Hormonal health is complicated and an important aspect of overall health. Disorders like PCOS can disturb hormonal balance resulting in a range of health issues.
Well, if you are willing to treat it naturally, you are at the right place. Suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common medical condition impacting a huge number of women globally, affecting their health and well-being.
In this article, we will get into the intricacies of PCOS, how we can treat it naturally with teas, and which all teas help in curing PCOS. Let’s have a look.
Overview of PCOS
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal condition impacting more than 10% of women1. This disorder generally results in enlarged ovaries and develops cysts on the outer edges.
However, these cysts do not arise in all situations, this condition emerges in women of almost any reproductive age. PCOS is a relatively common disorder that impacts a large number of young women.
PCOS can cause fertility issues, but being diagnosed with PCOS does not necessarily mean that someone will face fertility problems. Some women may conceive naturally, while some may require medication and fertility treatments.
What are the symptoms of PCOS?
Every person is affected differently by PCOS. However, some of the common symptoms include2
- Irregular menstrual cycle
- Skin and Hair-related problems like unwanted hair growth, thinning of scalp hair, and dark patches on underarms.
- Weight gain
- Difficulty in conceiving
- Stress and anxiety
What are the causes of PCOS?
The major cause of PCOS is still unknown. However, doctors speculate that high levels of male hormones hinder the ovaries from generating hormones and making eggs naturally.
It may also be caused due to family history, environment, genetics, insulin resistance, inflammation, and lifestyle.
However, your PCOS can be treated by following a healthier lifestyle. Significant changes in food habits, initiating regular workouts, getting adequate sleep, and incorporating herbal teas into your daily routine can majorly help in curing PCOS.
Let's have a look at how teas and PCOS are related in our next section.
How are Teas and PCOS related?
Tea has been an important part of our lives for ages. From relaxation to medication, tea has numerous advantages if taken adequately.
Over the years, we have been making tea with various ingredients like ginger, black pepper, lime, honey, and many more. These ingredients have not only enhanced the flavor but also acted as immunity boosters.
This evolution in people’s minds and including herbal teas in their routines has helped them deal with various health issues3.
One of them is PCOS. Various herbs in herbal teas have medicinal properties that can help alleviate symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
According to a recent survey, 16% of women between the ages of 20 to 29 have PCOS4.
However, it is recommended to know about all teas that are good for PCOS. We have prepared a list of teas that help with PCOS, if taken in the right manner with a healthy lifestyle, these teas can do wonders for your overall health.
Let's have a look at PCOS-friendly teas.
Best Teas for PCOS
While there is not any proper treatment for PCOS5. However, it can still be controlled by changing your lifestyle and incorporating some herbal teas into your daily routine.
Let’s learn more about these wonder teas and how they help us in our next section.
Spearmint Tea
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Spearmint tea is considered one of the best teas for PCOS. This tea Is known to have anti-androgen effects.
It has gained a lot of attention for its ability to decrease testosterone and restore overall hormone balance in women6.
Testosterone is a male hormone that can be boosted in women with PCOS, resulting in various symptoms. For instance
- Acne
- Irregular Menstrual Cycles
- Excessive Hair Growth
- Mood Swings
- Infertility
According to the researchers, consuming 3 cups of spearmint tea can help lower your testosterone levels and potentially cure these symptoms7.
This hormone tea helps in regulating period, acidity, and skin breakouts. It can also be taken in the form of a capsule or you can enjoy it as chilled tea than warm on a hot summer day.
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is anti-inflammatory. This tea works as a natural remedy for easing the pain, discomfort, and other struggles related to PCOS.
Ginger tea is great for boosting immunity, reducing bloating, headaches, and also decreases the risk of developing particular diseases like arthritis, blood sug, etc8.
This PCOS tea is rich in compounds that help govern hormones and has been recognized to decrease insulin resistance in women suffering from PCOS.
Lemon Balm Tea
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Besides dealing with PCOS, lemon balm tea acts as a weapon that helps relieve anxiety, menstrual issues, sleep problems, and heavy bleeding9.
This herbal tea is great for digestion too and calms the nervous system and liver.
Green Tea
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Green tea is considered to be a healthy beverage option. It has been considered a healthy food for ages.
According to the studies, most people consume green tea extract capsules, instead of having it as a beverage10.
Green tea is known as a potential natural cure for PCOS symptoms, particularly its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to have an anti-androgen effect in obese women suffering from PCOS.
