Natural treatments for polycsytic ovary syndrome (PCOS)are available. Untreated PCOS can lead to diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and an increased risk of cancer. Common medical treatments include metformin (Glucophage), birth control pills and symptom specific treatments for acne, hair loss, and restoring ovulation. Natural treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome include herbs, dietary changes, mind-body treatments, and exercise.

I started researching natural treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome because I was not able to tolerate metformin. Not only did my symptoms remain the same, I gained weight on metformin and I had gastro-intestinal effects for 6 months. No thank you! With natural treatments I lost more than 30 pounds and started having regular periods again.

If metformin is working for you, don't stop taking it! All of these treatments are safe to use with metformin if your doctor oks it. You will want to be careful with diet and exercise because metformin can cause your blood sugar levels to get too low. You are also more likely to get dehydrated while on metformin, so make sure you keep your fluid intake high.

* Herbs for PCOS are very popular because they work well. Just be sure you know what you are taking and why. Any herb strong enough to help you is also potentially harmful. Be sure to research potential the side effects and get your doctor's ok before taking any herb. The most common herb for PCOS is vitex, also known as chaste tree berry or agnus castus.

* Many women with PCOS report that a low-glycemic index diet has an amazing effect on their symptoms. For many women with PCOS, the low-glycemic index diets are the only way to lose weight. The majority of women with PCOS have insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is what happens when your body overreacts to sugar and carbohydrates in your diet. Eating certain foods such as white bread, rice, potatoes and sugary foods causes your blood sugar to rise quickly because these foods are digested very quickly.

Your body produces too much insulin to deal with this rapid increase in blood sugar. The insulin does its job of helping your cells to use blood sugar. However, too much insulin causes your cells to get too much blood sugar too quickly. To protect themselves the cells become resistant to insulin. Metformin helps your body to use insulin effectively again. However, studies show that diet and exercise are even more effective than metformin.

A low glycemic diet is basically about eating more natural foods that are digested slowly, such as vegetables. These foods cause your blood sugar to rise slowly so your body produces just the right amount of insulin. Combined with exercise, this diet retrains your body to use insulin properly and the insulin resistance is greatly reduced. I have listed some of the best low glycemic diet boosk below.

* Exercise is the best natural treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome. Exercise improves your mood, reduces your cholesterol, and teaches your body to use insulin efficiently. Moderate exercise is all that is needed. Thirty minutes a day 3-5 times a week is enough for most people. Do be sure to check with your doctor before beginning a new excercise program just to be sure everything is in order.

* Mind-body therapies include focused relaxation, reiki energy therapy, massage, support groups and life coaching. All of these things can help reduce your stress and improve your health. We know that stress drastically increases the symptoms of PCOS. Reducing stress can make a huge difference in your symptoms.

If you would like to learn more about natural treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome, I go into much more detail in my book Alternative PCOS Solutions

You may want to look at these books for ways to get started with a low-glycemic diet: