PCOS Supplements
Many women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) find it challenging to lose weight, especially those with insulin resistance.
If you have PCOS, you may be all too familiar with exercising, eating right, and doing all the right things—only to be frustrated when you step on the scale to see if your hard work has paid off.
Ironically, many women diagnosed with PCOS are ordered to “just lose weight” to make their symptoms better.
However, the problem is that losing weight with PCOS can be hard.
There are several reasons for this, which we’ll discuss in this article.
One of the primary focuses when looking for PCOS weight loss supplements is addressing nutrient deficiencies common in those with PCOS.
These deficiencies can contribute to stubborn weight loss, as they may increase inflammation, fatigue, insulin resistance, and hamper ovulation.
The Science Behind PCOS and Weight Gain
The Role of Insulin Resistance in PCOS Weight Gain
Insulin transports your blood sugar from the bloodstream to your cells so that it can be used as energy.
When you have PCOS, chronic stress can cause an overproduction of insulin, and can contribute to insulin resistance.
Other factors, such as your genetics and environmental factors (your diet, physical activity levels, sleep patterns, etc.) can also contribute to insulin resistance.
In the same way that PCOS has genetic links, insulin resistance can also be traced through your family history.
Your body reads constant stress as a call to continue dumping more sugar into your bloodstream for you to use as energy.
However, when the stress isn’t physical in nature, and you’re unlikely to use up the energy, the buildup of insulin can cause fat storage and weight gain.
This is one of the top reasons why many women with PCOS struggle to maintain their ideal weight.
Additionally, because insulin promotes fat storage, it can also act as an appetite stimulant, causing intense cravings in people who have become insulin-resistant.
Hormonal Imbalances and Their Impact on Metabolism
Hormonal imbalances can make weight loss difficult, even among those trying to eat less and exercise more.
In people with PCOS, this is the body’s way of protecting itself—it senses something is out of proportion, so it tries to hold on to its fat stores even more.
The hormones regulating hunger and satiety can also be affected by PCOS.
Studies show that appetite-regulating hormones like ghrelin, leptin, and cholecystokinin levels are impaired in those with PCOS.
As a result, people with PCOS may consume more calories than they actually need, leading to weight gain.
How Stress and Inflammation Influence Weight Gain
Stress and inflammation are also strongly tied to weight gain in women with PCOS.
Aside from raising insulin levels, stress has also been shown to influence inflammation in women with PCOS and vice versa.
Long-term, low-grade inflammation is common in women with PCOS, as the body sees the fluid-filled sacs (commonly referred to as “cysts”) in the ovaries as threats that need to be addressed, much like a virus.
The result is elevated inflammatory markers in those with PCOS.
Both stress and inflammation also disrupt hormonal regulation and insulin sensitivity, contributing to the mix of factors that cause weight gain.
The Vital Role of Supplements in PCOS Management
Studies have shown that taking the right vitamins and supplements can improve the overall health of someone with PCOS.
This is because supplements can help modulate critical pathways that impact PCOS symptoms, such as fat metabolism, insulin signaling, and insulin resistance.
How Nourished Natural Health Supplements Support Weight Loss
Nourished Natural Health has a wide range of high-quality supplements that target the root causes of PCOS symptoms, which can be unique to each individual.
If you’re unsure about your root cause, you can take a free assessment here.
Our supplements are formulated through thousands of hours of research and are science-backed to ensure safety and efficacy.
Nourished Natural Health’s PCOS supplements for healthy weight loss and metabolism are:
Cycle Regulate + Ovulate: 40:1 Myo & D-Chiro Inositol
This blend of Myo-Inositol and D-Chiro Inositol in a 40:1 ratio has been proven most effective in PCOS insulin and weight management.
Our Cycle Regulate + Ovulate supplement is designed to help you curb cravings, boost metabolism, and lose weight the healthy way.
PCOS Blood Sugar Balance
Created using scientifically proven natural ingredients, PCOS Blood Sugar Balance is a supplement blend designed to naturally support healthy weight and insulin levels.
PCOS symptoms like irregular periods and weight gain can be due to excess testosterone, which can also result from high levels of insulin.
Daily Omega+
Our Daily Omega+ supplement is made with the highest quality, ethically sourced omega-3 fish oil that’s free of heavy metals and doesn’t have a fishy aftertaste.
Omega 3 helps decrease hunger and boost fat metabolism, making it a powerful weight loss aid among women with PCOS.
Hormone Detox + Digestion
A powerful blend designed to support digestion, the Hormone Detox + Digestion supplement helps your body detox excess hormones naturally while relieving abdominal bloating and helping with weight loss.
Top Supplements for PCOS-Induced Weight Loss
Finding the right supplements and vitamins for PCOS weight loss can be overwhelming, especially if you’re just getting started trying to address your symptoms.
