Diabetes and Thyroid: PCOS

Diabetes and thyroid are the two most common lifestyle disorders that often coexist with PCOS. The majority of women that suffer from PCOS also have diabetes or thyroid and often both.

While this may look unrelated or coincidental to most people, it isn’t. These diseases often coexist in women because they have the same root cause. Hormonal imbalances caused by lifestyle disorders are responsible for these diseases.

Excess Ama formation due to poor digestion and metabolism is the culprit even here. When you have an unhealthy lifestyle, it usually leads to indigestion. When excess Ama is formed, it affects most glands in the body. The pancreas and the thyroid glands are no exception to this. That’s why diabetes and thyroid are so common in women suffering from PCOS.

Insulin resistance, which leads to diabetes, is so common in women with PCOS that people wonder which comes first. However, like the proverbial question of what came first, the chicken or the egg, there is no definite answer to this. It is an eternal debate and an unimportant one.

Look At the Important Question

The important questions are:

• Do these diseases coexist?
• Are these diseases codependent?

Do These Diseases Coexist?

The answer to this question is a resounding yes. There is ample data to prove that these diseases coexist. A woman suffering from PCOS is more likely to suffer from these diseases too.

• Almost 76.9% of women in India suffering from PCOS have insulin resistance
• Around 40% of women suffering from PCOS will get diabetes before reaching 40
• Prevalence of thyroid disorder is almost three times higher in women with PCOS

Is There A Link?

The available data makes us think there is some connection between these diseases. While modern medicine is still trying to understand the link between the three, Ayurveda has been treating all three together for centuries.

Ayurvedic treatment involves improving the lifestyle and lowering Ama, which is the root cause of all these problems. When Ama comes down, you experience great relief from all the problems caused by these diseases. Ayurveda doesn’t focus on just one aspect of the problem. It tries to treat the issue as a whole.

On the other hand, conventional medicine only tries to treat individual aspects of the problem, which might backfire. For instance, blood sugar lowering tablets are usually given when women experience a rise in their blood sugar levels. While these medicines can lower your blood sugar level, it is only a temporary measure. The blood sugar levels will rise as soon as you stop taking medicine.

The same goes for thyroid disorder. You need to take medicines to balance this hormone. There is no permanent cure for thyroid disorder.

While the prevalence of thyroid disorder is higher in women suffering from PCOS, we still don’t know the direct link. It needs to be treated separately along with PCOS.

However, lifestyle disorders and an unhealthy diet certainly are behind these problems. Hence, improving both has a tremendous effect on your health.

The Ayurvedic Approach

Ayurveda looks at the root of the problem. The formation of Ama is the root cause of these issues. It occurs due to indigestion. Ayurveda focuses on resolving the issues that lead to poor digestion. It stops the formation of excess Ama and helps you stay healthy.

4 Herbal Remedies for Treating Insulin Resistance/ Diabetes

• Karela: This is the most popular vegetable in all Indian kitchens that can help lower blood sugar levels. It has strong anti-diabetic properties and can help clean your system of toxins. It has several compounds that can lower blood sugar levels.
• Jamun: This fruit not only helps lower your blood sugar levels, but it also helps improve your insulin sensitivity. If you consume Jamun daily, your body’s ability to tolerate glucose will improve.
• Methi: These seeds are known for their role in improving glycemic control. Regular use of methi water is known to lower insulin resistance. It is also effective in lowering cholesterol.
• Neem: Every part of the neem tree is known for its anti-diabetic properties. Consuming neem leaves and neem extract can lower your blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity several times.

These are just some of the Ayurvedic measures easily available in every Indian kitchen that can help counter insulin resistance and diabetes. However, Ayurvedic PCOS treatment also has measures to counter insulin resistance.

Lifestyle modification and a healthy diet will remain the cornerstone of a healthy life. These will ensure that once you get rid of these problems, they don’t come back. A healthy diet and lifestyle will provide freedom from the disease and prevent its recurrence.

Take Away

PCOS, Diabetes & thyroid are completely different & separate disorders . They often co-exist because they have similar root cause "Ama".