Hey My Quarantinas!!!
I know we are all cooped up in the house trying to avoid COVID_19, rightfully so as we are compromised bodies (us cysters that is) and no one wants to be trying to fight an illness that has no cure. Well aside from that I wanted to take this time to really give you guys insight on an aspect of PCOS that many of us don’t know we face, I actually didn’t know we faced this either, which is the number one cause of inflammation for women with PCOS: Leaky Gut.
What is a Leaky Gut? By definition, a leaky is a condition in which the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged, causing undigested food particles, toxic waste products and bacteria to “leak” through the intestines and flood the blood stream. This is also known to many as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Over the years, emerging research indicates that the gut microbiome plays a central role in the regulation of estrogen levels within the body and thus influences the risk of developing estrogen-related diseases such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.
We often hear about gut health, but we don’t pay attention to it that much because we aren’t sure why its important. At a conference meeting recently, I discovered that poor intestinal lining is the number one cause of inflammation throughout the body. In fact those who suffer from chronic fatigue, joint pain, frequent colds, and infections tend to suffer from poor digestive health.
Additionally, scientific research has demonstrated that gut microbes regulate many aspects of human physiology, including intestinal permeability, the absorption of nutrients from food, estrogen levels, and immunity. Whether you are insulin resistant which causes the hormonal malfunction, or truly suffer from androgen over production….all is essentially linked to a dysfunction in estrogen levels not being balanced which is a classic sign of poor digestive lining.
Estrogen plays many vital roles in the human body. It regulates body fat deposition and adipocyte differentiation, female reproductive function, cardiovascular health, bone turnover, and cell replication. Gut dysbiosis has the potential to alter the estrobolome, disrupt estrogen homeostasis, and impair these processes, promoting the development of chronic diseases. Estrogens regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, adipocyte differentiation, bone formation, and the inflammatory response in atherosclerosis.
So How Does this impact PCOS?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may also be influenced by estrobolome disruption. Women with PCOS have an excess of androgens in relation to estrogen, as well as an altered gut microbiota. Researchers theorize that the altered gut microbiota in PCOS women may promote increased androgen biosynthesis and decreased estrogen levels through lowered beta-glucuronidase activity.
Interestingly, modulation of the gut microbiota with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been found to improve estrous cycles and decrease androgen biosynthesis in an animal model of PCOS, indicating that modulation of the estrobolome may be beneficial in the treatment of PCOS.
So how can we improve our intestinal lining and heal leaky gut syndrome?
It’s all in your self care and nutrition! As I often speak on PCOS is all about what you eat and how you care for your body. So as of late here’s some foods I s added to my diet to improve my gut health:
- Sea Moss (gel or powder form)
- Limiting my NSAID use
- Eating more fermented foods, specifically drinking kombucha
- Lots of berries, pineapples, and kiwi
- Nuts
- Increased fish consumption
- Cruciferous veggies
- Tons of water (per usual)
- Forcing sleep more often
- Bone broth (collagen)
The Coronavirus has me more focused on my immunity and gut health more than ever before, simply being diabetic with PCOS but whether you have it or not, it’s a good idea to step up your gut health. I hope you find this article helpful! If so let me know below!
With Love,
Lolo
