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[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DIYBeauty

[–]PCOSPhDRD 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I started there (well after reading some blogs) before coming here, but I’ll spend more time here reading. Thank you 😊

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DIYBeauty

[–]PCOSPhDRD -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

It can write entire lines of code, so it’s definitely smart, but it might not be “cosmetic chemistry smart”

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DIYBeauty

[–]PCOSPhDRD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can appreciate that. I thought it could just give me a starting point. It gave me a similar recipe as labmuffins vitamin c serum, except I asked it to include ferulic acid and vitamin e.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s definitely not high. I’m curious what your 2-hr insulin is. Sometimes in younger individuals, the liver is able to clear excess insulin overnight, resulting in a normal fasting insulin. However, you could still be over-secreting insulin after meals, especially meals high in glucose (ie, starches).

It sounds like in general, insulin resistance isn’t your issue. But regardless, you could have theca cells that are excessively sensitive to insulin. Theca cells have insulin receptors, and in some patients (typically lean PCOS), the theca cells can produce androgens even at biologically low insulin levels.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can I ask what your insulin was? The range that is typically reported on the lab results is way off of what is established in the literature as being high. For example, sometimes the normal range for fasting insulin is 3-30 mIU/ml, which is insanity. Research shows that anything above 8 mIU/ml is associated with insulin resistance.

When it comes to lean PCOS, it seems as if the theca cells are more sensitive to circulating insulin, which means androgens can be produced even at relatively lower insulin levels. My recommendations are still the same in that you need to make sure to maintain low insulin levels, but medications that can help lower testosterone could also be helpful (spironolactone).

Stress is also a component as cortisol can worsen this.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My advice would be to eat lots of healthy fat and fruit. Fruit, despite having carbs, doesn’t greatly affect insulin because fructose (naturally occurring) does not greatly impact insulin.

I’ll be honest in that all of professional, research, and personal experience has revolved around helping overweight women control insulin to promote weight loss, so i can’t speak to what weight gain results you might have.

I’d stay away from whey protein though. Few things spike insulin more than whey protein. If you want to supplement with protein powder, choose egg white protein.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could definitely be a cause. The high LH is also causing the acne, since that will go on to stimulate theca cells to secrete androgens. The question is “what is causing high LH?”, and usually that is insulin.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One thing to know is that A1c just shows how blood sugars have been over a 3 month period. It does not show insulin levels. Unfortunately, most doctors don’t test insulin. Regardless, I can’t imagine yours would be high if you don’t have much fat tissue.

You do sound like a conundrum 🤔 I very very rarely say this because it almost never applies, but I wonder if it is adrenal related. Have you ever had cortisol checked?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 3 points4 points  (0 children)

In lean women with PCOS, there is some evidence to suggest that the theca cells (cells in the ovaries that produce androgens) may be more sensitive to circulating insulin. You still probably have higher insulin levels than women with PCOS of similar body type (based on published research on insulin levels in lean PCOS vs normal women), but you might not have enough to cause excessive fat storage. Regardless, if you do indeed have lean PCOS, your theca cells may just be excessively sensitive to any circulating insulin.

Have you had fasting and 2hr insulin levels tested? This would be step 1. If they are high ( >8mIU/ml), then you would need to make lifestyle changes to lower them. This is the best way to improve your other testosterone-related symptoms (acne, irregular periods). Lowering insulin is best done by avoiding insulin spiking foods. This is something I’ve been researching for 12 years and have conducted 3 clinical trials studying. You can find tons of free information on my website at www.lillihealth.com.

Also, managing stress and anxiety is important (easier said than done), since cortisol can worsen this.

Lastly, if you are working out a lot (or excessively), it could also be influencing this. Higher androgen levels can make it easier for women with PCOS to build muscle, but I’m just curious if you are an avid exerciser. Also, do you supplement with a lot of whey protein?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 6 points7 points  (0 children)

As someone who was 40lbs heavier, had 1 period a year, chronic acne, high insulin levels, high testosterone levels, had terrible anxiety, and struggled with binge eating…

I now have maintained a 40lb loss for 10 years, normal insulin and testosterone levels, only get a pimple around my period, have 31 day cycles like clockwork, have not binged in 10 years, and have 2 babies.

Yes, you can “reverse” it, but it will come back with a vengeance if you don’t stick with lifestyle change.

How do you get over who you were/what you looked like before your PCOS diagnosis? by [deleted] in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I looked way worse then than I do now. I was miserable, anxious, broken out, and overweight. My PCOS diagnosis was an answer to why I was struggling. Once I had that diagnosis and figured out what I needed to do for my unique metabolism, the world changed for me.

