The PCOS Protocol. Now You Can Help Yourself!
Natural ways to reduce your PCOS load of symptoms if drugs and hormones are not doing enough.
Posted by Sue Visser | Last updated: Mar 25, 2013
An overload of DHT or dihydrotestosterone may be burdensome to females, but it is deadly for men! This protocol for PCOS helps to deactivate the 5-alpha reductase enzyme that makes DHT. We welcome both women as well as men to use this strategy to help control DHT.
Get to The Main Cause of PCOS: DHT. How Does it Happen?
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is only required during male puberty to deepen the voice, grow a beard and speed up the growth of his sexual organs. It has no place in a women’s body – never! This aggressive androgen is 90% more potent than the normal testosterone out of which it is made. Its activity is controlled by the liver. DHT secretion shuts down after puberty in males to prevent the development of any further androgenic characteristics. It is inactivated by beta-sitosterol.
Testosterone is vital to the mental and physical well being of men throughout life. Females only require 1% of the testosterone that males do. Testosterone is a precursor to oestrogen production outside of the ovaries in males and females. Melatonin controls aromatase, the enzyme that breaks testosterone down into a complex oestrogen called: 17-methylhydroxyestradiol. From here it splits into estrone and estriol providing the liver is healthy.
Let us look at the liver, where DHT is secretly emerging. Why? People who do not eat a variety of healthy fats, nuts and seeds will be lacking the key ingredient: beta-sitosterol. A diet that is deficient in protein and zinc and is overburdened by refined carbohydrates, especially too much sugar and bad fats, will result in insulin resistance to make matters worse. This is a problem that is common to both sexes – DHT dominance and insulin resistance.
Can we Use This PCOS Protocol for Prostate Problems as Well?
Yes, the first step is to: block, bind and deflect dihyrotestosterone and restore insulin sensitivity. This protocol has delivered excellent results over the years, to the surprise of many doctors! But please discuss this with your practitioner. Many natural remedies mimic the effects of drugs you take and your prescription may need adjustment. As such you should use this protocol prior to medical consent.
An adequate zinc intake is essential to prostate health and it helps with both male and female acne, insulin resistance, hair balding and infertility. Take 30 – 60 mg zinc per day.
Chrome supplements and herbs such as Sutherlandia and Gymnemia Silvestere improve insulin sensitivity. Speak to your health shop for suitable products to purchase.
To improve glucose uptake: boil up 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder in 1 cup of water. When cool, strain it and take 1-2 teaspoons of the liquid with every meal. This mimics the action of some drugs used for type 2 diabetes.
To keep the testosterone in firm bondage take supplements of 200mg beta-sitosterol. You can juice up 1 cup of fresh pumpkin seeds if you are already making juice in the blender. (See my article on juicing in this series at Suite 101.)
The remedy Agnus Castus (Chasteberry), especially for females, knocks DHT and testosterone off hormone receptors. It is more effective in tincture form because it enters the bloodstream directly from fine blood vessels in the mouth. Is is excellent for acne, moodiness, insomnia and menstrual problems. For some ladies it can reduce facial hair. It balances progesterone and often results in a pregnancy!
Additional progesterone can be produced in the body by stimulating its release naturally. One should always try to make a hormone instead of having supplementation. The red sweet potato method is surprisingly effective in restoring and even boosting progesterone activity. (See my article in this series.)
Take Saw palmetto supplements. They help to prevent the formation of DHT. Do not take excessive doses because new research suggests that it also blocks the activity of beneficial testosterone in men.
Iodine is essential. Bromine present in grain based foods such as bread and other carbohydrates depletes our iodine. Supplement with 2-3 drops of Lugol’s iodine. Iodine deficiency is a primary cause of ovarian cysts, thyroid imbalances and fibrocystic breast disease. (See my article on breast friendly deodorants.)