Let’s take a close look at the supplements that have been clinically proven to help with PCOS weight loss.
Inositol (But Just Not Any Inositol)
Inositol has been proven efficient in improving irregular cycles, promoting ovulation, enhancing egg quality, and increasing insulin sensitivity.
Two forms of inositol, Myo- and D-chiro inositol, are responsible for favorable effects in women with PCOS, particularly when taken in a 40:1 ratio.
This ratio mimics the natural inositol levels in our bodies, helps to fuel weight loss, and helps improve fertility without side effects.
Our Cycle Regulate + Ovulate supplement contains both inositols in the 40:1 ratio.
Chromium
Another supplement that has proven beneficial in curbing sugar, reducing food intake, and carbohydrate cravings is chromium, particularly chromium picolinate.
Chromium picolinate has trivalent chromium and picolinate acid.
When put together, it can help the body effectively absorb and benefit from chromium.
Studies show that chromium picolinate can help regulate blood sugar levels, improve cycle regularity, and encourage ovulation.
In a double-blind trial where women took the supplement for six months, those who took chromium picolinate showed reduced insulin levels, had more regular periods, and ovulated more often compared to the placebo group.
The PCOS Blood Sugar Balance supplement contains chromium, as well as other beneficial ingredients that can aid in PCOS weight loss.
Magnesium
A deficiency in Magnesium has also been identified as a contributing factor to insulin resistance in women with PCOS.
Magnesium is a mineral utilized in over 300 bodily processes and can significantly reduce inflammation levels in the body.
We store most of our Magnesium in our tissues and bones, so it’s hard to measure through blood tests—but apparently, Magnesium deficiencies are pretty common, affecting up to 20% of the general population and up to 75% of individuals with Type 2 Diabetes.
Magnesium helps to reduce sugar cravings, promote ovulation, and improve energy levels.
The PCOS Blood Sugar Balance supplement also has this mineral in the blend.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Studies show that Omega-3 supplements can significantly reduce testosterone and insulin levels in women with PCOS.
Other symptoms are also lessened with adequate Omega-3 supplementation, as it reduces androgen levels, reduces triglycerides, lowers blood pressure, reduces chronic inflammation, and promotes ovulation.
These fatty acids are sourced from fish oil and can also help women manage period pain and PMS symptoms.
Omega-3 can be sourced from a supplement or by adding more fatty fish to your diet.
If you hate fish, you can still take supplements like our Omega 3 Supplement for PCOS, Daily Omega+.
Cinnamon
Cinnamaldehyde is a special chemical compound responsible for cinnamon’s unique smell and flavor.
It also comes with many health benefits, especially if you have PCOS.
Studies show that around ½ teaspoon of cinnamon per day can help lower blood sugar and insulin levels and body weight.
Additionally, cinnamon helps regulate hormones, improve cycle regularity, and reduce period pain in women with PCOS.
A lot of cinnamon’s health benefits for the general population also apply to those with PCOS:
- It helps lower inflammation levels through antioxidants that fight free radicals and combat oxidative stress.
- It helps lower cholesterol levels, including total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides, while increasing HDL (good cholesterol).
Antioxidant Vitamins Like Vitamin C and E
PCOS patients have been proven to have higher levels of oxidative stress in the body.
This makes taking antioxidant vitamins like C and E essential, as they act as “scavengers” to help fight free radicals and protect our cells.
Vitamin C also helps increase metabolic and antioxidant enzymes in PCOS-affected women, especially those with higher levels of testosterone in the blood.
Vitamin E, on the other hand, has been shown to help reduce body weight and fat mass while promoting egg quality and ovulation.
Choosing the Best PCOS Supplements for Weight Loss
Here’s a quick rundown of criteria you can use to find quality PCOS weight loss supplements:
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Purity and potency: Ingredients should be in their optimal amount so that they’re effective but not harmful. Supplements should also be free of harmful additives and fillers like heavy metals, chemicals, and contaminants.
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Manufacturing standards: Supplements should adhere to product quality standards and should ideally have certification indicative of independent third-party testing.
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Synergistic combination with other ingredients: Synergistic supplementation takes supplements that work really well together to make something that will help improve a person’s overall health and well-being.
- Reputation and expertise in PCOS management: Supplements should be made of high-quality ingredients through a research-based approach and should be well-received by real women with PCOS who have experienced positive results.
Nourished Natural Health: Top-Rated Supplements for PCOS
At Nourished Natural Health, our curated supplements for women with PCOS are designed to work individually or synergistically with other supplements as part of a bundle.
We use only high-quality ingredients, with each supplement designed to help women heal the root cause of their unique PCOS type.
Our supplements are research-based and have been proven safe and effective.
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