Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that affects one in every 15 women worldwide. This disorder is mainly characterized by increased levels of male hormones (androgens), acne, and hirsutism, and can lead to long-term insulin resistance, miscarriage, or even infertility in women. PCOS is a disorder that can be treated with natural and allopathic remedies that work against the PCOS mechanism.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in women. It is a complex disease that, despite the rapid progress in research on it, has remained one of the most important challenges for researchers, physicians, health care providers, and health policymakers. Women with PCOS generally have large ovaries with hypertrophic stroma. These individuals do not ovulate despite having a large number of follicles due to impaired growth and atresia of the follicles. Clinical manifestations of this disease are varied and include menstrual disorders, clinical signs of androgen overload, obesity and infertility, hair loss, acne, insulin resistance resulting in type II diabetes, lipid disorder, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and long-term complications
Studies showed that plants such as aloe vera and chamomile improve fertility by increasing the number of ovarian follicles. Besides, Vitex agnus-castus and octane reduce hirsutism by reducing testosterone and androgen levels. It was also shown that liquorice, ginseng, cinnamon, and de chiro Inositol improve the adverse effects of diabetes caused by PCOS by lowering lipid and blood glucose levels. Moreover, Stachys lavandulifolia and fennel are effective in changing endometrial tissue parameters in PCOS by reducing estrogen and hyperplasia.
The therapeutic effects and uses of herbs have been well established. A return to nature and the use of plant chemicals and natural origin takes place in a situation where modern man, by promoting the use of chemical drugs, has faced the side effects and complications of these drugs. Scientific studies have demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of several complementary medicine methods including herbs in the treatment of some diseases like PCOS.
Conclusions
Various studies have shown that herbal medicines can improve PCOS symptoms in women with minimal to no side effects.
Some of the medicinal plants specifications used in our PCOS Treatment Kit.
| Plant | Scientific name | Family | Effective compound(s) | The impact on PCOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aloe vera | Aloe arborescen | Liliaceae | Polysaccharide compounds | Beneficial and supportive effects on ovarian tissue and folliculogenesis |
| Chamomile | Chamomilla matricaria | Asteraceae | Flavonoids and antioxidants such as gallic acid, kamazelin, farnesene, matricin, coumarin derivatives, apigenin, and choline | Reducing PCOS symptoms in ovarian tissue and increasing the number of uterine follicles, as well as helping with LH secretion. |
| Chaste tree | Vitex agnus - castus L | Verbenaceae | Flavonoids, aromatase enzymes | Improving the status of sex hormones in polycystic animals by altering the secretion of these hormones (reducing testosterone) |
| Cinnamon | Cinnamomum zeylanicum | Lauraceae | Phosphatidylinvestyl 4-kinase | Increasing glucose uptake, glycogen production and, insulin receptor phosphorylation, improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing lipid and blood glucose levels |
| Ginseng | Panax ginseng | Araliaceae | Glutathione and superoxide dismutase | Affecting corticotropin and cortisol, regulating the immune response, producing antioxidants, having neuroendocrine activity, regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism |
| Stachys | Stachys lavandulifolia | Lamiaceae | Flavonoid epigenin | By occupying estrogen receptors, it reduces estrogen function (reduction of abnormal uterine bleeding) |
| Fennel | Foeniculum vulgare | Apiaceae | Trans anethole-, photoanethole, estragole, fenchine, and P-anisaldehyde Dianethole | Decreasing estrogen and uterine lining thickness, increasing progesterone and uterine endometrial thickness |
| Liquorice | Glycyrrhiza glabra L | Fabaceae | Glycyrrhiza | Improving the adverse effects of PCOS-induced diabetes |
| Flax | Limum usitatissimum | Linaceae | Lignan | Decreasing androgen and hirsutism |
| N-acetylcysteine | N-acetylcysteine | Amino acids | Sulfhydryl | Increased chance of fertility, improved ovulation, improved lipid profile, insulin resistance in women with PCOS |
| D-chiro-inositol | D-chiro-inositol | Inositols | D-chiro-inositol | Decreasing insulin resistance |