PCOS, Belly fat, and Sugar Consumption | A Different Perspective | Jan 27, 2024

A lot of women struggle with PCOS, and the numbers are only growing. Most people are unhappy with their belly fat and take in a lot of sugar. Do these correlate? What relation do they have to each other? This week, on A Different Perspective, Doc covers exactly that. Doc breaks down the details around PCOS, belly fat, and sugar. As always, he makes the truth easy to understand – even if it goes against conventional wisdom in the health realm.

Some of the topics covered include:
• Is sugar worse for some people than others?
• Androgen dominance
• Insulin resistance
• Why metformin isn’t the best option
• Next steps

Doc also covers a few supplements like Reishi and Saw Palmetto. He breaks down the benefits and science behind them so that his viewers better understand why he suggests them, and the actual mechanisms of action. Why does metformin work the way it does, and are either of these natural options better – for your body, the desired results, or both?
Get the full explanation and advice on how to return to your body’s healthiest state – watch now!
And join us on Saturdays at 8 AM Central on our website (https://www.thewellnessway.com/adp/), Instagram, Facebook, or X to engage with some of our docs and get your health questions answered!
For further information, check out these articles:
https://www.thewellnessway.com/pcos-natural-solutions/
https://www.thewellnessway.com/symptoms-of-pcos/
https://www.thewellnessway.com/metabolic-syndrome-an-underlying-factor-in-most-chronic-conditions/
https://www.thewellnessway.com/sugar-and-its-bitter-aftertaste/
https://www.thewellnessway.com/what-do-hormones-have-to-do-with-weight-loss-beyond-testosterone-and-estrogens/

PCOS – 1/27/24
• PCOS, weight loss, sugar
o Too much sugar for too long of a time
o Can sugar be worse for certain people?
▪ There’s a lot of general info out there
▪ Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS may have infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods or excess male hormone (androgen) levels. The ovaries may develop numerous small collections of fluid (follicles) and fail to regularty release eggs.

The exact cause of PCOS is unknown. Early diagnosis and treatment along with weight loss may reduce the risk of long-term complications such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
▪ Causes of PCOS -- Doctors don't know all of the reasons why some women get PCOS. You might be more likely to have PCOS if your sister or mother also has it. It could also be related to problems that​ make your body produce too much insulin, which can affect your ovaries and their ability to ovulate (or release eggs).

o Hormonal testing
• Incomplete
▪ They’re not normal. Why don’t they measure them?
• Nothing they can do with it.
• Not relevant to them

o Start with
▪ Androgen dominance
• “Androgen = male hormones”
o All hormones are the same; different proportions
o Cleveland Clinic: Hyperandrogenism: Hyperandrogenism happens when you have an excess amount of androgens (a group of sex hormones) in your body. It most commonly affects people assigned female at birth [read: women] and can cause hirsutism, acne and irregular periods.
o “I don’t care what you think – the hormones will tell you what you are.”
• Adrenals, skin – produce androgens
o Excessive fat -> hormones into different forms

• Dihydrotestosterone
o What is dihydrotestosterone?: Dihydrotestosterone is a hormone that stimulates the development of male characteristics (an androgen). It is made through conversion of the more commonly known androgen, testosterone, Almost 10% of the testosterone produced by an adult each day is converted to dihydrotestosterone, by the testes and prostate (in men), the ovaries (in women), the skin and other parts of the body. This figure is much lower before puberty however, and it is thought that the increased dihydrotestosterone production may be responsible for the start of puberty in boys, causing development of the genitals (penis, testes and scrotum) and growth of pubic and body hair. This hormone also causes the prostate to grow and is thought to combine with testosterone causing the expression of male sexual behaviour. Dihydrotestosterone is many times more potent than testosterone, and many of the effects that testosterone has in the body only happen after it is converted to dihydrotestosterone.
Less is known about the importance of dihydrotestosterone in women, but it is known to cause much of the body and pubic hair growth seen in girls after puberty and may help to determine the age at which girls begin puberty.
o #1 factor in converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone is sugar
o Ladies, if you have thinning hair, what are your DHT levels?
o How is dihydrotestosterone controlled?: The amount of dihydrotestosterone present in the body from day to day depends on the amount of testosterone present. When levels of testosterone increase, more of it is converted to dihydrotestosterone and so levels of dihydrotestosterone therefore also increase as a result.
o What happens if I have too much dihydrotestosterone?: Too much dihydrotestosterone, often resulting from excess testosterone production, has variable effects on men and women. It is unlikely that levels of dihydrotestosterone will be raised before the start of puberty. It is also unlikely that adult men with too much dihydrotestosterone would undergo recognisable changes. Women with too much dihydrotestosterone may develop increased body, facial and pubic hair growth (called hirsutism), stopping of menstrual periods (amenorrhoea) and increased acne. Abnormal changes to the genitalia may also occur in women with too much dihydrotestosterone.
▪ WebMD: Causes of Hair Loss in Women: Androgenetic alopecia, a type of hair loss commonly called male or female pattern baldness, was only partially understood until the last few decades. For many years, scientists thought that androgenetic alopecia was caused by the predominance of the male sex hormone, testosterone, which women also have in trace amounts under normal conditions. But while testosterone is at the core of the balding process, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is now thought to be the main culprit.
DHT, a derivative of the male hormone testosterone, is the enemy of hair follicles on your head. Simply put, under certain conditions DHT wants those follicles dead. This simple action is at the root of many kinds of hair loss 02, Testosterone converts to DHT with the aid of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase.
Scientists now believe that it's not the amount of circulating testosterone that's the problem but the level of DHT binding to receptors in scalp follicles. DHT shrinks hair @ follicles, making it impossible for healthy hair to survive.

