Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, commonly referred to as PCOS, is a troublesome condition that affects as many as 10% of women worldwide, myself included. The main irregularity associated with PCOS is an increase in androgen hormones, which lead to complications as wide-ranging as infertility or acne.
Doctors often recommend birth control and hormonal medication to women dealing with this condition, but if you prefer a natural approach, supplements and vitamins for PCOS are a valid alternative or complementary treatment.
As a naturopath, I find that these are the best supplements for PCOS. We’ll start with an overview of what vitamins are good for PCOS. Then I’ll give some recommendations depending on your specific concerns, like fertility, fatigue, or weight loss.
Vitamins and Natural Supplements for PCOS – Overview
PCOS is a complex condition that usually stems from some sort of hormonal imbalance. It’s usually caused by an overproduction of androgens (i.e. male hormones), but other hormones can also play a role.
PCOS often comes hand in hand with insulin resistance. It leads to complications like high blood sugar, diabetes, weight gain, and heart disease. Supplements for PCOS help address hormonal balance, insulin resistance, and the specific nutritional deficiencies common to PCOS.
Inositol
Inositol is a type of carbocyclic sugar that provides a natural way of regulating the body’s insulin response. It’s considered the best PCOS supplement thanks to its wide-ranging and well-proven effects, and it’s often worth taking regardless of your specific concerns.
First, it helps improve metabolic activity and reduce insulin resistance, thereby potentially decreasing your risk of further heart or blood sugar complications. Insulin resistance can actually worsen hormonal imbalance but, thankfully, inositol can help rectify that. In multiple studies, inositol has also been found to help regulate ovulation and promote fertility.
Vitamin D for PCOS
Another important supplement is vitamin D. There is a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and PCOS with insulin resistance, so taking vitamin D shows promise for restoring insulin sensitivity. While vitamin D doesn’t seem to impact androgen levels, it’s still extremely beneficial for overall health, especially if functional medicine testing shows a deficiency.
The best form of vitamin D for PCOS is vitamin D3, with the most scientific research proving its effectiveness.
Mineral Supplements for PCOS
Mineral supplementation can be very useful especially when it comes to reducing insulin resistance and lipid metabolism in PCOS. Magnesium, zinc, chromium, and selenium are very useful in this regard, especially if you are experiencing mineral deficiencies.
Omega-3s
Omega 3 fatty acids are most present in fish oil, but can also be found in plant-based supplements. They help reduce oxidative damage, improve lipid profiles, and decrease inflammation. This makes them especially beneficial if you’re at high risk for cardiovascular disease as a result of your PCOS.
B Vitamins
Vitamins like B12, B6, and folic acid offer a few benefits for women with PCOS. One of their jobs is to keep homocysteine levels low. Homocysteine is often too high in women with PCOS and can worsen or even cause insulin resistance. Additionally, ovulation-regulating medication metformin can often decrease B12 and folic acid levels in the body, so supplementation may be necessary to reduce its negative side effects.
Probiotics
Probiotics are healthy bacteria known for their positive impact on gut health. In PCOS, they’re incredibly beneficial because they help affect a few of the underlying causes of PCOS, like inflammation, insulin resistance, and androgen overproduction (especially when related to cortisol levels and adrenal function).
Best Supplements for PCOS Based on Concern
Looking for supplements that will aid with a specific PCOS concern? It’s always better to conduct functional medicine testing to understand if you’re lacking in any specific nutrients. Even so, here are some of the treatments normally recommended for the main PCOS symptoms.
Vitamins for PCOS Fertility
If you are looking to conceive, it’s important to choose supplements that regulate menstruation. Vitamin D, inositol and B vitamins have shown the most promise when it comes to improving fertility. You can often find the correct level of nutrients by choosing the right prenatal vitamins for PCOS, especially if you consult a naturopath.
Vitamins for PCOS Fatigue
In PCOS, fatigue is often a side effect of insulin resistance and adrenal fatigue. Many PCOS supplements can help address insulin resistance, so it’s important to first identify what’s behind your fatigue. In general, however, inositol and B vitamins can be very useful.
Vitamins for PCOS Weight Loss
It can be difficult to lose weight when you have PCOS, but supplements that reduce insulin resistance, improve your lipid profile, and boost metabolism will all help. Inositol, once again, is the star, but vitamin D, mineral supplements, probiotics, omega 3, and berberine can all make a difference. Remember that these supplements are not a replacement for making healthy lifestyle changes, though.
Supplement Correctly
Holistic medicine treats PCOS primarily through lifestyle changes, but natural supplements and vitamins play a big role. They’re important as an alternative or a complement to traditional medicine. But naturopaths do not blindly recommend supplements.
In functional medicine, we believe in treating the patient as a whole being. That means that we first want to identify the root cause of your PCOS and have a holistic understanding of what’s happening in your body. Based on that, we can design a treatment protocol that’s tailored to your needs and goals, whether they’re related to fertility, mood, weight loss, or anything else.
Book a consultation, and we can get you started on an informed, holistic path to treating your PCOS.