PCOS and Insulin Resistance

Another telltale symptom of PCOS is steady, significant weight gain — even with reduced caloric intake. Some women report that they’re gaining weight no matter what they do. It’s not unusual for patients with PCOS to tell me they’ve recently gained 60 or more pounds in less than a year, despite dieting all the time and exercise. This weight usually accumulates around their middle. Why do some women with PCOS gain weight at such alarming rates? The research is showing that PCOS is strongly linked with insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance — a condition some people get by eating too many carbohydrates — leads to sustained high levels of insulin in the bloodstream. It is possible that this extra insulin hitches onto the receptors lining the ovary and stimulates cyst production. This is an issue that should be monitored because women with insulin resistance have a much higher risk of developing other serious health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome.
On the bright side, women with insulin resistance and PCOS respond very well to modifications in their diet, adding nutritional support in the form of soy and other functional foods, multivitamins, minerals and omega-3’s, and beginning an exercise program. We’ve found that our patients often get normal periods as their insulin levels normalize. Insulin resistance is always treatable, which for us as practitioners is very exciting!

http://www.womentowomen.com/insulinresistance/pcos.aspx?id=1&campaignno=pcoscontent&adgroup=ag2polycystic&adtype=content&keywords=polycystic+ovary+syndrome+pcos