Treatment for 4 Types of PCOS. Treat the Cause.
I invite you to think differently about polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the types of PCOS.
PCOS is not one thing. It is not one disease. Instead, PCOS is a set of symptoms, with the key symptom being impaired ovulation which leads to androgen excess or a high level of male hormones. Androgen excess then causes the common PCOS symptoms of hair loss, hirsutism, and acne.
To treat PCOS you must first ask: “Why, in your particular case, do you not ovulate?”
Insight into Acne. Why Dairy, Sugar, and Insulin Are Bad for Skin
If you suffer from acne or treat acne, then 2012 was an important year. That’s when this ground-breaking paper came out of Germany: Diet in Acne: Further Evidence for the Role of Nutrient Signalling in Acne Pathogenesis.
One sentence from the abstract says it all:
“Acne should be regarded as an mTOR-driven disease of civilization, like obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancer induced by Western diet.”
8 Ways Magnesium Rescues Hormones
As my patients can tell you, I prescribe magnesium for almost every hormonal condition, including PCOS, insulin resistance, PMDD, migraines, and perimenopause.
Magnesium deficiency is common because modern soils are depleted, and your body dumps magnesium during stress. So, if you’re under stress, you probably need magnesium.
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Ode to Ovulation
Ovulation is beneficial because it’s how women make hormones.
Every month, as the ovaries get ready to release an egg, they pump out estrogen. Estrogen, in turn, stimulates serotonin, which is why women can be more outgoing and energetic in the few days leading up to ovulation.
Every month, after ovulation, one of the ovaries releases a huge amount of progesterone—the calming, soothing, anti-inflammatory hormone.
Sugar Is the Worst Carb. Reclaiming the No-Dessert Diet
Sugar is a carb. It is the worst carb. This should be stating the obvious, I know, so apologies if you already understand this. But I really feel it needs to be said because I’ve had some distressing conversations with patients. They’re very careful to avoid a potato with dinner, but think it’s fine to have a little something for dessert. “Potatoes are a bad carb,” they tell me.
How did we get to the point where starch with the evening meal is believed to cause more weight gain than dessert? Why do people fear rice, but are happy to eat natural sweeteners like dates or agave which are almost pure fructose?
Most Of Us Have Thyroid Nodules. Do They Matter?
Thyroid tissue is strange tissue. It’s delicate and fatty, with a rich blood supply. It’s vulnerable to toxins such as mercury, which accumulate in the thyroid.
Even more strange is the histology or microstructure of the gland. It’s composed of little bubbles or sacs (follicles) that house the oxidative reactions of iodine transfer and hormone production. The surrounding tissue is shielded from these mini-cauldrons by only a single layer of cells. Imagine a pile of water balloons full of hazardous chemicals, and you get a sense of the precariousness of this gland. When tissue damage occurs, the body responds with repair and growth, and unfortunately at times over-growth, resulting in nodules and goitre.