Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary
Leading the change to better periods and hormones
Articles about the role of thyroid disease and autoimmunity in women’s health problems such as PCOS, infertility, and perimenopause.
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?”
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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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.
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.