

Did you know that vitamins play a vital role in helping women with PCOS? In fact, Vitamin D has a significant role to play in PCOS management and its deficiency can make the condition worse. It is important to find the best multivitamin for PCOS that could help manage the condition and diminish the symptoms significantly.
However, before we proceed to talk about the vitamins and multivitamins for women with PCOS, we need to know what it is.
Understanding PCOS
PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a hormonal disorder commonly found among women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS will have prolonged or infrequent menstrual periods. They may also have excessive male hormone levels. Ovaries of women with PCOS may develop plenty of small collections of fluids (known as follicles) and fail to release eggs regularly.
Very importantly, PCOS can not be cured but the symptoms can certainly be managed.
Doctors, therefore, suggest the intake of multivitamins, especially Vitamin D and B12 to ensure the best management of the symptoms. Such PCOS multivitamins can be taken through relevant food items and or suitable supplements.
Discussing About the Best Multivitamin for PCOS
Generally, the best multivitamin for PCOS would contain Vitamin D and Vitamin B12. Other nutrients like Omega 3, Folic acid, magnesium, zinc, and melatonin are also pivotal.
If we focus only on dietary intake, you can obtain these PCOS multivitamins through the following foods:
- Coldwater fish — salmon, tuna, etc.
- Walnuts and almonds
- Avocados
- Chia and hemp seeds
- Broccoli and brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Leafy greens like cabbage, romaine, spinach, and kale
- Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, & turnips
- Green beans, peas, bell peppers, capsicum, and asparagus
- Citrus fruits like orange & grapefruits
- Strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries
However, it is not possible to meet all your nutritional needs through food alone. Therefore, you may need some multivitamin supplements as well. However, if you want the best multivitamin for PCOS, make sure that you pick your supplement from a reliable brand with high-quality ingredients that have no additives.
Vitamin D and PCOS
PCOS is the most common ovarian disorder. It is associated with disturbances of reproductive-system, hyperinsulinemia, and androgen excesses in women. PCOS and insulin resistance usually affects women of reproductive age.
There is a close relation between vitamin D and PCOS. Vitamin D has shown significant effectiveness in the management of the symptoms of this disorder such as infertility, weight gain, and anxiety. Women with PCOS between the age group of 19 to 50 are advised a dose of 600 IU per day. Though this varies from case to case.
One of the best sources of vitamin D is the sun. It provides almost 90% of the body’s need for vitamin D. Half an hour in sunlight daily is sufficient to give you adequate Vitamin D. In addition, one can take the following foods to gain a good amount of vitamin D, an important constituent of the best multivitamin for PCOS:
- Pasteurised Milk
- Eggs
- Fish like salmon, herring, sardines
Benefits of Vitamin D for PCOS
Vitamin D, as part of the best multivitamin for PCOS, offers a variety of health benefits including:
- Vitamin D and Calcium supplements reduce blood pressure significantly in women with PCOS.
- Regular intake of Vitamin D may improve the hormonal profile in women.
- It helps regulate the menstrual cycle, aids eggs to mature completely, and helps the uterus to become strong enough to support the baby inside.
- It also helps mature the follicle cells and is especially beneficial for those who are planning for IVF.
- Vitamin D helps prevent insulin resistance so that the body can regulate blood sugar.
- Increased vitamin D intake helps avoid illnesses associated with this metabolic syndrome and other disorders related to it. These conditions are riskier in women with PCOS.
- Most women with PCOS suffer from anxiety & feel depressed. This can be because of various factors related to PCOS symptoms like: facial hair growth, unwanted body changes, hormonal imbalances, and infertility. An increase in Vitamin D intake regulates the mood and breaks the cycle of health problems. It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Other Nutrients for PCOS Management
Here are some other nutrients in addition to PCOS multivitamins that play a vital role in PCOS management:
1. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 helps keep the body’s blood and nerve cells healthy. It helps make DNA in all of our cells. It also plays a significant role by helping prevent megaloblastic anaemia, a blood condition that makes people weak and tired. Women with PCOS tend to take higher amounts of metformin to manage insulin resistance. Both the long-term and high dose intake of metformin are the risk factors for B12 deficiency.
2. Magnesium
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. Magnesium has been recognised to reduce pain and inflammation, promote better sleep, and relieve PMS symptoms. Its biggest benefit for women with PCOS is its ability to alleviate anxiety and reduce blood pressure and help regulate blood sugar levels.
3. Zinc
Studies have shown that zinc with magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D co-supplementation for twelve weeks had beneficial effects on insulin metabolism of women with PCOS.
4. Melatonin
The administration of melatonin to women with PCOS has been found to improve the oocyte and embryo quality. It may also be beneficial in correcting the hormonal alterations in PCOS patients.
5. Omega 3
The effect of omega 3 on women with PCOS is a decrease in lipid profile, waist circumference, and the interval between periods. While other parameters like body weight, hip circumference, blood sugar, ovary size, menstrual bleeding, etc. do not change.
6. Folic Acid
Folic acid for PCOS offers several benefits to women suffering from this disorder. It prevents anaemia if someone has excessive menstrual bleeding. It also increases fertility by aiding ovulation and improving egg quality.
Conclusion
PCOS can be managed with the intake of multivitamins, especially those that contain vitamin D. You must therefore focus on a good dietary intake, spend some time in the sun, and make multivitamins for PCOS a part of your lifestyle.
Vitamin D for PCOS helps in increasing fertility, controlling diabetes and high blood pressures, overcoming anxiety and depression, preventing facial hair growth, and controlling hormonal imbalances.