The New PCOS Study: What You Need to Know

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) affects one in 10 women in the United States (and an estimated one in five women worldwide) and it’s the leading cause of female infertility. So when a new study claims to have found a pharmaceutical cure for PCOS, it makes a big splash in the headlines.When I was younger, I might have jumped on this story as a beacon of hope. I suffered from PCOS and a crushing list of symptoms: severe cystic acne on my chest and back, depression, weight gain, and irregular ovulation. I would have done pretty much anything to stop them.If you find yourself today where I was a decade ago, you might be intrigued by this recent study. One pill might solve all your symptoms! But the secret behind this new PCOS “cure” is that it’s not really a cure at all. First, the body’s hormonal system is far too intricate and environmentally sensitive to have one root cause (and, hence, one solution). “There are a lot of things that can upset the balance of what’s going on hormonally,” professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern, Lauren Streicher, MD, tells The Cut. “We wish with all medical conditions that we could have a one-cause, one-effect sort of thing, but that’s just not the nature with most medical conditions.”Second, the study was done on mice—and what news reports often ignore is that mice aren’t people. Knowing what worked for mice is a far cry from knowing what might help human beings.Finally, the “cure” is a drug. While drugs have an important place in the Western medical arsenal, sometimes they can do more harm than good when it comes to hormonal conditionsTake hormonal birth control, which is commonly prescribed for PCOS. The pill can have serious side effects and it doesn’t solve the core hormonal imbalances at the heart of PCOS. It merely covers them up. It’s too early to tell if the same is true for cetrorelix, the drug used in the study. I put my PCOS into remission with food and lifestyle changes. You can, too.

What You Need to Know About the Study

Researchers at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research suspected that PCOS might be triggered in utero by overexposure to a specific hormone (called anti-Müllerian hormone). They tested their theory by injecting anti-Müllerian hormone into pregnant mice and observing symptoms in their female offspring.Indeed, the daughters of the mice injected with anti-Müllerian hormone showed many of the same symptoms as women with PCOS: irregular ovulation, delayed pregnancy, and fewer offspring. Then the researchers treated the symptomatic mice with cetrorelix, a drug that is commonly used during IVF, and the symptoms reversed. Naturally, the idea that a drug could reverse PCOS generated a lot of excitement. But treatment in humans is a long way off, the side effects and long-term consequences of the drug require more research, and the body’s intricate hormone system is unlikely to be thrown off balance—and brought back into balance—by one single intervention.But the best news of all? You don’t need drugs to feel better. You can find the answers to easing your symptoms in your home, on your plate, and in your supplement drawer. Best of all, when you make lifestyle and nutrition modifications, you address the root hormonal imbalances that give rise to PCOS, something a drug can’t do. Your Food & Lifestyle Rx for PCOS. PCOS is still best addressed with food and lifestyle. Ready to feel better without drugs? Here’s your step-by-step plan:Get some healthy protein and healthy fat at breakfast.You want to get some of both macronutrients for your first meal of the day, which you should eat within 30 minutes of waking up, to help keep blood sugar steady—and keep you feeling full—until lunch. Eggs and avocado make a good combo. Consider adding some leafy greens or other veggies so your plate is brimming with inflammation-fighting and detox-promoting phytonutrients.Don’t overdo animal protein.A Harvard study showed that women improved their chances of fertility when they got more of their protein from vegetable sources than animal sources. For the absolute best sources of protein for your hormones, click here. (Spoiler alert: eggs are included. They appear to be the exception to the rule when it comes to animal protein!)Don’t fear carbs. Not all carbs are created equal. While some carbohydrates are notoriously bad for health—think baked goods, white bread, pasta—others are important for hormonal harmony. Most women with PCOS struggle on a low-carb diet, like Atkins or Paleo. I recommend making rice, quinoa, buckwheat and millet part of your regular diet. Ditch caffeine. Caffeine is a catastrophe for your hormones. So many studies link caffeine with impaired fertility (which is a hallmark of PCOS) and hormonal discord that it’s hard to keep up with them all. Here’s just a few: research shows that drinking 3 cups of coffee a day (consumed by either men or women) increases the risk of miscarriage by 74%. Coffee is considered equal to drinking alcohol and smoking in terms of impairing fertility. And coffee depletes the B vitamins that are so necessary for healthy ovulation and hormone balance. If you suspect you’re low on B vitamins, you can find the formula I recommend in my Balance Supplement Kit. Steer clear of toxins. Many of the everyday chemicals we’re exposed to through cleaning products, conventional health and body care products, and lawn care products and household pesticides are endocrine disruptors and are known to to have negative reproductive, neurological, and immune system effects. The Environmental Working Group lists 12 of the worst endocrine offenders. Read labels on cleaning products carefully or, better yet, make your own products with vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils. A study commissioned by the independent research group, Women’s Voices for the Earth, found that a large number of popular cleaning products contained toxic chemicals that weren’t listed on the labels.Sync your life to your cycle. When you live your life in accordance with your natural hormonal rhythms, your hormones are happier—and so are you. It’s as simple as that. Sync your life with the MyFLO tracker, the first ever hormone balancing app. Tend your microbiome. A healthy microbiome, the group of bacteria that lives in your gut, means a healthy estrobolome, the colony of bacteria in the microbiome that help metabolize estrogen. Hormonal healing is impossible if your gut is out of balance. The best way to bring your microbiome into balance is to supplement with probiotics. Patch up nutrient deficiencies. Micronutrient support is critical for women with PCOS. Our bodies need the B vitamins that can help with mood and progesterone production; the liver support that helps detox estrogen; the magnesium that helps balance the production of progesterone, estrogen and testosterone; the probiotics that help heal the gut; and vitamins D, K1, and K2 to support healthy immune function and regular ovulation. You can find all these supplements together in the Balance Supplement Kit I created specifically to bring hormones back into balance. Always remember that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making healthy choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,Alisa

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If you’re needing some health upgrading, it’s time you started you looking into what’s going on with your hormones.I’ve designed a 4-day hormone detox and evaluation to help you understand exactly what’s out of whack and how you can start getting back to balance so that your hormones no longer have to suffer.I’ve designed a 4-day hormone detox and evaluation to help you understand exactly what’s out of whack and how you can start getting back to balance so that your hormones no longer have to suffer.Click here to get your FREE detox and evaluation.