Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. It leads to other serious health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, and an increased risk of endometrial cancer, and is strongly associated with abdominal obesity and insulin resistance.
What we popularly hear saying on a daily basis is that stress is psychological, that everything is in your mind. And then we wonder how it is that a “psychological” symptom presents us with so many health problems.
“It is because stress triggers the overexpression of ACTH, a hormone found in a gland in the brain, and this in turn generates an excessive production of the hormone called cortisol, produced in the kidneys,” Dr. Antonella Fariña Lautenschlager, biochemist specializing in Clinical Hematology and Health Services Administration.
And why do we put so much emphasis on this hormone?
On that question, he indicated that the high level of cortisol causes the increase in the brain’s reward system in favor of foods high in sugar and fat.
Going into bad eating habits, everything starts with a high intake of carbohydrates, that is, sugars, dairy products and refined flours, he said, pointing out that with this we do not say that we must stop consuming these foods, but rather regulate their consumption.
“Let’s remember that not a single food is bad for the body, unless we consume it in excess,” he stressed.
He argued that, in Paraguay, the diet is rich in refined flours and sugary foods, added to this, the stress of work, going out and bumping into traffic, arriving home late and no longer having time to perform physical activities.
Apparently, this situation does not cause damage beyond weight gain. But something happens internally if every day for a long period of time, we get used to this routine. The first thing that happens is an increase in glucose levels, he explained.
“We know that the first associated pathology is diabetes, but we will focus on what few know is the hormonal impact. An excess of this carbohydrate called glucose causes two important hormonal increases, the aforementioned cortisol and insulin”, highlighted the professional.
What is insulin?
Insulin is the hormone responsible for regulating the amount of glucose in the blood. Also habits such as little sleep cause an increase in both cortisol and glucose. Insulin stimulates the production of androgens.
What are androgens?
There are three hormones that cause the appearance of secondary masculine characters, and of great importance for female sexual health.
These are testosterone, androstenedione and DHEA sulfate. They are produced by metabolism of available cholesterol. With this we already open an idea that overweight people are going to produce more of this hormone.
Usually the same foods that increase glucose levels also increase cholesterol.
Getting back on topic though, androgen production inhibits the production of another hormone called SHBG or hormone-binding protein. SHBG controls the amounts of hormones that are delivered to the body’s organs.
By decreasing its secretion, there is more free circulation of testosterone and androstenedione, causing masculine features such as hair on the face and body and acne.
This also increases the production of another hormone LH or luteinizing hormone, which is responsible for releasing the eggs from the follicles and prepares the uterus to implant the fertilized egg; and at the same time, a decrease in FSH or follicle-stimulating hormone is also caused, which directly causes no ovulation and this is directly proportional to infertility.
All this is the summary of what happens in the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
“The cascade of hormonal events that occur is very complex, but the idea is to understand that it all started with bad eating habits, excess consumption of carbohydrates and sugars, and accumulated stress in the body,” explained Dr. Farina.
Stress and Fertility
Stress and infertility is another great title that we could put to this article. There are many cases of women with hormonal problems, whatever the cause, but looking for such a desired pregnancy, they undergo so many treatments and tests and generate prolonged anxiety in the body.
This anxiety translates into high levels of cortisol and therefore they do not usually reach pregnancy. Once they manage to manage that stress, they manage to reach the goal. It is not in vain that doctors in the face of any illness, one of the first things they prescribe is investing in habits that help manage high levels of stress, accompanied by a diet rich in protein, fiber and plenty of water.
“The diagnosis is lowered in the blood dosage of all these hormones in the laboratory, as well as the performance of an ultrasound to visualize these cysts in the ovary”, he pointed out.
