Managing PCOS: Berberine vs Metformin
Nearly 1 in 10 women have PCOS, making it one of the most common hormonal disorders among young females today. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder that affects women of reproductive age, resulting in symptoms such as irregular menstrual cycles, acne, weight gain, excessive hair growth, and infertility.
Do you have PCOS?
The symptoms of PCOS can vary from person to person; however, they generally include irregular periods or no periods at all, excess facial hair growth (hirsutism), acne, thinning scalp hair, obesity, or weight gain around the waist area and infrequent or absent ovulation (which increases risk for infertility). To diagnose PCOS, two of the following signs need to be present:
A. Irregular or anovulatory cycles (ovulatory dysfunction)
B. Signs of hyperandrogenism (excess sex hormones levels) such as:
- Acne
- Seborrhea (rash and white scale on scalp and face)
- Hair loss or Hirsutism excess hair on face and body
C. Polycystic ovaries on pelvic sonography.
Your healthcare provider may do a physical exam, review your medical history and perform ultrasounds to look for cysts on the ovaries. In addition, they would ask for extra blood tests to measure your blood sugar profile and how well your body processes sugar, and to measure your hormone levels such as testosterone and FSH/LH ratio. For more accurate results, these tests should be done at certain times in correlation to your monthly cycle, as follows:
- Progesterone - best tested at day 21 in a regular cycle or 7 days prior to expected menstrual cycles if cycle not 28 days.
- AMH, Prolactin and testosterone - can be tested at any time during the cycle.
- FSH, LH, and Oestradiol (estrogen E2) - should be tested between day 2-6 (early follicular phase, best on day 3)
How to naturally manage your PCOS
One of the most common medications for PCOS is Metformin. Metformin is an oral medication prescribed by doctors and is primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes, but is also sometimes prescribed off-label for women with PCOS due to its ability to lower insulin resistance. This may lead to more regular periods and improved fertility outcomes in some cases. Common side effects include nausea and dizziness while more serious side effects can include Lactic acidosis, B12 deficiency Anemia, and Hypoglycemia if taken in large doses over long periods of time.
Berberine is a herbal supplement that has been found to help regulate blood sugar levels by helping cells better respond to insulin. It can also balance hormones leading to improvement of the ovulation rate which can improve fertility outcomes in those struggling with infertility due to PCOS, redistribution of fat tissue, reduce fat mass and improve lipid levels, thus, inducing weight loss. Rare side effects may include nausea and diarrhea.
When it comes to the natural management of PCOS, the use of berberine has been studied and shown to have comparable effects with metformin in terms of improving symptoms and metabolic parameters. A study of the effects of berberine in women with PCOS stated that, in a group of 98 women who completed the four-month treatment, 14.3% of them had regained regular menstruation. The ovulation rate showed a 25.0% increase over four months, sex hormone binding globulin, insulin resistance, total cholesterol, total triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased after berberine treatment in the whole group.
Valeo’s highly concentrated Berberine+ is composed of 97% natural barberries which is the highest purity form available in a capsule. Its clean ingredients maximize beneficial effects and leave little to no room for side effects.
The Verdict
Natural approaches present a huge advantage over pharmaceuticals as they have less side effects and ultimately have better outcomes. For those looking for an alternative to metformin when treating their PCOS manifestations, natural management using berberine is a great option as it can be more effective with fewer drawbacks. Of course It is worth mentioning that lifestyle changes such as exercise and dietary modifications can definitely support reducing symptoms associated with PCOS as well. So if you really want to manage PCOS in a healthy and sustainable way, get proper diagnosis, take natural supplements and make sure your lifestyle complements your health goal. Valeo’s got your back sister!