• God didn’t make it so we needed to take a med that posed problems to fix things
o Herbal anti-androgens (PubMed: An Update on Plant Derived Anti-Androgens)
▪ Side effect vs negative direct effect
▪ Reishi (4.7)
• Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum): Red reishi, commonly known as LingZhi in Chinese, is a mushroom thought to have many health benefits.
In a research study exploring the anti-androgenic effects of 20 species of mushrooms, reishi mushrooms had the strongest action in inhibiting testosterone. That study found that reishi mushrooms significantly reduced levels of 5-alpha reductase, preventing conversion of testosterone into the more potent DHT. High levels of DHT are a risk factor for conditions such as benign prostatatic hypertrophy (BPH), acne, and baldness.
• Look for
o Acne
o Enlarged prostate
• Immune enhancing
• Anti-cancer
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Anti-histamine
• Anti-fungal
• Liver detoxifier
• Adaptogenic
• Immunomodulatory
▪ Saw Palmetto (4.14)
• Saw Palmetto (Serena repens): Saw palmetto is a small palm tree native to eastern regions of the United States. Its extract is believed to be a highly effective anti-androgen as it contains phytoesterols. This has been the subject of a great deal of research with regards to the treatment of BPH, androgenic alopecia, and PCOS. However, controlled trials and other convincing research on its efficacy are still lacking. In the context of BPH, there have been 2 reasonably sized clinical trials that found that saw palmetto extract use showed no difference in comparison to placebo. In meta-analyses, it has been shown to be safe and effective in mild to moderate BPH when compared to finasteride, tamsulosin, and placebo. However, a more recent meta-analysis showed that it is only superior specifically with regards to the symptom of nocturia.
Therefore, evidence for its routine use is far from convincing and additional research is necessary to determine its true effectiveness.
o Glyphosate
▪ NIH: Differential Effects of Glyphosate and Roundup on Human Placental Cells and Aromatase
• Corn
• Soy
• Pesticides

▪ Insulin resistance
• Study: Pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction in polycystic ovary syndrome: role of hyperglycemia-induced nuclear factor-kB activation and systemic inflammation (source: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM.)
• First thing you need to do – reduce sugar intake
o Docs compensate – metformin
o Blood sugar levels
• “How many patients do you see in a day?” They just have a show
• NIH: Insulin Resistance
o Study copy: Insulin resistance, identified as an impaired biologic response to insulin stimulation of target tissues, primarily involves liver, muscle, and adipose tissue. Insulin resistance impairs glucose disposal, resulting in a compensatory increase in beta-cell insulin production and hyperinsulinemia. The metabolic consequences of insulin resistance can result in hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, elevated inflammatory markers, endothelial dysfunction, and a prothrombotic state. The predominant consequence of insulin resistance is type 2 diabetes(T2D).
Insulin resistance is thought to precede the development of T2D by 10 to 15 years. Lifestyle modifications should be the primary focus when treating insulin resistance. Nutritional intervention with calorie reduction and avoidance of carbohydrates that stimulate excessive insulin demand is a cornerstone of treatment. Physical activity helps to increase energy expenditure and improve skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity. Medications also can improve insulin response and reduce insulin demand. Most of the complications from insulin resistance are related to the development of vascular complications and nonalcoholic fatty liver discase. This activity reviews the etiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, presentation, treatment, and potential complications of insulin resistance and highlights the crucial role of the interprofessional team in its management.
o Lock & key
o All pathological viruses share a thing
▪ Sugar goes to Liver, muscle, adipose tissue
▪ Glucose vs fructose
• Visceral fat – fatty liver – subcutaneous fat
• Decrease sugar – takes it from these places
o “But i still have butt and belly”
o Support liver to process sugar
• Fruit – your body is trying to accomplish something; already has enough stored.
• “Fruit is bad for you” -- if you’ve got a big butt and belly, yes.
o Individualized care
o “Doc doesn’t like fruit.” Not true
• Thought to proceed T2D by ~10-15 years
o PCOS
• Lifestyle
o Body is intelligent, but you can mess it up

o Major form of care is metformin – not taking care of the body
▪ “How long?” The rest of your life.
▪ “Gotta be genetic.”
▪ On met -- “see? It’s normal.” Not if you looked at her insulin
▪ Other camps demonize insulin.
• Needed
• Growth hormone
• For a long amount of time it leads to resistance, but otherwise it’s good
• Get your fasting insulin levels tested
o Get too low, pancreas taps out
▪ Decrease glucose, fructose
• How to cut calories
o Review
• Next steps
o Get tested
o Reduce your Sucrose (sugar) intake
o Reduce your calories
o Add ACV
o Take Reishi Mushroom
o Add Saw Palmetto and White Peony
o Increase Protein intake
o Add Gymnema and Glandular
▪ Blood sugar: Helps support healthy blood sugar regulation
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