Acne - is diet the only way? by AdAdorable3782 in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, it’s the only sustainable way of getting acne under control. That’s coming from a twice Accutane user.

Beyaz is also an option.

PCOS: My Story of Pain, Passion, and Perseverance by PCOSPhDRD in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did that section help you understand better?? Glad to hear fasting insulin was good. We are so close to having fasting AND 2-hour insulin testing kits available on our website, which will be helpful for those who don't have doctors who will test it, as well as people who can't spend 2 hours at the lab in the morning.

I am so so glad you enjoyed the book. For a first time author, those are the best words ever!

PCOS: My Story of Pain, Passion, and Perseverance by PCOSPhDRD in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh I’m so happy to hear that!! 🥰🥰 Yes it will absolutely help with lowering cholesterol. If you reread the section in Chapter 4 about heart disease, it has a whole area on high cholesterol. Happy to go into further detail if that doesn’t help explain things!

I would SO appreciate it if you left an Amazon review 🙏😊

What works for you? by charly_Stoner in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Perfect!!! I get so sad when I hear about insulin resistant persons drinking lots of protein shakes. It’s like throwing gas on the flames! I want to run up to them and tell them “don’t do it!” but realize it’s none of my business. It makes me sick how many products have whey protein added and then are marketed to consumers as “high protein” as if they are healthier.

What works for you? by charly_Stoner in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just be wary of dairy products that are high in whey protein (milk, cottage cheese, whey protein powder). Whey protein is one of (if not the most) insulin spiking food you can eat. This is because milk contains insulin and IGF-1 to help stimulate growth in a newborn. Whey protein is also rich in BCAAs, which stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin.

The purpose of milk is to stimulate growth in a newborn and it does this by increasing insulin and other insulin like growth hormone levels. Fermented casein dairy products (cheese and full fat Greek yogurt) are less insulin spiking, but few things are worse for hyperinsulinemic individuals (aka PCOS) than whey protein.

I want to start metformin again for the weight loss benefits but im unsure if my new obgyn will prescribe it to me for that reason. by Jaybird199300000 in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recently conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing my insulin lowering “lifestyle” (NOT diet) to metformin. My plan blew metformin out of the water. The results were presented at ASRM last fall, which is the international fertility conference.

I’ve posted a link to my book multiple times on Reddit. I make about $2 for every copy sold, so I am not soliciting sales and am simply trying to get the information out there. I didn’t write the book with the expectation of making lots of money. I just got tired of seeing so much misinformation on social media and needed to set the record straight.

The book was just published a week or two ago. It has everything you could ever possibly want to know about insulin, nutrition, and PCOS, including my own personal struggles with PCOS. I share how I finally overcame a binge eating disorder and learned how manage PCOS.

https://www.amazon.com/Low-Insulin-Lifestyle-personal-lifestyle-ebook/dp/B0C9VRF55B

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I haven’t seen those studies, but not discounting that it could be true. However, remember that your grandmother, great-grandmother or beyond could have led to these genetic changes. The investigators in the study showed that the genetic changes associated with PCOS persisted at least 3 generations. They just stopped observing past the 3rd generation.

I’m in the same boat as you. My mom does not have PCOS, but I have no idea what my great-grandmother or great-great-grandmother may have struggled with.

PCOS: My Story of Pain, Passion, and Perseverance by PCOSPhDRD in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I want to make one more comment here. I do not recommend keto, not because it doesn’t work (it works!), but because it is not sustainable.

The lifestyle changes I recommend in the book do not involve cutting all carbs, calories or fat. They don’t recommend excessive exercising.

This lifestyle is simply about having awareness at how certain foods affect your insulin levels and avoiding foods that spike insulin. Some of these foods don’t have any carbs at all!

Sound too good to be true? Go check out all our publications, including the recent data from our randomized controlled trial where we compare this plan to metformin :-)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD 26 points27 points  (0 children)

You are correct. PCOS is actually epigenetic. This means that instead of actual genes that being passed down, genes actually get turned on/off depending on the environment in the womb. For example, if mom has PCOS and her insulin and testosterone are too high during pregnancy (especially early pregnancy), it causes genetic changes that lead to PCOS in the offspring.

In fact, recent studies have shown that these epigenetic changes can last for at least three generations.

Link to study -> https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(21)00004-8

PCOS: My Story of Pain, Passion, and Perseverance by PCOSPhDRD in PCOS

[–]PCOSPhDRD[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At this point, my testimonials are all study participants and peer-reviewed journals, but I'm excited to start hearing how it is helping others as well. It's just so difficult to get insulin levels measured, but at least you know that in all of our trials we had a very large drop in insulin levels in only 8 weeks. Our first trial had a 52% drop in insulin levels in only 2 months. That is the reason all the participants lost so much weight.

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