By Clinical Dietitian
For multiple decades, PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) was a very common hormonal issues that women faced. Now the name shift from PCOS to PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome) has been seen. There is a much deeper reason behind this name shift. Over the course of years, researchers saw that there are many other common symptoms seen in women suffering with PCOS other than just missed or irregular periods. The most common symptoms seen in women worldwide are fatigue, fluctuations in weight, skin changes, bloating, hairfall, inflammation, insulin resistance and emotional stress. Experts started believing that PCOS doesn’t tell the whole story because the term PCOS only focuses on ovaries as the name stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. While many women were left undiagnosed because there were no cysts seen in their ultrasounds but they had all other symptoms including:
- Insulin Resistance
- Inflammation
- Emotional Stress
- Digestive Health
- Stress Hormones
- Low Energy Levels
- Insomnia
- Weight Changes
- Hair Thinning
This itself was causing misunderstanding and confusion among women.
PCOS IS NOT JUST IRREGULAR OR MISSED CYCLE
Women all over the world felt terrible and frustrated because of being undiagnosed and so all of their symptoms felt unrelated. They initially needed help for symptoms other than missed periods.
- Facial Hair Growth (Hirsutism)
- Bloating
- Weigh Gain
- Hair Thinning
- Acne
- Constant Fatigue
- Cravings
- Insomnia
Not long before women themselves started realizing that all these symptoms were interconnected with hormones and insulin signalling and needed to be addressed as they are.
Insulin is one of the most important hormones that helps transfer glucose from the bloodstream into cells. When the body doesn’t respond to insulin, levels rise and as a result it affects ovarian function and inflammation pathways. Nutrition and Lifestyle plays the most important part here in managing insulin signalling and hormonal imbalance.
WHY PMOS CONVERSATION MATTERS?
PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome) focuses the entire shift towards metabolism. Research done by WHO shows that stress, sleep, inflammation, insulin resistance, digestion and insomnia are all interconnected. It’s far away from eating too much or eating too less. “Metabolic” itself means, related to metabolism and how the body processes and uses energy. PMOS shifts the focus on metabolic symptoms which are more than just cysts in ovaries. Symptoms differ person to person, not every women faces the same metabolic conditions but the researchers have seen a clear link between PMOS and
- Changes in Cholesterol Markers
- Changes in Inflammation Markers
- Dysregulation in Appetite
- Insulin Resistance
PMOS conversation feels much more comfortable and inclusive for women because it gives a complete holistic view of health and shows that hormones are interconnected and they do not stay isolated. It is also important to understand the PMOS discussion is still going on and it is evolving day by day.
DIETARY CHANGES AROUND PMOS/ PCOS:
There is a lot of misguidance going on the internet when it comes to dietary changes and lifestyle changes in PMOS/PCOS. One of the pages tell you to completely eradicate carbs and some tell you to give up on dairy. These kinds of extremely restrictive diets do not work when it comes to PMOS/PCOS. These kinds of diets do not give results sustainably and will cause your body to remain in chronic stress throughout. There is enough evidence based research available that gives the exact roadmap of what actually works in PMOS/PCOS. It suggests on eating balanced diet that can be taken forward easily for sustainable results.
It includes:
- High Quality Protein
- Fiber rich- Carbohydrates
- Whole Foods
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Healthy fats
There is also a very clear and strong interconnection between inflammation, insulin resistance, fluid retention, digestion and PMOS. Many women experience same symptoms related to this like:
- Puffiness or swelling on face or stomach after meals
- Water retention before periods
- Feeling quite uncomfortable in your own body despite trying everything “normal”
Research shows that these symptoms can be managed with diet and lifestyle management after understanding the root-cause. Gentle anti-inflammatory dietary patterns can help ease a lot of symptoms-related and also it helps in overall health and longevity. The interventions are quite simple and easy to incorporate in your daily life:
- Hydration
- Prioritizing Sleep
- Not skipping Meals
- Consistent meal timings
- Incorporating Fiber-rich foods
- Limiting processed foods
- Limiting added sugars and salts
- Lean high quality protein
- Healthy fats and in some cases low-fats
- Stress Management
- Physical Activity
WOMEN NAVIGATING PMOS:
A body with PMOS might feel very exhausting, it all shapes how women experience it. For years, many women were made to focus only on fertility and ovarian cysts in the name of PCOS, even though they had multiple other symptoms and struggles that they were focusing on. PMOS, with just a name shift, has given a meaningful recognition to women’s struggles, hormonal health and its understanding. It has given meaning to the discussion on hormones, inflammation, metabolism, insulin resistance, nutrition, lifestyle and how they all are strongly interconnected. It all happens slowly and in a different way for everyone. Consistency matters here, 1% effort everyday can bring big positive changes.
WHEN TO SEEK PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE FOR PMOS:
Supportive care from dietitians help you understand patterns and building routines that are not only realistic, easy to follow and sustainable.
A clinical dietitian will help you with:
- Symptom Tracking
- Lab Interpretation
- Meal Planning
- Blood Sugar Support
- Nutrients/Supplements Guidance
- Long-term Wellness support and coaching
The hardest part about PMOS is that changes take time, it may happen slowly because hormones respond gradually especially when stress, sleep, inflammation and nutrition all are interconnected. Research indicated that minor, consistent lifestyle modifications may facilitate long term symptom management. For many women, it is easier to handle both emotionally and physically when they concentrate on consistency rather than perfection.