Chinese Herbs and PCOS

BY Li Zheng and Charlene Barone

PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal condition affecting women during their reproductive age. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown. It can cause infertility, cystic acne, excessive facial hair growth, and irregular period. Read on to know more about the condition and how the ancient wisdom of Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM) can help with it.

Symptoms of PCOS

Symptoms and signs of PCOS can typically appear during puberty, around the time of the first menstrual period. It can also develop later in life, for instance, as a response to considerable weight gain or metabolic syndrome. Missed, irregular, infrequent, or prolonged menstrual periods are signs of PCOS. The symptoms may vary; however, irregular or prolonged periods are the most common sign. You might experience fewer than nine periods a year or weight gain over the years with high cholesterol. As PCOS results in excessive androgen, male hormones, physical signs like excess facial and body hair, severe acne, male pattern baldness, etc., may occur. Your ovaries might appear enlarged and contain many cystes which can release testosterone. Your ovaries may fail to release eggs. Other signs may include darkened skin or skin tags on the neck and armpit, mood changes, pelvic pain, and weight gain around your middle. The symptoms can be severe if you are obese with high cholesterol and high blood sugar level. Interestingly, many skinny women can develop PCOS too because of high sugar intake with high insulin levels.

Causes of PCOS

Long-term taking birth control pill can lead to PCOS, high sugar diet can cause a metabolic syndrome with the high level of insulin, which lead to inflammation of your ovaries and uterus. Hypothyroid condition can also lead to poor circulation to ovaries and uterus and PCOS. The hyperactive sympathetic nervous system has been verified to reduce ovarian function and cause PCOS.

Ancient Chinese Medicine and Chinese Herbs

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient practice of medicine. The basic principle is that a life force called Qi surges through a normal healthy body. It is a vital force or energy that gets balanced through two opposing forces called yin and yang. These forces find their expression in factors like cold and heat, descending and ascending, rest and active, dampness and dryness, etc. The perfect balance of these forces brings perfect health to your body. However, any internal or external factors can disturb the balance of Qi and cause illness. TCM identifies these factors and brings back the balance of your body. Chinese herbs are associated with the external elements of earth, fire, water, wood, and metal. Proper use of these medicinal herbs helps regain the balance between your internal organs and external elements, which ultimately results in regained health. The treatment under the TCM is holistic in nature. Approach an experienced practitioner to assess your condition.

TCM and PCOS

Chinese medicine, both herbs, and acupuncture are found to be highly effective in treating PCOS. A review study published by the National Library of Medicine (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28359195/) demonstrates that many herbs can be used to address the PCOS root cause so they can improve ovarian function, regulate women’s period and help infertility. Furthermore, certain herbs such as Cinnamomum verum, Trigonella foenum-graecum L., and Vitex agnus-castus can help women restore insulin sensitivity so their bodies can metabolize sugar more efficiently instead of store them as fat tissue. When the normal ovulation is restored, there will be less testosterone production because the follicles will release eggs every month instead of becoming cysts releasing testosterone. Trigonella foenumgraecum also can help reduce inflammation and has anti-virus and anti-bacteria effect. Furthermore, vitex can help women produce more milk, reduce PMS syndrome and reduce acne. When women take herbs for 3 to 6 months, their hormones are more balanced and they can lose weight.