Reducing Androgens with PCOS

Today's focus will be how to reduce androgens while struggling with Policystic Ovarian Syndrome. Having high androgens can lead to symptoms such as oily skin, growth of facial hair, or excessive hair around the body (also known as hirsutism) and acne around the chin.

While primarily you should focus on a whole foods diet that will regulate your blood sugar levels and provide all the nutrients for achieving hormonal balance, there are some supplements that can help you to navigate the symptoms.

Here are some supplements that if introduced can help with slowly lowering the androgen production

• Spearmint Tea: it has been shown to help to reduce androgen levels. Two cups daily is optimal to reduce free testosterone levels and increase luteinizing hormone. Since it decreases the production of sebum, spearmint tea will help with the clogged pores and acne.

  
  

• Inositol: this one is part of the B-vitamins, it can be found in fruits, beans, grains and nuts. There are nine forms of inositol, but MYO and D-chiro-Inositol have shown the best results in women with PCOS. MYO Inositol has whown improvement in ovulation and egg quality. You can consult your physician on the ideal dose to introduce in your supplement routine, which is usually a combination of 2-4 grams of MYO and 50-100mg of D-Chiro.

  
  

• Omega 3s: some of the benefits of introducing an Omega-3 supplement or increasing the intake of foods high in this fatty acids are: it lowers triglycerides, it improves moods and reduces inflammation, it does improve egg quality and ovulation, it will also help to lower androgens.

  You can take a supplement, usually fish oil being the best source of omega-3 fats. Or ensuring an intake of cold-water or fatty fish twice per week: salmon, tuna, trout and halibut being the best sources. Vegetarian sources are walnuts, chia and flaxseeds. You could also get a supplement with ALA.

  
  

• Vitamin D: studies have shown an improvement in menstrual periods, increase folliculogenesis and decreased blood testosterone levels in women presenting PCOS symptoms.

  Within your body, some of the roles of Vitamin D are bone metabolism, reduction in inflammation, follicule maturation and fertility, and glucose and insuline metabolism, as well as helping with the immune system function.

  Vitamin D supplementation can reduce total testosterone levels. So you can get a vitamin D3 supplement or ensuring an adequate consumption of egg yolks, sardines, fatty fish and sun exposure.

It is also important to be mindful of your stress levels, taking action to lower your cortisol with different practices such as breathwork, gentle excercise, nature walks or meditation. It is also worth considering to diminish the amount of stimulants in your diet, for instance: coffee, tea, chocolate, energy or sugary drinks. Instead, you can start opting for introducing green tea, yerba mate, guarana, ginseng or maca root for energy that will not drain your adrenal health.

Another point worth mentioning here is to consider the kind of excercise that you are doing. Strength training has an impact on androgens, since it improves insulin sensitivity and can lower androgen levels. Building muscle will increase resting metabolic rate.

PCOS presents many challenges to women, when you can start loosing confidence due to the symptoms it is showing in your body. But remember, each symptom is your body's wisdom communicating something to you. It is a condition that can be managed mindfully, if you start to listen to yourself and take action to restore balance in your body.