Top herbs for PCOS

Women with PCOS have insulin resistance. This means that cells in the body are resistant to the effect of a normal level of insulin. More insulin is then produced to keep the blood sugar normal. This raised level of insulin causes the ovaries to make too much testosterone. The supplements below are being investigated for their role in improving the symptoms of insulin resistance or PCOS.

1. Berberine– berberine was found to reduce insulin resistance and lower levels of free testosterone
2. Black cohosh- has insulin-regulating properties and anti-inflammatory properties. Great for women in perimenopause who are dealing with hot flashes.
3. Gymnema– This herb has a “sugar blocking” action, and can reduce sugar cravings.
4. Ashwagandha– excellent “stress” herb. Lowers cortisol, which is beneficial because cortisol can disrupt ovulation
5. Melatonin- is a strong antioxidant and an effective free radical scavenger, which protects ovarian follicles
6. Fenugreek-promotes glucose metabolism in your body and improves insulin resistance
7. Resveratrol– in one study, it decreased DHEA-S and insulin levels
8. Quercetin– can alleviate hormonal and metabolic disruptions,
9. Tribulus- decreased the number of ovarian cysts (in rats)
10. Licorice- helps in stimulating the endocrine glands of the body to function properly. This benefits PCOS because of its natural anti-androgen properties. It can bind to the receptor sites helping to maintain estrogen balance, promote ovulation and improve fertility.
11. NAD– is a promising compound because one study suggested that supplementation with nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) can restore lost fertility in old mice by improving mitochondrial function in oocytes.

This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.My favorite blends:

1. NMN -contains NAD and Resveratrol
2. Senolytic– Contains Fisetin, Resveratrol, and Quercetin
3. Young Living -Look for “Femigen” which combines Black Cohosh and licorice along with several important essential oils like Fennel and Sage.

The single supplements are available by searching at:

1. Fullscripts
2. Wellevate

This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Further Reading:

Banaszewska B, Wrotyńska-Barczyńska J, Spaczynski RZ, Pawelczyk L, Duleba AJ. Effects of Resveratrol on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2016;101(11):4322-4328. doi:10.1210/jc.2016-1858

Li L, Li C, Pan P, et al. A Single Arm Pilot Study of Effects of Berberine on the Menstrual Pattern, Ovulation Rate, Hormonal and Metabolic Profiles in Anovulatory Chinese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. PLoS One. 2015;10(12):e0144072. Published 2015 Dec 8.

Furat Rencber S, Kurnaz Ozbek S, Eraldemır C, et al. Effect of resveratrol and metformin on ovarian reserve and ultrastructure in PCOS: an experimental study. J Ovarian Res. 2018;11(1):55. Published 2018 Jun 29.

Showell MG, Mackenzie-Proctor R, Jordan V, Hodgson R, Farquhar C. Inositol for subfertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;12(12):CD012378. Published 2018 Dec 20.

Kamel HH. Role of phyto-oestrogens in ovulation induction in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2013;168(1):60-63.

Tagliaferri V, Romualdi D, Scarinci E, et al. Melatonin Treatment May Be Able to Restore Menstrual Cyclicity in Women With PCOS: A Pilot Study. Reprod Sci. 2018;25(2):269-275. doi:10.1177/1933719117711262

Mojaverrostami S, Asghari N, Khamisabadi M, Heidari Khoei H. The role of melatonin in polycystic ovary syndrome: A review. Int J Reprod Biomed (Yazd). 2019;17(12):865-882. Published 2019 Dec 30. doi:10.18502/ijrm.v17i12.5789

Esmaeilinezhad Z, Babajafari S, Sohrabi Z, Eskandari MH, Amooee S, Barati-Boldaji R. Effect of synbiotic pomegranate juice on glycemic, sex hormone profile and anthropometric indices in PCOS: A randomized, triple blind, controlled trial. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2019;29(2):201-208.

Swaroop A, Jaipuriar AS, Gupta SK, et al. Efficacy of a Novel Fenugreek Seed Extract (Trigonella foenum-graecum, Furocyst) in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Int J Med Sci. 2015;12(10):825-831. Published 2015 Oct 3. doi:10.7150/ijms.13024

Neisy A, Zal F, Seghatoleslam A, Alaee S. Amelioration by quercetin of insulin resistance and uterine GLUT4 and ERα gene expression in rats with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Reprod Fertil Dev. 2019;31(2):315-323. doi:10.1071/RD18222

Jahan S, Abid A, Khalid S, et al. Therapeutic potentials of Quercetin in management of polycystic ovarian syndrome using Letrozole induced rat model: a histological and a biochemical study. J Ovarian Res. 2018;11(1):26. Published 2018 Apr 3. doi:10.1186/s13048-018-0400-5

Singh S, Garg G, Singh AK, Tripathi SS, Rizvi SI. Fisetin, a potential caloric restriction mimetic, modulates ionic homeostasis in senescence induced and naturally aged rats [published online ahead of print, 2019 Sep 9]. Arch Physiol Biochem. 2019;1-8. doi:10.1080/13813455.2019.1662452