Take plenty of antioxidants in supplement form: vitamin A, C and E. Try some of the newer combinations that contain ALA (alphalipolic acid, selenium and herbal compounds.)
Avoid oestrogen boosting plants: sage, fennel, peas, soy beans, etc.
Take a good multivitamin supplement. B vitamins are essential to break down excess oestrogen in the liver. Extra vitamin B6 will reduce prolactin, the hormone that causes breasts to swell and get sore and reduces the sex drive.
Take 5 HTP known as hydroxytryptophan. 100 mg a day delivers adequate serotonin (for depression) dopamine (to reduce prolactin) and melatonin (to prevent excess testosterone from converting to bad oestrogen.)
Nettle root supplements also help to bind testosterone and block the receptors. The herb powder mixed with mint oil into a paste can block the effect of DHT on hair follicles too!
Take liver supplements like milk thistle, choline and inositol. Do a regular liver and gall flush so that a build up of steroid hormones, especially oestrogen can be eliminated.
Take supplements of cod liver oil. It is rich in vitamin A and D and will help to reduce inflammation and clear the skin.
Avoid food that may be causing autoimmune reactions and low grade inflammation. This is a vital key to losing weight and balancing hormones. Substitute with fresh fruit, salads and vegetables. Blood type diets exclude the foods that cause these and other hormonally disruptive or weight gaining effects
Eat less carbohydrates and more lean protein, especially fish that is rich in Omega 3 oil at every meal to help to block enzyme activity. It will also improve your insulin activity and balance blood sugar.
Cut out gluten (wheat, rye, oats and barley) and reduce the starches and sugars. Symptoms of gluten intolerance overlap with hormonal imbalances and some symptoms of PCOS.
Please print out this protocol and keep it in the kitchen to review every day. May you be free of DHT and PCOS!
This is part 2 of an update, based on the original questions that I was asked during an international radio show back in 2002. I hope this discussion will inspire women to take a closer look at natural ways they can control the activity of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) that causes this hormonal havoc. This PCOS protocol has been used to good effect by ladies from around the globe – from the USA to the Middle East.
Gluten free diet – solved the problem! Read this inspiring cased history.
My doctor could not find any physical problems with my fertility other than cysts on my ovaries and irregular periods. While doing some research I read about gluten and its effect on fertility. Bread and noodles were the basis of almost all my meals. I decided there was no use getting tested for gluten sensitivity, since the end result would be avoiding gluten anyway. Plus, I was bound and determined to become pregnant on my own. So I started a gluten-free diet. The first few days were a nightmare, I went through major withdraw symptoms (i.e., headache, nausea, tired, depressed).
After the withdrawal symptoms wore off, I felt better than I had in years. After a month on the diet, I went back to my doctor for an ultrasound checkup and to my (and my doctor’s) surprise, my cysts were completely gone!!! Before the diet, I would start spotting halfway through my luteal phase and continue thru to my period. After the diet, you guessed it, the spotting became shorter and more normal each cycle.
During the first two months on the diet, I was able to slowly reduce my anti-depressant medication from 100mg to 25mg. I am now on month five of my diet and last month was the first time I ovulated when I was supposed to, on my own and without the help of fertility drugs! I have not become pregnant yet, that I know of, but I feel more positive and hopeful than ever before. If you would have asked me a year ago to give up my bread, I would have laughed in your face! It is funny how the desire for a child makes you strong enough to conquer anything! If I can do it, YOU CAN DO IT! – Anon
References:
Clinical Gynaecologic Endocrinology and Fertility by Hulda Regher Clark 1995. Promotion Publishing. P 91, 110, 255, 384.
Diagnosis and Therapy of Androgenisation Edited by M. Breckwoldt. 1992. Diesbach.
The Cure for all Diseases by L Speroff, Robert H. Glass, Nathan G. Kase. Fourth edition 1989. Williams & Wilkins.
Medicinenet.com
Biblelife.org
Articlesbase.com