There is a close but complicated relationship between weight and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). More than half of women with PCOS are overweight. The condition is a common cause of infertility and can also increase a person's risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
People with PCOS are also more likely to gain weight and often find it more difficult to lose extra pounds. But why is weight gain so common in PCOS? Are there tactics to help maintain a healthy weight?
Does polycystic ovary syndrome cause weight gain?
This is like the question of whether the chicken or the egg came first: it is not clear. It is not yet known if PCOS causes weight gain, or vice versa.
Hormonal imbalance
If you have PCOS, you may have higher levels of androgens, so-called "male" hormones such as testosterone. Although everyone has androgens in their bodies, levels are generally elevated for people with the syndrome compared to people with ovaries without the condition.
This increase in androgens not only contributes to weight gain, but is also implicated in common PCOS symptoms such as irregular periods and unwanted facial hair (called hirsutism).
Resistance to insulin
Insulin resistance is a key part of the relationship between weight and PCOS. This occurs when the body does not use the insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, as it should. Normally, insulin takes the sugar in the food you eat from your bloodstream and deposits it in your cells to be used for energy.
But with insulin resistance, the sugar stays in the bloodstream and is not stored in the cells. Instead, it is sent to fat. This is a risk factor for type diabetes 2. In fact, more than half of people diagnosed with PCOS develop type 2 diabetes before the age of 40. Insulin can also contribute to high androgen levels.
Why is it difficult to lose weight if you have PCOS?
Many women have a hard time losing those extra pounds. That may be due to the Insulin Resistance, since blood sugar is converted to fat instead of being stored for energy.
Excess weight can also have psychological effects that double this difficulty. One is self esteem. Symptoms like hirsutism and being overweight can turn into emotional eating, which can exacerbate the problem.
Here's one thing we do know: Losing weight, if necessary, can help alleviate PCOS symptoms, such as irregular periods and infertility. It can also reduce the risk of future complications such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Typically, the severity of PCOS symptoms increases as a person gains weight.
Once again, science points to the role of insulin resistance. For people with PCOS, weight loss improved insulin resistance while lowering blood sugar levels, body mass index, weight and abdominal fat, according to a July 2020 meta-analysis. XNUMX in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
How can you control polycystic ovarian syndrome and weight?
There is no cure for the syndrome, so doctors rely on medications to relieve specific symptoms and, unsurprisingly, lifestyle changes. High on the list of lifestyle changes: lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
Diet and exercise
There is no official (or unofficial) diet for PCOS. Instead, it is advised that they follow the same type of balanced diet that all of us should also follow, with a couple of added emphases.
- Includes all food groups. It is important to include carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats in your meals. Calorie-restricted diets and the DASH diet may be good options for losing weight and improving insulin resistance, according to a meta-analysis in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
- Focus on fruits, vegetables, and fiber from whole grains. Fiber helps control blood sugar, which keeps your energy level up, which helps with exercise.
- Make your fats healthy. That means polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, as well as Omega-3s, which are abundant in fatty fish (like sardines, salmon, mackerel, tuna), flaxseeds, spinach, and walnuts.
- Consider fermented foods and drinks such as yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut. People with PCOS may have less diverse bacteria in their gut, according to a January 2017 pilot study in PLOS One. Having more diverse bacteria is associated with better health. There is some evidence that people with PCOS may benefit from these fermented foods. Eating them introduces probiotics, also known as good-for-you bacteria, into your gut.
- don't eat too late. Unfortunately, many Spaniards eat a hearty dinner and go to bed to sleep. Ideally, you should finish eating around 7 or 7:30.
El exercise It's also important, as studies show it can affect waist circumference and body fat. Physical activity has to be part of the weight loss equation.
Sleep enough is also a priority for weight loss. When we don't sleep, it is a stressor for the body and can make losing weight very difficult.
Pharmaceutical products
La metformin is a diabetes medication that doctors sometimes prescribe as a PCOS treatment to help regulate blood sugar and insulin. Some people also lose weight on the drug. An early (but usually temporary) side effect can be nausea.
weight loss surgery
the surgery of gastric bypass It is a last resort for people with PCOS. Evidence is emerging that these procedures can solve problems like insulin resistance, according to a July 2020 study in Therapeutic Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism.