PCOS Options ?

Our focus in this article is PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome.  This is one of the main causes of infertility and no medical approach has been curative, so far….. however keep reading as potentials may be present.

Current thought is that genetics explains less than 10 percent of the condition’s heritability however, 70 percent of daughters of women with PCOS also develop the disorder.

Some fascinating experiments were published in the March 2021 publication Cell Metabolism, where mice were shown to inherit the disorder when a simple alteration in what’s known as the methylation pathway was present.

Methylation:

Hang tight as this is simple chemistry. This pathway is one of the key methods our and mice bodies work with manufacturing of DNA and RNA. Methyl groups act like billions of switches which turn genes on or off. This chemical cycle helps us regulate a host of actions from mood to our hormones, from producing energy to promoting healthy aging.

You might be saying I’m not a mouse……the same chemical molecules were found in women. ”We report that several differentially methylated signatures found in the ovaries of PCOS-like mice are also present in blood samples from women with PCOS and from daughters born to women with PCOS.”

Multigenerational Transference:

One of the less known issues that’s becoming more of a medical reality is your inheritance of a disease, but not from genetics, such as PCOS. Its cause can be exposures from lifestyle issues from past and current generations. This effect is called multigenerational epigenetics and can be influenced by a host of causes.

Think about aflatoxin from contaminated peanuts to air pollution. From toxic metals such as arsenic from rice to plastic additives such as bisphenol A, or the contamination of toys to jewelry with cadmium, chromium, lead or mercury. And let’s not even start with how we char food and create polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or smoke tobacco.

Epigenetics:

Did you know that in our body we have more than 250 different cell types ? Our cells all contain the same DNA however different cells look and act very differently. Think of your eyes vs your heart….same DNA. What makes the difference is a process called epigenetics. Epigenetic inputs act on specific regions of your DNA and determine which genes get turned on or off.

There are three types of epigenetics, the direct form of epigenetics which is what happens from exposures in your lifetime and two indirect epigenetic processes, what happened to you in the womb and the input from your ancestors.

Some very intriguing publications are now able to track 7 generations of results from insults, decades ago from our ancestors. The bottom line, a lot of our family’s choices have an impact on how your body functions today, seriously

Let’s dive in…. do you know what exposures your grandparents experienced ? How about considering your age they may have been exposed to DDT or trauma from WW1 or 2 or…….

Remember our current situation with the EPA and other regulations and understanding of chemistry was very different than today. As an example, DDT was commonly sprayed to decrease mosquitos and considered safe at that time. Did you know that the residues are still found in our food and environment, today.

Now fast forward to today: I’ll bet you’ve thrown out your BPA plastic water bottle. The common BPA use has been changed from consumer outcry and plastic manufactured product responded. However, the bad news is the same endocrine disruptors that can have an epigenetic effect have just pivoted to some new chemical family member BPF and BPS, which are potentially worse.  Substitution is common in the industry and for those of you who keep abreast of the chemical industries sleight of hand, it’s a constant case of wack-a-mole.

Good News:

Now for some good news…. There are loads of changes you can make in your lifestyle that will decrease or even change the way your body responds, and it will impact your children.

In the case of the alterations seen in the chemistry a very safe natural product, S-adenosylmethionine, also known as (SAM) may be of use in reversing the poor methylation. This is a safe supplement that’s commonly available in your local health food store.

Before you jump, consider that there are some very simple tests to determine your methylation pathways integrity for both your bodies chemistry and your genetics, all from a simple swab test.

What to know more ? Only practitioners who take the time to get a fully flushed out multigenerational history and utilize the full scope of current laboratory techniques, coupled with nutritional training and focusing on a non-drug-oriented approach should be considered.

Action Items:

• Take the time to track down your ancestor’s history, in detail
•  Consider what you eat, carefully and adjust appropriately
•  Limit your exposure to endocrine disruptors (think cosmetics, food, plastics and personal care items and more)
•  Avoid  toxic metals from lead to arsenic
•  See an informed practitioner and… test, don’t guess