Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine condition that affects 13% women of reproductive age and impacts nearly every part of the body. This hormonal imbalance can bring on frustrating symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, acne, poor sleep, and gut issues. Over time, managing these challenges can become overwhelming, making everyday life feel more difficult than it should be.
I’m all about finding natural, holistic ways to balance hormones and manage PCOS symptoms. With the right tools—like hormone-balancing teas, a gluten- and dairy-free anti-inflammatory diet, and simple lifestyle shifts—it is possible to reverse symptoms and find relief.
If you’ve been feeling like your body’s out of control, one of the best places to start is with a gentle body detox. And no, I’m not talking about harsh cleanses or restrictive diets. Instead, I mean supporting your body’s natural detox systems. This allows you to flush out harmful factors that worsen PCOS, while helping to restore hormone balance.
In this blog post, I’ll break down what causes hormonal imbalances in women with PCOS. Additionally, I’ll share natural and effective ways to detoxify your body so you can begin healing from within.
How to Detox the Body and Balance Hormones with PCOS
When you’re working to reverse a hormonal disorder like PCOS, there are a lot of moving parts to consider. Everything from your diet and workouts to your stress levels and sleep habits can directly impact your hormone levels.
The first step to finally feeling like yourself again is understanding what’s causing those imbalances in the first place. (Hint: addressing the root issues is where the real healing begins!)
Once you know why your body is reacting the way it is, you can focus on healing from the inside out. That means gently supporting your body’s natural detox systems and helping it clear our endocrine disruptors that throw your hormones off balance. (After you finish reading, check out “How to Remove PCOS Endocrine Disruptors from A Cyster and Her Mister for more!)
What Are the Effects of Hormonal Imbalances in Females with PCOS?
Your hormones control almost everything in your body—from your metabolism to your mood to your menstrual cycle. So when they’re out of balance, like they often are with PCOS, the side effects can feel overwhelming.
Women with PCOS commonly experience:
- Irregular or missed periods
- Trouble with ovulation and infertility
- Heavy or very light bleeding during periods
- Excess facial and body hair
- Acne or oily skin
- Thinning hair on the scalp
- Weight gain, especially around the belly
- Intense cravings for sugar or refined carbs
- Increased risk for type 2 diabetes
- Fatigue or low energy
- Difficulty losing weight
- Mood swings or irritability
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Sleep disturbances
- Gut issues like IBS and SIBO
If this feels familiar, you’re not alone, Cyster. As I mentioned before, these symptoms are all connected to the hormonal imbalances caused by PCOS. However, there is good news! There are plenty of natural ways to bring your hormones back into balance.
Before we discuss possible remedies, let’s first look at what causes hormonal imbalances in women with PCOS. Understanding root causes can offer clarity and reassurance as you navigate symptoms.
What Causes Hormonal Imbalances in Women with PCOS?
Insulin Resistance
Up to 80% of women with PCOS also struggle with insulin resistance. This means that your body has a hard time processing glucose from food. Instead of using it efficiently for energy, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, and your body stores more of it as fat. That’s why I often talk about PCOS belly—it can be one of the most frustrating symptoms!
However, to compensate, your body produces even more insulin after you eat. Aside from stubborn weight gain, this can also lead to fatigue, energy crashes, and intense sugar cravings.
Here’s where things get tricky for Cysters: high insulin levels signal your ovaries to make extra androgens (AKA male hormones like testosterone). And when androgen levels rise, it can disrupt ovulation, throw off your cycle, and make PCOS symptoms worse.
High Androgen Levels
When insulin levels run high, your androgen levels often rise too. And that’s when those frustrating PCOS symptoms start to show up—acne, oily skin, excess facial and body hair, and even thinning hair on the scalp.
High androgens also throw off estrogen and progesterone balance, two key hormones that regulate your menstrual cycles. When they’re out of sync, irregular periods and anovulation become much more common.
Communication Between Brain and Ovaries
Your brain plays a big role in ovulation. It releases two key hormones—LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone). These essentially tell your reproductive system what to do.
But with PCOS, LH levels are often higher than usual. This disrupts the process, causing your ovaries to produce more androgens instead of focusing on healthy egg development.
See how it’s all a cycle? Higher androgens are associated with insulin resistance and increased LH levels, which can lead to elevated progesterone levels. That then triggers mood swings, PMS-like symptoms, sleep issues, and even changes to skin and hair. That interconnection is why getting to the root issues is so important when healing PCOS.
Inflammation
Chronic low-grade inflammation is another major root issue for many women with PCOS. The problem is, inflammation doesn’t just show up and stay quiet—it worsens insulin resistance and triggers high androgen production. And what occurs then? A frustrating cycle that keeps your hormones out of balance.
It also makes weight loss even harder because inflammation can raise cortisol levels (AKA the stress hormone). And when cortisol stays high, your body produces more insulin, which leads to—you guessed it—even more inflammation. Learn more by checking out the link between PCOS weight gain and inflammation!
When this symptom is left unchecked, the ongoing cycle can impact your long-term health, too. It can increase the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Can Detox Balance Hormones?
Your body already has an amazing built-in detox system—your liver, kidneys, gut, skin, and even your lungs are constantly working behind the scenes to process hormones, filter toxins, and clear out waste.
That means you don’t need a trendy “detox tea” or expensive juice cleanse to balance your hormones. But you can do a lot to support these organs and avoid common hormone disruption that makes PCOS symptoms worse.
When you show your PCOS body the right kind of love and support, your hormones can finally start finding balance again. Over time, your symptoms ease, your energy improves, and you set yourself up for long-term healing—naturally.