Most people like to take it after eating their meal as it aids in digestion. This is one of the best beverages to consume in the morning that can make a healthy change in your lifestyle.
Cinnamon Tea
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There are some awesome benefits of consuming Cinnamon tea. It is popularly known to naturally reverse and cure PCOS. It also works amazingly in various health problems. Some of them are
- Decrease your high blood sugar
- Reduce insulin levels
- Helps in losing weight
- Regulate periods
- Improve metabolic health
Studies suggest that cinnamon genuinely benefits the menstrual cycle. Women consuming cinnamon tea regularly had more regular menstrual cycles than those who did not take it11.
Improvement in the menstrual cycle is helpful for women with PCOS who frequently face troubles with uncertain periods and infertility.
Cinnamon tea can be easily made with cinnamon sticks and water.
Raspberry Red Leaf Tea
Popularly known as uterine tonic, Raspberry leaf tea has the potential to tone and strengthen the uterine muscles. This tea can also be extremely helpful for women suffering from PCOS and regulate irregular menstrual cycles. Raspberry tea is packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds while helping in various factors like
- Improving hormonal imbalance
- Regulating menstrual cramps
- Reducing heavy flow
- Assist in skin issues
- Increase fat metabolism
- Taking care of your mood swings
If consumed adequately, this PCOS herbal tea can improve fertility for men and women. Both of them can take it to increase their energy levels and have fairer sex. It can be easily made with loose red raspberry leaf and water.
Licorice Root Tea
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If you are facing acne and excessive facial hair issues, licorice root tea is for you. This tea can reduce high testosterone levels in women.
Licorice is considered to be PCOS-friendly tea because it has numerous health benefits and can manage PCOS with ease. Some of the benefits are
- Balance Hormones
- Reduce Inflammation
- Improve Digestion
- Keep you away from sweet cravings
If you have a sweet tooth, you will enjoy consuming this PCOS tea. Whenever you crave something sweet or feel low, sip it on and keep yourself away from chocolates and desserts.
Dandelion Root Tea
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Dandelion root tea is a versatile tea. It has innumerable benefits. According to the researchers, this herbal tea helps aid the function of your liver, which is essential for PCOS12.
Dandelion tea helps in treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, also known as fatty liver. This condition is popular amongst women suffering from PCOS, as this condition alleviates
- Obesity
- Weight Gain
- Insulin resistance
- Hormonal imbalance
If you are looking for a hormone tea, then dandelion root tea is made for you. Besides managing your PCOS and liver functions, this tea can help you in other cases too. For instance
- Inflammation
- High blood sugar levels
- Urine infection
- Prevents you from cardiovascular disease
- Weight gain13
Dandelion tea can be easily made with its leaves or roots. If you are using dandelion from the garden, make sure you clean it properly to make it free from all pesticides.
Nettle Tea
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Nettle Tea is another tea, which is known for treating PCOS.
Most of the symptoms related to PCOS are caused by high-androgen hormones like testosterone, DHEA, and androstenedione14. Nettle tea tends to lower the effects of PCOS symptoms and also helps in supporting detoxification.
Nettle tea is the best detox tea for PCOS. This popular weed is rich in various nutrients such as
- Magnesium
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin K
- Potassium
- Silica
- Calcium
Besides dealing with PCOS, nettle tea treats various health problems like
- Painful muscles
- Joints
- Eczema
- Arthritis
- Gout
- Anemia
This herbal tea can be made with dried nettle leaves, water, and sweetener (honey, brown sugar, or stevia)
Black Tea
Black tea is not particularly for PCOS, but it is used to improve overall health. Most people choose black tea for PCOS weight loss. It is good whether you have PCOS or not.
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This herbal tea is rich in antioxidants and gives innumerable health benefits like improved heart and gut health and reduced risk for various diseases. Here are some of the major health benefits of black tea:
- Acts as an antioxidant
- Increase heart health
- Decreases bad LDL cholesterol
- Reduce blood pressure
- Lowers the risk of stroke
- Reduce blood sugar levels
- Decreases the risk of cancer
- Helps in losing weight
Black tea has a strong flavor and contains more caffeine than the rest of the teas, but less than coffee.
Tulsi Tea
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Excessive facial hair and acne are a terrible part of suffering from PCOS. Tulsi or Holi basil tea is one of the best remedies for decreasing the growth of thick and ugly facial hair.
