Best supplements for PCOS weight loss: Understanding the weight challenges and finding the right solution

In a nutshell

Weight gain and challenges with its management are rather common in women with PCOS. These challenges are caused by hormonal imbalances and insulin resistance that frequently develop in PCOS. If you need extra aid in losing weight with PCOS, some of the best supplements for PCOS weight loss that can help include:

• Omega-3
• Inositol
• Vitamin D
• Berberine
• Chromium

PCOS can get in the way of your normal life with multiple symptoms. Yet, uncontrolled weight gain might be among some of the most unpleasant and hard-to-cope-with ones. Luckily, although weight management struggles are often familiar to PCOS women, the right approach to the problem and well-chosen PCOS supplements for weight loss can help.

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Understanding PCOS and weight management challenges

PCOS stands for polycystic ovary syndrome. It’s a rather common condition that affects women in their reproductive years and hinders the work of their ovaries. If you have PCOS, your ovaries develop a large number of small sacs filled with fluid (cysts) on their outer edge. They also often become enlarged and stop working as effectively as they are supposed to.

Apart from enlarged ovaries with fluid-filled sacs, there are two additional key features of PCOS:

• Irregular periods. When the work of ovaries is hindered they may not be able to release eggs during every cycle, which could lead to irregular ovulation and periods as well.
• Hormonal imbalance. Since your ovaries are responsible for producing your main female hormones (estrogen and progesterone), your overall hormonal balance may be harmed a lot when their function is impaired. Typically, PCOS would lead to increased levels of male hormones (androgens, such as testosterone), which can give you certain “male” attributes in the long run.

By affecting your ovaries and hormone levels, PCOS can bring in a wide range of unpleasant symptoms, such as excess hair, male-pattern hair loss, fertility issues, acne, and many others.

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Weight management challenges in PCOS

Among a variety of PCOS symptoms, there is also uncontrolled weight gain, which frequently leads to obesity.

The central component of this problem is insulin resistance. Roughly 50-90% of PCOS women develop insulin resistance because their bodies stop using this hormone effectively to control blood sugar levels. Eventually, their pancreas starts producing excessive insulin to compensate for it and it leads to a set of issues that affect your body on a physical level:

• Increased sense of hunger
• Promoted fat storage
• Metabolic implications that inhibit the breakdown of stored fat

As a result, prolonged insulin resistance caused by PCOS can lead to significant and uncontrolled gain of weight, which is also rather hard to get rid of.

Two other causes of weight gain in PCOS are inflammation and hormonal imbalances. Experts confirm that females with PCOS have a kind of long-term, low-grade inflammation in their bodies. Just like weight gain, inflammation can impair the production of a critical hormone - leptin, which is responsible for regulating metabolism and managing appetite. Hence, long-term inflammation can also complicate weight loss.

Finally, the hormones. The combination of sex (male and female) hormones, leptin, and insulin affects your metabolism, appetite, and body fat storage (including its distribution) and hence, can greatly affect your overall body image. A lack of balance in these hormones caused by PCOS can lead to abnormal metabolism and the accumulation of body fat, which can worsen weight gain and make it harder to lose weight.

Common coping tactics for weight gain in PCOS

Of course, PCOS weight gain can have a significant emotional impact on women. Due to unrealistic beauty standards and weight stigma, putting up extra pounds can greatly affect one's body image and cause lowered self-esteem.

Additionally, we shouldn’t forget the long-term physical effects of excess weight on your health. Since PCOS can cause uncontrolled weight gain, it’s important to monitor your weight and maintain it within a healthy range because the more weight you gain, the worse the situation with your hormones and insulin may get. Respectively, the more weight you can gain in the future.

Luckily, breaking this circle is possible, though it may feel somewhat overwhelming. The coping tactics aren’t new:

• Get adequate sleep
• Keep your body hydrated
• Exercise regularly and get more active on a daily basis
• Implement a balanced and healthy diet

These generic weight loss tips are what work best in the long run. Nevertheless, the problem is that they may not work on you as quickly and effectively as you expect due to hormonal issues and insulin resistance. That’s when you may want to get a little extra support to manage your PCOS symptoms, improve overall health, and stimulate weight loss, and different types of supplements can help a lot.

