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3 Common Misconceptions about PCOS

  1. All women with PCOS are overweight or obese – this is not true, up to 40% of women with PCOS are thin.
  2. Women with PCOS are infertile – possibly if they don’t address the root of the problem, but I’ve helped many women with PCOS conceive and have healthy, natural pregnancies.
  3. All women with PCOS have high testosterone levels.  Nope!  Many do, but others have different reasons why they’re not ovulating regularly such as high prolactin, high DHEAs, high androstenedione etc.

 

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The 3 Worst Foods for Acne

There are three foods that I see causing problems with acne the most frequently:

  1. Dairy products – dairy is one of the most frequent food sensitivities there is.  These are mild immune system reactions to foods that create inflammation. Acne is a very inflammatory condition, anything that provokes or increases inflammation in the body would be best to avoid.  There is IgG Food Sensitivity testing that can be done to see if dairy is a food sensitivity for you, or you can try strictly avoiding dairy for at least 3 weeks to see what happens to your skin.
  2. Eggs – eggs fall under exactly the same category as dairy, they are a frequent food sensitivity and they create inflammation that seems to be centred in the skin.  Eczema, psoriasis and acne can all be skin manifestations of an egg sensitivity.
  3. Sugar and processed carbs – high glycemic index starches and sugar provoke a high insulin response.  Insulin in turn can increase the activity and/or the level of certain hormones, including testosterone.  Higher testosterone activity or level can cause deep, painful cystic type acne.
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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or Not?

Irregular periods, acne, hair loss, fatigue, weight gain, sluggish metabolism, at first glance these symptoms seem to point to PCOS. However, blood tests show a different story, in PCOS you would expect to see high androgen levels (testosterone, DHEAs) but this patient has low testosterone, low DHEAs, low estradiol and here’s the kicker – high cortisol! Her doctor had refused to do the cortisol testing which ultimately provided the solution to the puzzle of her symptoms which she has complained to her doctor about for years. It still remains to investigate why her cortisol is elevated. There are herbs that can be used to lower cortisol, but we’ll refrain from that until we can collect more data on why it’s elevated.

It’s easy in medicine to make assumptions and jump to conclusions, but this patient is a perfect example of why doing our due diligence and thoroughly investigating through diagnostic testing is important.

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What is a Normal Testosterone Level for a Woman?

Testosterone helps build muscle mass, helps maintain healthy vaginal tissue, provides energy, drive and motivation and influences libido in women. Too much testosterone can contribute to hair loss, acne, irregular periods and excess facial hair. So you want some testosterone, just not too much.

According to our lab, less than 2.0 nmol/L is normal for an adult female. Many of the patients that we test for testosterone come back either too high or too low. Being close to either end of the normal range can cause problems. Ideally, a woman’s testosterone level should be around 1.0 – 1.6 nmol/L, neither to close to the low or the high end.