Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder affecting in women of reproductive age. Around 1 in 5 women suffer from PCOS, however this number may be much higher as it is estimated that up to 70% of women with the condition remain undiagnosed.
While the cause of PCOS remains unknown the crux of the condition is hormone imbalance. Most symptoms are caused by high androgens levels and often manifest as acne, weight gain, excess body hair and irregular periods. PCOS also comes with a range of comorbidities such as infertility, metabolic dysfunction and mood disorders.
In today's podcast, women's health expert Dr Lara Briden takes us through the complexities of the PCOS patient picture and the many opportunities complementary medicine offers to sufferers where traditional medical approaches may have missed the mark.
Covered in this episode:
[01:10] Welcoming back Lara Briden
[01:40] Today's Topic: PCOS
[03:15] Understanding what PCOS is
[04:20] Diagnosis Criteria
[05:50] The different types of PCOS
[07:19] Incidence of insulin resistance and obesity
[08:43] Signs and symptoms
[12:49] Hirsutism and Hair loss
[14:28] Medical management of PCOS
[16:42] Hormonal birth control as a treatment
[17:54] Natural Medicine has a lot to offer
[20:07] Assessing insulin resistance
[21:22] Sex Hormone Binding Gobulin connection (SHBG)
[23:26] The problems with the oral contraceptive pill (OCP)
[25:28] Natural medicines: important dietary changes
[29:58] Exercise is an important prescription
[31:15] Magnesium - "the natural metformin"
[31:56] Lipoic acid
[32:38] Address Vitamin D deficiency
[37:24] Berberine
[40:28] N-acetyl-cysteine
[41:12] Treatments for non-insulin resistant PCOS
[42:44] Herbal combination: peony and liquorice
[45:57] False Unicorn Root
[46:25] Vitex
[47:37] Zinc
[49:44] Safety issues and risk factors
[53:30] Diindolymethane (DIM)
[54:11] "Don’t take the PCOS diagnosis at face value"
[54:46] Final summary and thanks
Additional resources
| Lara Briden's Healthy Hormone Blog |
| The Period Repair Manual |
| National Institutes for Health: PCOS |
| Australian Doctor: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome By Dr Warren Kidson |
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