5 Best supplements for PCOS weight loss

1. Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 is found in fish, seafood, nuts, seeds, and plant oils and is one of the most crucial elements of a healthy and balanced diet. This element is known for its many positive effects on our health, including anti-inflammatory properties, mood-boosting, immunity improvement, etc. In women with PCOS, Omega-3 fatty acids can help improve insulin sensitivity and thus, reduce the risk of type II diabetes and assist weight loss.

2. Inositol (Myo-Inositol and D-Chiro-Inositol)

Inositol is a type of sugar made in the body and is found in some foods like meat, fruits, corn, beans, grains, and legumes. This supplement is widely used in PCOS and metabolic syndrome. It’s known to improve insulin sensitivity and suppress the production of male hormones in females. In the long run, inositol can help balance your hormone levels, restore periods and their regularity, and also assist in weight loss.

3. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is found in fatty fish, fish liver oils, beef liver, egg yolks, and cheese. It’s one of the most crucial vitamins for PCOS weight loss because it supports your body’s metabolic function and helps reduce PCOS symptoms. Additionally, vitamin D is known to boost serotonin (happy hormone) levels, which helps improve mood and regulate sleep. It’s also worth noting that approximately 67-85% of women with PCOS have vitamin D deficiency, which might be another reason to add it as a supplement.

4. Berberine

Berberine is a chemical compound that can be found in European barberry, tree turmeric, goldenseal, goldthread, and Oregon grape. Although it may not be a very well-known supplement, it’s thought to have a whole list of benefits for PCOS women. Namely, berberine is known to enhance menstrual patterns and support fertility. It’s also known to reduce inflammation, improve glucose metabolism, and thus, aid weight loss.

5. Chromium

Lastly, chromium is a chemical element that can be found in meats, grain products, fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices, brewer’s yeast, beer, and wine. It’s also widely used in the form of PCOS weight loss pills because this compound is known for its ability to regulate blood sugar, suppress the appetite, and stimulate the production of heat by the body, hence, boosting the levels of energy expenditure and aiding weight loss.

Key considerations before using PCOS weight loss pills and supplements

Now that you have a list of remedies that can aid weight loss while also improving your health and helping with PCOS symptoms, you must be excited to give them a try. However, before you do it, let us tell you about a few important considerations to make the most out of your weight loss journey:

• It starts with a lifestyle. Although different supplements and over the counter weight loss pills for PCOS can bring many benefits, it’s important to remember that these remedies aren’t “magic pills” that will do all the work for you. While supplements can provide you with additional support, you still need to make some lifestyle adjustments to facilitate weight loss. Changes like a healthy diet and regular exercise should come first and be the center of your tactic.
• Consulting with a healthcare provider is a must. Although different vitamins and supplements are generally safe and even good for you, combining them can be tricky. The thing is that some supplements may just not work well together. Besides, don’t forget that you may already have a naturally high level of certain elements in your body and do not need to receive them from within. In this case, an excess of any (even the safest) element can result in adverse effects. That’s why getting personalized medical advice is a MUST.
• There might be some side effects. When it comes to any kind of medication, including natural supplements and vitamins, there are always some possible side effects. Hence, as soon as you start taking the recommended supplements, it’s important to monitor any adverse interactions and side effects to be able to notice and address them early.
• The results don’t happen overnight! Lastly, the most important consideration to bear in mind is that weight loss is a lasting journey that never brings fast results (if it’s healthy, of course). That is, you should not expect to see tangible results from your efforts in a few days or weeks. As for taking supplements, you also shouldn’t expect them to “work the magic” overnight. Such unrealistic expectations can only add emotional pressure and lead to dissatisfaction. Instead, focus on your health and well-being and follow your unique journey.

Final verdict

PCOS can give you some discomfort in your daily life, affecting your health and well-being both on physical and emotional levels. Unfortunately, uncontrolled weight gain and weight management challenges are among the common symptoms of this condition. Luckily, it’s possible to overcome it.

As you now know, challenges with losing weight in PCOS are mostly caused by insulin resistance and hormonal imbalances. Hence, while traditional weight loss tips, such as healthy eating and exercising are important, many women with PCOS need additional aid in the form of supplements.

After reading this article, you have a list of the top PCOS supplements for weight loss that can help you lose weight healthily and maintain it. Consult with your healthcare provider to pick the supplements that are right for you and leverage them for better health and effective weight management!