Crystal is a 33 year old lady who came to see me for help with falling pregnant. She suffered with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) since being a teenager. She and her husband had been trying to conceive for the past 9 months. Her local doctor attributed the fertility struggles to PCOS and offered to write a referral to an IVF clinic. Crystal and her husband could not currently afford IVF. They wanted to explore low cost, natural alternatives.

The fertility struggles were causing Crystal to feel extremely distressed. Because she was under 35 years  old and she hadn’t been trying to conceive for 12 months yet, Crystal didn’t meet the official criteria for infertility. However, she and her husband hoped to have at least 2 children and Crystal was becoming increasingly anxious about potentially running out of time. Crystal’s husband had a semen analysis which did not find any problems with his sperm.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is the most common endocrine condition causing infertility in women.   It is characterized by elevated blood levels of androgens (male hormones), anovulatory cycles (failure to release an egg), insulin resistance, increased risk of heart disease, gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes, and weight gain. Not every woman will experience all of these symptoms, and they can vary in intensity.

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. It helps move blood sugar from the bloodstream into your cells, so it can be used for energy. If your cells don’t respond to a rise in blood sugar, the production of insulin increases as the pancreas makes more and more insulin.  Insulin resistance means that your body becomes less sensitive to insulin and loses the ability to regulate blood sugar properly. Insulin resistance is present in approximately thirty percent of slim women with PCOS and ninety five percent of overweight women with PCOS.

Crystal had done some reading about PCOS. She knew that sugar wasn’t good for the condition, so she tried to avoid it. Unfortunately Crystal was an emotional eater. She was an extremely anxious person. She was easily flustered and she worried a lot about the future. Eating was her number one method for coping with stress. Crystal attempted to choose healthy snacks but they were still extremely high in carbohydrate and she was eating while not hungry. She made her own snacks from fresh dates with nuts, and fruit sorbet. Crystal’s fasting insulin level was 23. This indicates profound insulin resistance. She needs a low carbohydrate diet.

High blood levels of insulin increase androgen production by the ovaries. Maturation of the follicles in the ovaries is disturbed, so that can egg may not get released during a menstrual cycle. If an egg isn’t released, fertilization cannot occur. Gestational diabetes is the most common pregnancy complication in women with PCOS.

If a woman doesn’t ovulate, she cannot produce sufficient progesterone. Lack of progesterone can cause anxiety, poor quality sleep and infertility. The use of a natural progesterone cream can be wonderful for helping to ameliorate these symptoms and improve fertility.

My recommendations for my patient

  •  It was important for Crystal to stay away from sugar and high carbohydrate foods. It can be difficult but it’s worth it. She wasn’t eating very satiating meals, thus felt excessively hungry throughout the day. I asked Crystal to base her diet on protein, natural fats and vegetables.
  • Glicemic Balance capsules help to stabilize blood sugar, reducing the fluctuations that can cause intense cravings.
  • Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome don’t produce sufficient progesterone. This hormone is made by the ovaries after ovulation, and women with PCOS do not ovulate regularly. Being low in progesterone aggravates the symptoms of PCOS, and it can cause terrible mood problems such as anxiety, depression and intense food cravings, making it impossible to stick to a healthy diet. Using a bio-identical progesterone cream in the second half of the menstrual cycle can be immensely therapeutic.
  • Crystal really needed magnesium. It is a mineral with an incredibly calming effect on the nervous system and muscles. It reduces anxiety and improves sleep quality. I asked Crystal to take one teaspoon of Magnesium Ultra Potent powder with her evening meal each day.
  •   Insulin resistant people cannot handle common levels of carbohydrate in their diet. They over-secrete insulin in response to eating carbs and they are less likely to feel satisfied after a meal, therefore tend to over eat. That means carbohydrate needs to be restricted in the diet. It is best to get carbohydrate from vegetables. I asked Crystal to follow  the low carbohydrate eating plan in the book Diabetes Type 2 – you can reverse it.

I saw Crystal again 4 weeks later. She was happy to report that she felt calmer and more in control of her diet and her health. She had lost 4 pounds and had a menstrual period 5 days ago. Women with PCOS typically menstruate infrequently. Crystal usually only menstruated half a dozen times a year. I will see Crystal for another consultation in 4 weeks time.

For more information about overcoming infertility, see my book Infertility: The Hidden Causes. How to overcome them naturally.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.