I am not familiar with PCOS. I only know a couple of people who have it, both of whom have fertility problems as well. I had been wondering how to find out more info when, lo and behold, my February issue of Natural Health had an article titled, "Weighty Matters" by Lisa Drayer, MA, RD on the cover. Perfect timing. The article was hefty with facts and info, especially for a newcomer like me. I wish that the article had focused more on the emotional impact of PCOS. This is another area that I am interested in and looking forward to learning more about. Here is what I learned in a nutshell.

General

• The abbreviation stands for polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Around 6 million American women have the syndrome.
• Symptoms can include: fertility issues; insulin resistance; high cholesterol; type 2 diabetes; food cravings; weight gain (especially around the middle); increased testosterone; ovaries covered in small cysts.
• Diagnosing PCOS can be difficult and may require seeing many specialists before a diagnosis can be made.
• Treatment plans should vary from patient to patient and not be one size fits all as the syndrome can vary greatly from woman to woman.

Treatment options

• In obese women, losing 5% of body weight can help with the regulation of menstruation, insulin resistance and testoterone levels.
• If seeing an RD for treatment, the diet would be high protein and low carbohydrate for the insulin resistance.
• If seeing a trainer, a strict exercise regimine would be prescribed.
• Women with PCOS can suffer from inflammatory disorder as well, which could be improved with an anti-inflammatory diet. This diet includes fish, produce, daily nut intake, moderate meat consumption and olive oil.
• Sometimes omega-3 supplements will be encouraged to increase the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids to reduce cravings of carbs.
• The article also stated that Traditional Chinese Medicine may also be helpful to PCOS sufferers, but this has not had a lot of clinical data to support it.