Hormone imbalances are a very common problem due to the fact that we live in a toxic environment. Add in the off-label use of birth control (see the video on why birth control robs your health) and you have a perfect storm that leads to PCOS, (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) fibroids, and endometriosis. The common medical treatment is more hormones (birth control) or surgery (hysterectomy). There is a better way.
What exactly is PCOS? It is a combination of increased androgens (male hormones like testosterone), ovulatory dysfunction, and cysts. It begins with an increase in production in insulin. Having an increase of Insulin will cause resistance which causes your ovaries to make more androgens and decrease the sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). This eventually leads to more estrogen being made as well causing cysts and ovulatory dysfunction. This cycle feeds itself through insulin resistance making it useless to add estrogen as a treatment (in the form of birth control) to treat it.
Women diagnosed with PCOS will be at a higher risk for heart disease and diabetes. The increase in insulin leads to inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut dysbiosis (microbe imbalance). How do you treat the PCOS? Lifestyle factors play a huge role. You must look at diet first to help reduce insulin resistance. Working on creating a healthy gut and reducing the oxidative stress inside the body is key. Also, addressing the inflammation going on within the body will help the insulin enter the cell to work as it should.
The diet most choose is Mediterranean Diet as it is low in carbohydrates and high in good fats. Protein and amino acids are important as they are the building blocks of all tissues. Supplements added to a diet that will help control the insulin. Using myo-inositol, berberine, and magnesium is helpful. To aid with cravings, I like to use tryptophan and B3 to reduce cravings at night. This is the first step in healing the body. Oxidative stress can be reduced by using Dynamic Fruits and Greens and NAC as this will help scavenge these in the body.
Fibroids and Endometriosis happen due to being sensitive to estrogen. There are often painful periods, infertility, dysmenorrhea, and low sex drive or painful sex. Someone with Endometriosis has high levels of an enzyme called Aromatase. It creates more estrogen in the body and more inflammation in the uterus. The pesticide Round-Up also causes more Aromatase to be activated during digestion so eating an organic diet is key to reducing this enzyme.
To treat fibroids and endometriosis, you need to reduce estrogen in the body and improve the elimination of estrogen by the body. The body gets rid of estrogen through the digestive tract and during the menstrual cycle. So pooping efficiently is crucial. Using a medical food and fiber is a great way to improve estrogen elimination. Add in Indol 3 carbinol and calcium D glucorate (supplements) will help bind the estrogen in the gut so it can be gotten rid of safely. I also like to support the stomach acid and gallbladder as bile is very important to break down estrogen in the body. Improving insulin sensitivity with berberine, fish oil, MCT oil, and turmeric will help greatly in this process.
To help maintain this healing, one should continue to maintain the health of the gut. Using medical food to improve the terrain in the gut and adding in pre and probiotics will make sure your body can eliminate the estrogen moving forward. It has been said often that all disease starts in the gut, so maintaining a well-working gut will be necessary for your overall health.
Taking medication or going through unnecessary surgery is not addressing the problem. Getting to the root cause will improve your health in the long run. Look to the cause and you can heal the body.
-Dr. Brian Opp, Chiropractor