Have you heard of insulite labs?

I'm trying to decide whether to try this program call pcos insulite labs. They have a "system" that will naturally help. They offer natural therapies, but I wonder if they actually work. They seem similar to those mentioned here, but I just wonder if it's worth 100 bucks a month.

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Editor's comments: When evaluating nutritional supplements, whether in a "program" or not, you can take the following points into consideration.

1) There is no "one size fits all" treatment program for PCOS.

Some women have insulin resistance while others do not. Some are overweight or obese. Some are lean or underweight. Some are teenagers while others are approaching menopause. Some have thyroid dysfunction while others do not. Some have chronic inflammation or autoimmune disorders while others do not. Some have estrogen dominance or progesterone insufficiency while others don't.

Some have a vitamin D deficiency.

Some eat a healthy diet while others consume a diet loaded with unhealthy components. Some are sedentary while others are physically fit.

Since every woman is unique, a "one size fits all program" is not equally effective in all cases.

One obvious example is vitamin D. Medical studies indicate that women with PCOS tend to have lower vitamin D levels than other women. Therefore one would suspect that a substantial amount of supplemental vitamin D would be appropriate. Is the amount of vitamin D in a supplement program enough? If not, and if there is continued vitamin D insufficiency, it's more difficult to solve your PCOS problems.

In other words, is the dosage of any particular ingredient sufficient to produce a beneficial clinical effect?

2) Does the ingredient level in the capsules or tablets match the level indicated on the label? Does the company offer an independent laboratory analysis to prove that what you see is actually what you get? Most of the products in our online store have their potency verified by independent laboratories.

3) When it comes to herbs, check the label of competing products very carefully. If you're looking at cinnamon, does the supplement just contain cinnamon bark, or does it contain a standardized extract of cinnamon bark? There's a huge difference in potency and clinical effect.

Another important issue regarding herbs is where was the plant material grown and which part of the plant was harvested? When was it harvested and under what conditions? How was the plant material handled and processed after harvesting?

4) Is the product verified by independent laboratories to be pure, i.e., free of contaminants? Not all companies that sell private label supplements go to the expense and trouble to have an independent laboratory check their ingredient sources for purity. Most of the products in our online store are verified by independent lab analysis to be free of contaminants.

5) Do the quality control standards of the manufacturer meet or exceed the FDA's Current Good Manufacturing Practices Guidelines for nutritional supplements? If not, why not?

In summary, the primary requirement for any supplement is that it actually works. In order to be clinically effective, it must be of the highest possible quality. However, quality of a product varies widely because there are no quality standards in the industry. So you can't rely only on the label.

And secondly, the product needs to be effective for the individual person who is taking the product, both in terms of the appropriate choice of individual ingredients, and in terms of the clinically effective dosage of each.

Unfortunately, there is no "simple" way to answer your question. It is very difficult to compare nutritional products because you have insufficient information about the product itself, and you don't really know which product or ingredient you need.

That's why it's always a good idea to work with a licensed health professional who can perform a thorough diagnostic workup and then give you a customized nutritional supplement treatment program based on clinical observations, your health history and lab data.

We don't provide a "one size fits all" program. What we provide is a selection of very high quality supplements that have been shown by medical research to be helpful for PCOS or infertility. We leave it up to the consumer to decide which of these would be most appropriate.

We provide an index to nutritional supplements so that the consumer can learn about the various supplements and make her own informed decision.

This not the "ideal" situation. But most people do not have access to a physician who is knowledgeable about nutritional supplements.