The PolyBiotics Journal

Stress isn't just about feeling overwhelmed. Heat, poor sleep, under-eating, over-exercising and major life changes can all place demands on the body. We explore how stress interacts with your hormones, what the science really says about childhood trauma and PCOS, and why building resilience, rather than trying to eliminate stress entirely, may be a more helpful approach.

Most people read the front of a supplement pack. I read the back. As a women's health doctor and supplement founder, I've spent years assessing formulations, and once you know what to look for, a lot of what looks impressive stops looking impressive very quickly. This is exactly how I do it.

Should supplements compete with GLP-1 medications? A doctor's perspective on GLP-1 nutrition, protein, fibre, hair loss, PMOS and the biggest myths women should know.

Cortisol has become the internet’s favourite hormone to blame. But is cortisol really the problem, or is chronic stress the bigger issue? In this article, we explore what cortisol actually does, the difference between true medical conditions like Cushing’s syndrome and Addison’s disease, the relationship between stress and magnesium, and why the wellness industry’s obsession with “lowering cortisol” may be oversimplifying women’s health. We also examine the rise of adaptogens like ashwagandha and rhodiola, and the lack of robust research in premenopausal women.

PCOS has officially been renamed PMOS: Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovary Syndrome. After 14 years of international debate, medicine is finally acknowledging that this condition was never just about ovaries. In this article, women’s health doctor Amina Hersi breaks down the good, the bad, and the uncomfortable reality behind the PMOS rename — from metabolic recognition and research funding to patient confusion, representation, and why Africa and Asia being underrepresented in the process matters more than most headlines are acknowledging.

Women need more sleep than men, experience it differently, and pay a heavier price when they do not get enough. A clinical breakdown of what sleep does for the female body, why poor sleep hits harder for women, and practical changes you can make tonight.