PCOS is the most common ovarian disease that affects 1 out of 10 women in the United States.
One of the most challenging features of PCOS is weight gain. Certainly, Herbalife is one of the best options to lose weight. However, is Herbalife safe for PCOS?
Ladies with PCOS symptoms should think twice before adding Herbalife products to their diets. Especially those products containing soy as their main ingredients.
In this article, I will discuss the connection between Herbalife and PCOS in details.
Is Herbalife Safe for PCOS?
The Herbalife supplement has its pros and cons when it interacts with PCOS. This product seems full of nutritional value, but it is not as described!
Though, it is one of the best drinks for weight loss for patients with PCOS. Yet, you cannot use it for a long time. Otherwise, you can have the following side effects:
- Menstrual cycle
- Ovaries
- Pregnancy health
Herbalife products are highly refined and enriched with chemical additives to give quick and instant results. Yet, it has limited long-term benefits and has side effects as well.
According to the FDA, Herbalife additives such as lead and ephedra can cause high B.P. and cancer. Both these conditions are harmful to people with PCOS.
Also, Herbalife lacks proper nutrients for regular ovulation and ovary health.
Questionable Ingredients
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned Herbalife company numerous times about toxic ingredients in its products. For instance,
- Ephedra
- Caffeine
- Soy and shellfish
- Lead
Even so, Herbalife claims that its products are free of harmful ingredients. However, some evidence undermines their claims. Possibly, the ingredients are being used without being labeled.
Herbalife and PCOS: Risk Herbalife Products can Cause
Herbalife’s official website states that all its products are FDA-compliant and properly labeled. However, many of Herbalife’s products can have adverse side effects on its consumers.
I have rounded up some of the most common side effects of Herbalife based on the real-life experience of patients:
Increased Workload on The Liver
Herbalife supplements contain some toxic ingredients in diverse quantities. Due to this, Herbalife products are likely to harm the liver.
Here are some toxic ingredients in Herbalife that are hard for the liver to detoxify:
- Lead
- Chromium
- Pesticides
- BPA
- Caffeine
No doubt, the liver is very efficient in its function. But if it is over-exposed to toxins, it will tire and become sluggish.
Moreover, these toxins will remain in your bloodstream and harm your body.
Also, a defective liver results in slow metabolism. Thus, it doesn’t metabolize estrogen, which raises blood estrogen levels.
Consequently, you will have a disturbed estrogen and progesterone ratio in your body. This hormonal disruption could lead to some adverse on the menstrual cycle.
Besides these hormones, the sluggish hormone will produce excessive thyroid hormones. Therefore, your ovulation and periods will be negatively affected if your thyroid is underactive.
Hence, when you already have PCOS, using Herbalife is likely to increase liver strain.
Estrogen Imbalance
Herbalife supplements contain certain nutrients that can shoot your blood estrogen level.
PCOS Women already have a lot of estrogen in their blood. Thus, if they consume more estrogen, it will defect their ovaries and menstrual cycle. So Herbalife and PCOS can be a deadly combination.
Also, there are chances to interfere with their pregnancy.
Indeed, Herbalife uses genetically modified soy, whey, and other ingredients in its supplements. These engineered content can be helpful for the instant of consumption. But it can lead to certain adverse effects in the future due to mutant genes.
Moreover, it will also cause adverse effects in people allergic to soy.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Not only Herbalife but all other nutrition brands claim to meet the dietary needs of the human body. Nevertheless, these claims are not fully justified at all!
Even a fortified protein shake can’t provide your body with all the nutrients it deserves.
Herbalife presents its shakes as the best meal-replacement shake mix. But it doesn’t contain a considerable amount of:
- Vitamins
- Magnesium
- Calories
- Antioxidants
- Carbs
- Fatty acids
It also lacks many essential micro and macronutrients. Instead, they do not contain board spectrum of nutrients, but only protein.
Thus, over-relying on Herbalife supplements can lead to malnutrition as you replace your dense nutrition meal with only protein. No doubt, protein plays a primary role in hormones regulation. But still, you need other micro and macronutrients for normal metabolism.
As a result, your PCOS will suffer from vitamin and hormone shortages, which can cause:
- Irregular periods
- Serious congestive diseases
- Ovarian insufficiency
Overall, Herbalife or other protein and energy booster can’t be an optimum alternative to the natural diet.
Bloating and Digestive Issues
The Herbalife meals supplement helps you lose weight. But it is a bitter truth that it is highly processed with dangerous chemicals.
Preservatives in Herbalife products can cause temporary as well as long-term gastric problems. Most often, bloating and nausea occur.
Indeed, the ingredients of Herbalife are not organic; they are artificial nutrients.
Also, many ingredients, like whey, soy, and casein, disturb the hormone balance in women. This can lead to stomach illness and many other sexual problems.
Some Herbalife products contain lactose, which can cause problems in lactose-sensitive people.
In short, if you cannot break down these ingredients, they fester in your body. Thus, it overburdens your stomach and liver. Consequences interfere with your hormone levels.
Are The Risks Worth The Benefits?
