PCOS & Our Bodies

Welome! OurPCOS is a place for females with PCOS to come and meet women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, find healthy recipes and workout routines, learn more information on PCOS, or just receive support! Disclaimer: I am neither a doctor nor nutritionist, but will answer questions to the best of my knowledge and research, however, it is best to consult with your doctor before starting any diet plan, cleanse, and/or supplements. All articles are sourced to the original post. No recipes, information, or articles are mine unless stated otherwise. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common female endocrine disorders that is affecting women in numbers as high as one out of ten, although many cases remain undiagnosed because symptoms differ from one woman to another. While one woman may experience a range of symptoms, another may have little to none. PCOS is a condition in which the sex hormones in a female’s body are imbalanced, which can cause cysts on the ovaries, weight gain, changes in menstrual cycle, trouble getting pregnant, and other problems. If left untreated, it can lead to heart disease and endometrial cancer. At this time PCOS is not curable but with medication, exercise, and healthy eating, the symptoms can be treated.
Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D to Help Combat Your PCOS? Part 1

Women with PCOS appear to be prone to vitamin D deficiency. A lack of it may contribute to some of the biochemical abnormalities seen with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

In a study of 13 women with PCOS, five were found to have obvious vitamin D deficiency and three others had borderline-low vitamin D status. All 13 women were then treated with vitamin D and calcium.

Of the nine women with absent or irregular menstruation prior to vitamin D treatment, seven experienced normalization of their menstrual cycles within two months and the other two became pregnant. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding also came to an end.

Low vitamin D has been linked to classic conditions associated with PCOS, such as insulin resistance, obesity and fatty liver degeneration. Functions of vitamin D include improved insulin sensitivity, better bone health, reduction of inflammation and longer lifespan.

If you shun the sun, suffer from milk allergies or adhere to a strict vegetarian diet, you may be at risk for vitamin D deficiency. Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is produced by the body in response to sunlight. It is also occurs naturally in a few foods — including some fish, fish liver oils, and egg yolks - and in fortified dairy and grain products.

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones because it helps the body use calcium. Traditionally, vitamin D deficiency has also been associated with rickets - a disease in which the bone tissue doesn’t properly mineralize, leading to soft bones and skeletal deformities.

Increasingly, however, research is also revealing the importance of vitamin D in protecting against a host of health problems such as thyroid trouble, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance and multiple-sclerosis.

Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness can mean you have a vitamin D deficiency. But for many people, the symptoms are subtle. Yet even without symptoms, too little vitamin D can pose health risks. Low blood levels of the vitamin have been associated with the following:

  • Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease
  • Cognitive impairment in older adults
  • Severe asthma in children
  • Cancer

Next week we’ll look at how to fight back against vitamin D deficiency.

Sincerely,
 
Christine DeZarn
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association, Inc. (PCOSA) 
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