to be delayed.
According to the article in Journal of Nutrition, supplementing arginine to the diet for female rats during early gestation or throughout pregnancy increases implantation sites, embryonic survival, and litter size in association with elevated levels of arginine and its but reduced concentrations of urea in serum. Their novel findings have important implications for reducing embryonic mortality and improving pregnancy outcome in mammals.
Vitamins:
Inositol:
Inositol is a member of the B-vitamins and a component of the cell membrane. It promotes female fertility, restoring insulin sensitivity in instances of resistance (type II diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome being the most well investigated), and for reducing anxiety as well. The women with PCOS may have a defect in "secondary messengers" contributing to insulin resistance. The inositol works as a secondary messenger. When we eat foods (mostly carbohydrates), they get converted into glucose in our blood stream. We need the glucose to enter our cells to be used for energy. When blood glucose levels rise, a signal (imagine a doorbell is rung) is sent from the cell door to the nucleus telling it to open up. However, with PCOS, the doorbell on the cell door may be defective. This means that it takes longer for the cells to open its doors to glucose resulting in higher amounts of insulin needing to be secreted. Secondary messengers act to repair the doorbell so that the cell doors open in response to glucose, resulting in less insulin needing to be secreted.
Inositol helps the receptor work more efficiently so insulin can bind properly the first time, causing your body to not produce too much insulin.
Vitamin C:
Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Antioxidants work like a defense system, disarming free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage cell structures.
High levels of ascorbic acid present in the ovaries may be responsible for collagen synthesis, which is required for follicle and corpus luteum growth, as well as repair of the ovary post-ovulation. Problems with this function may contribute to the development of ovarian cyst. High levels of vitamin C supplementation have been found to more than double the pregnancy rate in women with low progesterone levels and hormonal imbalances.
Vitamin C is highly concentrated in the ovaries and is required for hormone synthesis, particularly the production of progesterone.
Vitamin D:
Vitamin D plays a very important role in dealing with PCOS and improving your overall health. It helps the body create sex hormones which in turn affects ovulation and hormonal balance.
Vitamin D is required by the pancreas for the production of insulin. There is evidence that suggests that vitamin D improves insulin sensitivity and the body's ability to handle blood sugar.
Vitamin D receptors are found in the placenta, ovary and uterine lining suggesting that Vitamin D plays an important role. The research shows that women with Vitamin D deficiency have do not respond as well to ovarian stimulation.
Vitamin D supplementation prevents preeclampsia and promotes well-being.
Folic Acid:
One of the best known vitamins necessary for pregnancy is folic acid. Women with PCOS are at increased risk for miscarriage and infertility.
Preliminary evidence suggests that folic acid supplementation may help treat ovulatory infertility - one of the major complications of PCOS.
Deficiency may also increase the homocysteine level in the blood, which can lead to spontaneous abortion and pregnancy complications, such as placental abruption and preeclampsia.
Mecobalamin:
Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, plays a critical role in many bodily functions, It also may help to boost the endometrium lining in egg fertilization, decreasing the chances of miscarriage.
Vitamin B6:
Vitamin B6 is involved in numerous metabolic processes, including blood sugar metabolism. Vitamin B6 affects receptors for estrogen, androgen, and progesterone. Vitamin B6 is required for the synthesis of serotonin. Vitamin B6 can raise levels of progesterone, a key hormone in preparing the body for pregnancy and is important for maintaining hormone balance.
Vitamin E:
Vitamin E is a well-known antioxidant.
Vitamin E is incorporated into the lipid (fatty) part of the cell membrane, where it stabilizes and protects the cell membrane from toxic compounds. This is especially important for hormonal balance, as well as cellular health.
Oxidative stress is a major concern for women who are trying to conceive and have either insulin resistant PCOS or diabetes. Vitamin E supplementation has been shown to improve insulin action.
Niacin:
It is also called as vitamin B3. Niacin also helps the body make various sex and stress-related hormones in the adrenal glands and other parts of the body. B3 is a component of the glucose tolerance factor (GTF), which is when released, blood sugar rises, and vitamin B3 helps to keep the levels in balance.
Vitamin B2:
Vitamin B2, also known as Riboflavin, is a co-enzyme that involves in many reactions in the body. It lowers the risk of getting preeclampsia, which is a complication of pregnancy.
Vitamin A:
Vitamin A is essential for producing male and female hormones for reproduction - the corpus luteum - the follicle post ovulation that produces progesterone has the highest amount of vitamin A. It is important for progesterone production, cycle regularity and early pregnancy.
Vitamin B1:
Vitamin B1, also known as Thiamine, performs many important functions during your pregnancy. It enables both you and your baby to convert carbohydrates into energy and helps your muscles, nervous system and heart function normally.
Side Effects:
- Nausea
- stomach upset
Interactions:
Do not take this supplement if you are allergic to any of the ingredient. If you are pregnant or nursing consult your physician.
Storage:
Store in cool and dry place.