How to Detox for Hormone Balance with PCOS
Stay hydrated all day long.
The best thing you can do to support your body’s natural detox and balance your hormones? Stay hydrated, Cysters!
Start your morning with a big glass of water—before your decaf coffee, before breakfast, before anything else. Then, keep sipping throughout the day. Aim for at least 2 liters daily to give your body what it needs.
Staying hydrated helps your liver and kidneys do their job, flushing out toxins and waste so your hormones can finally breathe a little easier. It also improves blood flow to the reproductive organs! Want to take it a step further? Add Ovasitol to a couple of glasses of water to support ovarian health and balance insulin levels.
Eat liver-supportive foods.
Your liver is the body’s main detox powerhouse. When you give it the right nutrients, it works harder and smarter to flush out excess hormones and all the other stuff your body doesn’t need.
Load up on cruciferous veggies like broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts—they’re amazing for liver support. You can even sprinkle parsley or cilantro on your favorite dishes for an extra detox boost. And don’t skip the carrots! They help improve bile flow (yep, not the prettiest topic, but so important) so your body can carry out those extra hormones more efficiently.
Focus on gut cleansing through a high-fiber intake.
Your gut is another powerhouse when it comes to detoxing and balancing hormones, so you’ve got to give it some love. One of the best ways to support it is by getting enough fiber every day—aim for 25 to 35 grams. You can load up on fiber with foods like chia seeds, flax seeds, beans, lentils, and leafy greens.
And don’t forget your probiotic-rich foods! Adding sauerkraut, kimchi, or kefir can help nourish your gut microbiome and keep those gut hormones happy and balanced. Even better? Fiber doesn’t just help your gut—it also keeps digestion running smoothly. It’s a simple and powerful way to flush out excess estrogen (along with other hormones!).
Balance your blood sugar levels.
The most powerful “detox” for PCOS isn’t a cleanse—it’s improving your insulin sensitivity by keeping blood sugar levels stable. The best way to do that is by following a gluten- and dairy-free anti-inflammatory diet centered around protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
When you limit refined sugar and processed foods—especially simple carbs—you prevent those big insulin spikes that can lead to weight gain, cravings, and fatigue.
One of my go-to PCOS-friendly meals? Salmon fillet with roasted veggies and crispy potatoes drizzled with olive oil. It’s balanced, satisfying, and helps keep blood sugar stable so you feel good after eating. And if you need more PCOS-friendly meal inspiration, visit The Cysterhood app! Here you can find hundreds of recipes designed specifically for women with PCOS. You don’t have to give up your favorite meals—you’re just eating them in a way that also supports insulin sensitivity and hormone balance.
After you’ve enjoyed a PCOS-friendly meal, consider taking Berberine Advanced. This is a natural supplement that boosts GLP-1 production and helps stabilize blood sugar levels.
Practice activities that make you sweat.
Did you know sweating can actually help your body detox naturally? It’s true! But that doesn’t mean you need to run five miles or crush an intense HIIT workout—those can actually make PCOS symptoms worse.
Instead, stick to gentle exercises and sweat sessions that are kinder to your hormones. Think brisk walks, yoga, slow-weighted strength training, swimming, or even relaxing in a sauna or hot tub. When you sweat, your body releases built-up toxins that can interfere with hormone balance. Plus, it helps reduce inflammation—and for Cysters, that’s always a major win.
Prioritize sleep and stress management.
Your body does most of its natural detoxing while you sleep—especially in the liver and brain. During the night, it works hard to repair tissue, lower cortisol levels, and bring your hormones back into balance.
But here’s the thing—so many Cysters struggle with sleep issues, and at the same time, poor sleep can make PCOS symptoms worse. The good news? You can set yourself up for deeper, more restorative rest with the right nighttime routine.
Try slowing down before bed with gentle meditation, yoga, breathwork, or even a relaxing hobby. Anything that helps you unwind can lower stress and prepare your body for better sleep. And here’s one of my favorite hacks: a cup of chamomile mint tea before bed. It helps calm inflammation, reduce cortisol, and promotes the deep, healing sleep your PCOS body needs.
Drink hormone-balancing teas.
One of my favorite ways to balance hormones and support my body’s natural detox is by being intentional with the teas and herbs I consume. Certain plants and herbs have powerful properties that help regulate hormones and make you feel your best.
Take my Testosterone Relief Tea, for example. It’s made with a blend of hormone-balancing herbs designed specifically to lower androgens like testosterone. When you drink it daily, you can start to notice real changes—clearer skin, thicker hair growth, and more regular menstrual cycles.
Want to dive deeper into which herbs actually help with PCOS? Check out my full blog post, “Best Herbs for Hormonal Imbalance,” where I share my favorite picks and exactly how they support your hormones.
Support your body from the inside out and start detoxing excess hormones naturally.
You don’t need an expensive detox cleanse or a restrictive diet to detox your body and balance your hormones. What you do need is a little knowledge (which you now have!) and a few simple lifestyle changes. That is how you help your body naturally flush out toxins and excess hormones.
That said, there’s nothing wrong with getting a little extra support along the way. I love using Inositol Complete 40:1 and Berberine Advanced—two of my go-to tools for managing PCOS. These NSF-certified supplements work with your body to improve insulin sensitivity, lower inflammation, reduce androgens, and promote more regular cycles.
Want to see if they’re right for you? Check out our full line of PCOS-friendly supplements and start giving your body the support it needs to heal naturally.