PCOS & INSULIN SENSITIVITY

How High Insulin Leads to PCOS & Infertility

CONTENTS: 1. Ovaries make several hormones; 2. Estrogen is an important one; 3. Causes and Effects of Insulin Resistance {mainly CARBS}; 4. Insulin Resistance reduces conversion of Testosterone to Estrogen; 5. Unconverted Testosterone produces PCOS symptoms, including Infertility. — The lesson is avoid what causes Insulin Resistance, viz. excess processed carbs, certain meds and air pollution.

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1. OVARIES MAKE HORMONES

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2. ESTROGEN IS AN IMPORTANT OVARIAN HORMONE

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3. INSULIN RESISTANCE CAUSES & EFFECTS (They forgot to mention Diet, i.e. High Carbs, Unsaturated Oils, Some Meds — also Pollution)

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4. INSULIN RESISTANCE REDUCES CONVERSION OF TESTOSTERONE TO ESTROGEN

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5. THE UNCONVERTED TESTOSTERONE PRODUCES PCOS SYMPTOMS

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{Following is a partial transcript of this video by Dr. Bikman, which is where I got the info stated above.}

DR BEN BIKMAN - PCOS AND INSULIN RESISTANCE

_INSULIN RESISTANCE. It is shocking how many diseases have at their core hyperinsulinemia, or high insulin levels, which is when someone has insulin resistance. If we look at what that does at the ovaries in a woman, it's profound.

_PCOS. The most common form of infertility in women is a disease called polycystic ovarian syndrome.

_OVULATION. As the woman is going through the menstrual cycle, the ovaries are developing a lot of little eggs every month, but one egg must ovulate, then all the other budding little eggs will go away.

_ESTROGEN BLOCKED. But in order to ovulate, the woman needs a big estrogen spike. But she doesn't get it if too much insulin blocks the ovaries from making the extra estrogen. The enzyme that mediates the conversion from testosterone to estrogens is inhibited by insulin.

_INFERTILITY. And so in the woman with insulin resistance and high insulin levels, the excess insulin is directly preventing the estrogen surge and preventing ovulation.