Oxidative stress is the byproduct of natural processes that our body uses to manage our stress and maintain cellular function. Women with PCOS often have a higher level of oxidative stress, which can increase our risk of inflammatory-based conditions that we often see tagging right along with our PCOS.
Insulin resistance affects so many of us PCOS women and can be a result of oxidative stress. The flip side of the coin is that oxidative stress may also come from the insulin resistance. Insulin resistance increases that oxidative stress level because of the high level of blood sugars and fats that are bumbling around in our system.
Obesity also increases our levels of oxidative stress and often holds hands with insulin resistance in what often feels like a rigged game of red rover (sorry to those who never had the privilege of playing this game as a kid and being “clotheslined” while trying to make it through). For some individuals it feels like no matter how clean we eat or what diet we try, the weight just won’t come off and much to our dismay it certainly has no problem tacking itself to our bodies. If inflammation, oxidative stress and hormones are not all looked at in the analysis then you’re only getting a piece of the puzzle and it’s time to try something different.
This picture below is of me not quite at my heaviest, but pretty close. My body was full of oxidative stress, I just didn’t know it then!
All of this excess oxidative stress leads to an increase in overall inflammation throughout the body. Do you hurt? Aches and pains? Does your cycle seem to go on and on and never stop or do you not have one at all? How about anxiety and mood swings? Weight gain? High cholesterol? All of these are your body’s cries for relief from the inflammation! Your body is trying to protect itself from the inflammation in the only ways that it knows how and hopes that one day you will become its ally and help fight against the inflammation with it!
How about excess androgens (testosterone)? Yep! You guessed it – that’s also from oxidative stress and inflammation and is often a result of unbalanced insulin and/or adrenals! It’s so frustrating to always have to wax, shave, and pluck what feels like every inch of our bodies. I remember feeling like my body was trying to turn me into a man and if that is what it wanted, why didn’t it just hurry up and get it over with. I was heartbroken, ashamed, embarrassed, and definitely felt less feminine.
If all of these warning cries from oxidative stress are left unchecked then what happens? Well, this is where the possibility of cancer comes in. I know that many of you have had your OB/GYN or your Endocrinologist mention that you’re going to be prescribed birth control to get you to menstruate. Part of the reason is that they are worried about cancer developing in the uterus. But unchecked oxidative stress and inflammation are far more worrisome than missing a period – what’s causing you to miss that period is where we need to address!
We can continue to do the same things over and over and expect different results (definition of insanity) or we can change our actions and expect better!
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For those research buffs like myself, check this study out:
Zuo, T., Zhu, M., & Xu, W. (2016). Roles of oxidative stress in polycystic ovary syndrome and cancers. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2016.