This holy tea helps in increasing the levels of SHBG. This hormone binds excess androgens and helps in reducing facial hair and acne.
Tulsi also aids in treating skin pigmentation mostly around the neck or underarms in women suffering from PCOS15.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is one of the oldest medicines in the world. Its healing properties have been known for ages, which also benefits in soothing PCOS symptoms.
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This wonder tea has phytoestrogens and antioxidant properties that can enhance ovarian histological changes, improve PCOS symptoms, and lower the level of following hormones.
Chamomile tea has a calming effect and is also known to be beneficial for sleep. Here are a few more benefits, for instance, it helps in
- Lowering insulin levels
- Reducing insulin resistance
- Increasing gut health
- Alleviating stress
Besides taking chamomile as a drink, you can also take it as a supplement, or you can eat it in a salad. Consume chamomile regularly and adequately to see the significant changes.
Lavender Tea
Lavender tea is also known to have a calming effect. If you want to relax or have a good sleep, consuming this herbal tea can work like magic.
Having a healthy lifestyle and getting rid of stress and anxiety is crucial for retaining hormonal balance with PCOS.
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This wonder tea may help in lowering PCOS symptoms because it has anti-androgen properties.
You can use lavender oil, if you refrain from consuming tea, Lavender oil application also has the same effect as tea if applied directly to the skin.
There are various ways to make herbal tea. For instance, you can add numerous flavours to the tea to avoid bitterness and make it more delicious than ever.
Precautions
Even though herbal teas offer countless advantages; one has to be careful when using them and should seek advice from a health professional.
- Discuss it with a physician: Before taking any PCOS tea, it is advised to talk about it with your doctor to prevent you from any allergies or other medical conditions.
- Stay away while pregnant or breastfeeding: Some herbal teas for PCOS might not be safe for pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding, therefore do not consume herbal teas without prescriptions.
- Excess of everything is bad: Too much of anything is poisonous; hence stick to the recommended amount of tea given by a health care provider. Over-dosage of PCOS tea in order to get quick results can lead to negative impacts.
- Monitor allergic reactions: Study the composition of the tea before consuming it. Some herbs or spices in the tea can cause itching, rashes, infection or stomach infection.
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle: You cannot entirely rely on herbal tea as an antidote for PCOS; some major changes need to be made in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For example, a healthy diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep.
While taking these precautions, you will surely see a change in your health. However, you need to understand that natural remedies do not work overnight. It takes time and consistency to get good results.
Lifestyle Tips To Manage PCOS
To manage PCOS, it is crucial to do regular exercise and take a healthy diet along with taking herbal tea. This will not only cure PCOS symptoms but also prevent you from numerous diseases. Here is the list of lifestyle tips that you should follow to manage PCOS.
- Eat Fresh: You may consume fresh fruits and vegetables instead of processed foods as much as possible.
- Eat small meals frequently: Try eating small meal sizes five times a day rather than large ones. Include more lean proteins, vegetables, and fruits in your diet too.
- Workout: If you would like to get rid of PCOS completely then regular workout is necessary. You don’t have to do any hardcore exercise; a simple walk, jog or weight training can make a big difference.
- Manage Your Stress: Avoid too much stress since it affects hormones. So just relax and say happy.
- Weight management: Ensure that you watch your daily calories and portion sizes. Incline yourself towards nutrient-dense and low-calorie foods.This will help you lose some kilos while helping you with your weight loss journey. Weight management is the most important step towards treating PCOS.
- Herbal Teas: Try incorporating herbal teas into your daily routine. Take 3 cups of herbal tea daily especially after consuming an oily meal. This will facilitate easy digestion of your food and alleviate PCOS symptoms.
Key Takeaways
- PCOS is a hormonal condition affecting young females all over the world. The symptoms include irregular periods, excess body hair, weight gain and infertility.
- PCOS does not have any specific cause, but factors like genetics, family history, environment and lifestyle may increase its chances of occurrence.
- Making small changes like taking a healthier diet, regular workouts and drinking herbal teas can make a big difference.
- Herbal teas help regulate hormones in the body; improve insulin resistance; reduce inflammation; assist in weight management; normalise menstrual cycles and alleviate PCOS signs.
- It is highly recommended that you seek medical advice before taking herbal teas especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or allergic to some herbs
- PCOS treatment requires an overall lifestyle change. You can not just be dependent on herbal teas. Regular workouts and incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables also play a major role in treating this disorder.
