Juicing Makes a Difference in PCOS

Juicing Makes a Difference in PCOS

While many hormonal imbalances can occur at the same time in PCOS, there is a special relationship between insulin resistance and high testosterone levels. Insulin resistance is a condition in which cells switch off insulin receptors in order to avoid being flooded with glucose coming from the bloodstream. If they absorb the glucose, they have to burn it, and making large amounts of energy with large amounts of sugar results in the release of large amounts of free radicals of oxygen that can damage DNA. Many tissues in the body, especially the skeletal muscles and the liver, simply stop responding to insulin to avoid an inflowing rush of sugar.

This sets off a vicious cycle. The pancreas senses that blood sugar levels remain high, and releases even more insulin. Cells in the liver and skeletal muscles adjust by becoming even more resistant to insulin, and the process often continues until the insulin-making cells of the pancreas burn out. The ovaries, however, do not have the ability to turn off their insulin receptors so they will not be flooded with glucose.

They receive more and more glucose, and use it to make large quantities of both estrogen and testosterone. The constant flow of estrogen interrupts ovulation. It's as if the uterus is stuck in the first half of the menstrual cycle, until the excessive growth of the lining of the uterus results in a heavy period. The constant flow of testosterone causes changes in skin and hair.

One way to stop this vicious cycle is to lose weight, but weight loss that is helpful and sometimes even curative in PCOS has to be accomplished through calorie reduction. Since there is less sugar coming into the bloodstream from digested food, blood sugar levels go down, the pancreas gradually stops making as much insulin, and cells over most of the body become once again responsive to insulin. This stops the flood of sugar flowing into the ovaries and sometimes normalizes both estrogen and testosterone.

About 50 to 60% of women who have PCOS and weight and/or blood sugar issues start ovulating normally within a year of losing weight. Massive weight loss is not necessary. Just 2 to 3% of total body mass, as little as 2 to 4 kilos (4 to 8 pounds) sometimes makes PCOS a thing of the past.