 The human body is a highly balanced network of complicated biochemical interactions. It is regulated by the hypothalamus whose task it is, along with the rest of the endocrine system (the pituitary, the adrenal glands, the pancreas and the sexual organs) to monitor the various levels and issue the biochemical messages it needs to keep the body’s many systems in balance.
 Those messages often take the form of hormones which are dispatched from moment to moment in response to other biochemical information. (Think of adrenalin and the fight or flight response). And while the body can withstand occasional systemic anomalies, extended and extreme variations can cause a ripple-effect throughout the whole system, eventually causing problems that affect our health.
PCOS and fatigue are both linked to just such an imbalance of the endocrine system. PCOS is characterized by an excess of male hormones. Fatigue, a symptom commonly associated with PCOS, is also closely linked to the thyroid and adrenal glands. At the heart of both of these issues, however, is a condition known as Insulin Resistance which sets the stage for a series of problems.
What Is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin Resistance is a condition that vastly reduces the insulin sensitivity of cells, which impairs the processing of glucose through the cell wall for conversion to energy. As a result, glucose remains in the blood stream, causing elevated blood sugar, which is sent to the liver. Once there, the sugar is converted into fat and stored via the blood stream throughout the body. This process can lead to weight gain and obesity, key factors in creating PCOS.
Fatigue frequently causes sufferers to treat their low energy with carbs and caffeine, which dumps more glucose into the blood in a never-ending spiral of weight gain and increasing insulin and glucose levels. As their fatigue worsens, their excess fat cells are producing too much of another hormone, estrogen.
Stress
 As you might guess, stress is a powerful contributor to both fatigue and PCOS. Although the original purpose of the stress response was to provide a momentary burst of energy in order to fight or run away, stress has become a continual presence in our lives today.
Cortisol, the hormone produced by the adrenal glands, is vital to our functioning as long as it is in appropriate amounts, but excess levels of cortisol cause resistance in adrenal receptors and contribute to Insulin Resistance as well as general resistance to other hormones.
 According to Dr. David Zava, biochemist, researcher and author. “Excess cortisol keeps hormones from operating at optimal levels.” (1) It can also result in excessive breakdown of all structural tissues of the body, including muscle, bone, skin and brain, causing accelerated aging. (2) The continual call for cortisol drains the system of the necessary ingredients to make the sex hormones and often results in adrenal failure.
 Maintaining the body’s balance is important. But although the complexity seems overwhelming, the solution can be fairly simple. Regular exercise has repeatedly been shown to return the body to a more balanced state. In fact, exercise improves Insulin Resistance and increases energy levels generally within days of beginning a regular program. (3) Combined with a diet low in simple carbohydrates, exercise and a regimen of precisely formulated supplements can start to improve hormone activity and set you back on the road to better health.
You may be interested in some of our Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs) on PCOS and the Insulite PCOS System.
(1,2) Cortisol Levels, Thyroid Function and Aging: How Cortisol Levels Affect Thyroid Function and Aging – Interview with David Zava, Ph.D.
(3) The Ins and Outs of Insulin Resistance – International Food Information Council
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