Although, many people have lost harmful fat by using Herbalife products. But it indeed put many lives at stake. Thus, whether you should use it or not depends on your diet and health.
However, before using Herbalife or any other meal replacement, you should see your doctor.
Other Drinks That Treat PCOS Besides Herbalife
PCOS is recoverable with a healthy lifestyle and diet. Indeed, exercise and a ketogenic diet can help beat PCOS.
Here are a few healthy drinks you can consume to lower PCOS symptoms. Consider giving them a try:
Chamomile tea
PCOS women are at risk of sudden mood fluctuations. Chamomile tea can help them to relieve their stress and calm their mood wings.
Also, chamomile tea has the following benefits for PCOS and Menstruation:
- Improve Menstrual Blood Flow
- Reduce Periods Pain
- Relive Stomach cramps
- Treat Ovarian Cysts
- Regulate Estrogen Hormone
Aloe Vera Juice
Aloe vera juice can benefit PCOS health due to its antioxidants and nutrients.
Indeed, Aloe vera juice can help your PCOS in the following ways:
- Restores ovarian steroid status naturally.
- Helps you to keep hydrated (that is important if you are a PCOS patient).
- Flushes toxins out of the body through the bowel.
- Cleans your digestive tract.
- Helps in weight loss.
- Improves hormonal imbalance.
Though, aloe vera helps regulate the menstrual cycle and ease the symptoms of PCOS. But it would help if you did not consume it during periods.
Apple Cider Vinegar
For PCOS, apple cider vinegar can be quite helpful. Indeed, it can improve menstrual cycles and regulate hormones.
Aside from that, apple cider vinegar can also aid PCOS in these ways:
- Reduces insulin resistance
- Treating ovarian cysts
- Increases the level of hormones
- Reduces heavy bleeding during menstruation
- Improve fertility in women with PCOS
- Weight loss in PCOS
- Pain relief during menstruation
Red Wine
The benefits of red wine can help treat PCOS. It occurs naturally in grapes, chocolate, and nuts. Also, you can buy it from markets or make it at home from natural sources.
Here are some red wine benefits for PCOS:
- Increases circulation of blood
- Reducing blood clot formation
- Relieve menstrual cramps
- PCOS-related hormonal imbalance can be fixed
Even though red wine may benefit PCOS, you should not consume it in excess. Moreover, avoid its use if you are taking metformin for PCOS.
Metformin and Herbalife: Which One is Safe for PCOS?
Metformin is a licensed diabetic drug. But doctors administrated it to PCOS patients to control insulin level and weight.
In contrast, Herbalife is a nutritional supplement to fulfill dieters’ nutrition needs.
Metformin or Herbalife? That’s a question that dietitians and PCOS sufferers have been debating for years!
Metformin and Herbalife can work well in the beginning to maintain PCOS symptoms. But then they affect adversely on the body.
Indeed, over-the-counter medicines will worsen your symptoms instead of treating them.
On the whole, metformin works better with Herbalife if you take it as prescribed by your doctor. You can stop worrying about the impact of Herbalife and PCOS while taking Metformin.
Though Herbalife products may help with medical problems, it is not for everyone. Be conscious while purchasing Herbalife products.
Particularly PCOS women should consult their health experts before its consumption. Otherwise, it will lead to adverse effects on periods and reproductive health. Also, it may worsen PCOS symptoms.
To summarize, you can treat PCOS by adopting some healthy living changes.
Thus, be smart and add exercise and a healthy diet to maintain menstrual and ovary health!
FAQ
The Herbalife brand has been banned more than once for containing toxic ephedra and other dangerous content. These ingredients indeed caused life-threatening damage to numerous consumers.
The shakes made by Herbalife are processed and include high additives and preservatives. Moreover, it is expensive and does not contain recommended calories. Aside from these, some of its nutritional content may not be suitable for some people.
Although Herbalife supplements can be a suitable meal replacement for dieters, they can cause adverse effects on the stomach and intestines. It can also exhaust the liver because it has to work harder. Additionally, these are highly processed and expensive.
If taken correctly, Herbalife can’t cause kidney damage. However, if you suffer from kidney problems, you need to limit its consumption. Otherwise, your kidney condition can be aggravated or worse.
Nope! Consuming soy means ingesting estrogen. If your blood already contains a lot of estrogens, then Herbalife soy will shoot your hormones. Consequences include irregular progesterone and estrogen ratio, ovarian disorders, abnormal periods, etc.
Herbalife supplements can help manage PCOS weight. However, it cannot eliminate its root cause. Moreover, too much Herbalife can make PCOS symptoms worse.
The best weight loss product for PCOS can be Herbalife. It burns body fat and keeps your body in shape.
Herbalife may be beneficial for PCOS pregnant women who use it as a supplement. Yet, taking it as a meal replacement is not recommended during pregnancy. Pregnant women need a considerable amount of vitamins and minerals, which Herbalife lacks.
In PCOS women, Herbalife is effective for controlling weight for a short time. But using Herbalife by itself as a meal replacement can have specific adverse effects. Among these are high estrogen levels, gastric illness, and irregular periods.
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