PCOS affects millions of women worldwide, causing hormonal imbalances that can lead to a range of symptoms, including weight gain and difficulty losing weight.

Sudden weight gain is believed to be a symptom that troubles many patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), yet weight loss is crucial in treating PCOS. Patients with PCOS often find it difficult to restore normal weight through diet and exercise alone.

While conventional treatments focus primarily on managing symptoms, many individuals are turning to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for its holistic approach to health and its potential to address the root causes of PCOS-related weight issues. How can Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) help PCOS patients manage their weight while treating the condition?

What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome(PCOS)?

PCOS is a common endocrine disorder in women. It is diagnosed if a person has two of the following three symptoms:

(1) Chronic anovulation, leading to irregular menstruation, which may occur only once every six months or a year, or continuous vaginal bleeding without regular menstruation.

(2) Accumulation of ovarian follicles due to the inability to ovulate normally, leading to problems with excessive follicles.

(3) Elevated levels of androgens, which can cause acne, increased body hair, male-pattern baldness or thinning hair, insulin resistance, obesity, and other issues. Approximately 50-60% of PCOS patients experience weight problems.

Is There a Link Between PCOS and Obesity?

PCOS patients typically have elevated levels of androgens, leading to fat accumulation around internal organs and the abdomen, causing visceral fat accumulation and central obesity. This can also lead to insulin resistance, resulting in obesity, which further increases androgen levels. Therefore, PCOS patients enter a vicious cycle of insulin resistance and elevated androgens.

Conversely, obesity may also be a cause of PCOS. Excess fat cells can stimulate the ovaries and adrenal glands to produce excessive androgens, leading to ovulation problems and the development of polycystic ovaries. Therefore, weight loss of 5-10% in overweight PCOS patients can help with ovulation and improve menstrual irregularities.

PCOS is a syndrome characterized by infrequent ovulation or anovulation, high androgens or insulin resistance, and polycystic ovaries, with over 50% of patients being obese, often presenting as abdominal obesity. Obesity can both cause and be caused by PCOS. Reduced ovulation frequency in PCOS patients can lead to infertility.

Weight loss can improve hormone levels and ovulation in obese PCOS patients, thereby increasing the chances of conception.

Learn more:  TCM for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome(PCOS): Does it Help?

Methods of Weight Loss in TCM

Obesity, hirsutism, infertility, and amenorrhea are common clinical manifestations of polycystic ovary syndrome, among which dietary control and lipid-lowering weight loss play a crucial role in treatment, with many patients recovering without medication after weight loss. Traditional Chinese medicine regards obesity as a manifestation of phlegm-dampness internal accumulation. Phlegm-dampness obstruction, lipid-phlegm turbidity, and other blockages hinder the movement of Chong and Ren meridians, obstruct the uterine cavity, and cause irregular menstruation and infertility. Therefore, weight loss is the direction of treatment for obese-type polycystic ovary syndrome, and reducing weight can improve ovulation and restore normal menstruation.

TCM adopts syndrome differentiation and treatment, focusing on tonifying the spleen, drying dampness and resolving phlegm, nourishing the kidneys and promoting diuresis, and regulating liver qi. It is believed that the internal generation of phlegm-dampness is due to the dysfunction of the liver, spleen, and kidneys. Whether menstruation is normal, and the development of follicles are all related to the liver, spleen, and kidneys. Therefore, the solution lies in tonifying the kidneys, invigorating the spleen, and regulating the liver to promote egg growth. TCM treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome generally consists of Chinese herbal medicine, with acupuncture, cupping, and other external therapies added as needed to help patients achieve weight loss goals.

• Herbal medicine: Most polycystic ovary syndrome patients with obesity have a syndrome of spleen deficiency and phlegm dampness. Taking Atractylodes, White Atractylodes, Poria, Coix Seed, Plantago Seed, Zelan, Pinellia, Cyperus, and Tangerine Peel can invigorate the spleen and eliminate dampness and phlegm. This treatment can also have a slimming effect. Generally, the management of weight can begin to take effect in the first month after taking the medicine. Improvement in menstruation and body shape can be seen gradually in the first 1-2 months of treatment. By the third month, normal ovulation, hormone levels, and menstruation can be restored, and weight can be reduced.

• Acupuncture: Stimulating relevant acupuncture points with fine needles can dredge meridians, regulate qi, and blood circulation, promote metabolism, regulate the spleen and stomach, and increase the body’s metabolism.

• Cupping: Using cupping therapy, mainly with fire cups, can create negative pressure on local areas of the body, dredge meridians, balance qi and blood, accelerate blood circulation, promote intestinal peristalsis, improve digestion, increase heat production, and promote fat consumption, which is beneficial for weight loss.

Case Study:

A 32-year-old female patient gained more than twenty pounds in a short period due to polycystic ovary syndrome. Although the patient had attempted to control her weight through diet and exercise, the weight loss results were not significant, and the overweight condition persisted for about six months. Therefore, the patient turned to traditional Chinese medicine for treatment, with weight loss as the primary goal.

Our doctor treated the patient with Chinese herbal medicine while adding acupuncture to enhance the weight loss effect. After 4 months, the patient successfully lost about 8% of her body weight (~6kg), and her androgen levels returned to normal.

Tips for weight loss

• Get good sleep: Sleep quality is related to three factors: time to fall asleep, depth of sleep, and duration of sleep. Good sleep quality can help stabilize hormones, improve fat metabolism, and maintain emotional stability. It is generally recommended to go to bed before 11 pm and sleep continuously for 6-8 hours, waking up feeling refreshed.

• Stay in a good mood: Emotions and stress can affect various hormonal functions of the pituitary gland, thereby affecting ovulation regularity. PCOS patients should try to maintain a calm mood in daily life and may seek assistance from physicians in traditional Chinese medicine to soothe the liver and relieve depression.

• Get moving: If PCOS patients can engage in high-intensity exercise, it can promote insulin sensitivity, change the “insulin resistance constitution,” and help build muscle while reducing fat. It is generally recommended to engage in aerobic exercise, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or weight training.

The Shanghai Medical Clinic is a registered TCM clinic in Dubai, led by professionals dedicated to your health journey. Schedule your appointment now to strengthen your body.

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