PCOS is a hormonal disorder found in women that leads to the growth of many cysts in their ovaries. PCOS can cause problems with menstrual cycles, fertility, weight gain, excessive hair growth, and acne. It is also a leading cause of infertility in women. Millions of women with PCOS go undiagnosed, untreated and unsupported as the knowledge of the condition and its management is lacking. It has to be first understood and then managed accordingly.
Are you ignoring PCOS? Don’t. Understand it to fight it. Let a Nutritionist help you maintain PCOS naturally through diet plans.
6 Common PCOS Symptoms
PCOS symptoms and signs often begin soon after a woman first begins having periods (menarche). In some cases, PCOS develops later during the reproductive years, for instance, in response to substantial weight gain. Although the PCOS symptoms vary for different individuals, the most common symptoms of are:
- Irregular periods
- Abnormalities of hair or skin
- Pelvic pain
- Anxiety or depression
- Mood swings
- Sleep apnea
6 Diet Tips for PCOS
Diet and lifestyle changes are two important factors in maintaining PCOS. Follow these diet tips to help manage your PCOS:
1. Avoid processed foods
Processed foods are bad for health irrespective of PCOS. That is why it’s time you totally avoid these foods. Instead, you add more high-fibre vegetables, lean proteins and anti-inflammatory foods like turmeric, tomatoes.
2. Include low GI foods
GI is the measure of how quickly a food increases the blood sugar levels and with PCOS, women become more insulin resistant. Thus, low GI foods help in maintaining blood sugar levels because they raise the sugar levels very slowly. Hence, include more and more of low GI foods into your diet. Low GI foods are like whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats. Again, following a low GI diet has shown menstrual regularity in women.
3. Drink enough water
It is very important to drink enough water in general as well as while having PCOS. PCOS is a condition where the woman’s body undergoes many hormonal changes. Drinking the required amount of water helps to calm down these imbalances. You can have honey with warm water in the morning, this helps in dealing with PCOS. Try to drink 2-3 litres of water a day.
4. Avoid alcohol
Alcohol messes up hormones in women big time. Many cocktails are high in sugar and as we know women with PCOS already have high blood sugar levels. Alcohol can even raise estrogen levels. Hence, it is very important to restrict your alcohol consumption under PCOS conditions.Did you know?Women with PCOS have higher rates of anxiety and depression than women without the syndrome.
5. Include lean protein
A high protein PCOS diet in women has shown lower androgen levels, which increases under PCOS condition. Moreover, a high protein diet suppresses the hunger hormone ghrelin, thus making you less hungry with a reduction in insulin levels. Both of these are beneficial for PCOS. Again, a protein diet is always beneficial for weight loss.
6. Don’t starve
The worst mistake you would do while following a PCOS diet is starving or skipping meals. Eating regular meals help in balancing hormones. Eating at the right time and not keeping yourself hungry helps in PCOS. To maintain a proper diet plan, have heavy breakfasts and smaller dinners. In fact, studies show that fulfilling breakfasts women show improved fertility.
Who is Prone to Get PCOS?
PCOS is a common health condition affecting 1 in 10 women in India. However, there is an increasing trend predominantly seen in the women of the childbearing age group of 15 to 30 years. Some estimates show that incidence rate of PCOS can be as high as 36% amongst adolescents. In studies performed in South India and Maharashtra, the prevalence of PCOS (by Rotterdam’s criteria) were reported as 9.13% and 22.5% (10.7% by Androgen Excess Society criteria) respectively.
Did you know?
Less than 50% of women are properly diagnosed, leaving millions of women living with PCOS undiagnosed probable causes of PCOS. There are different factors which contribute to PCOS.
5 of the most common causes of PCOS are below
- Genetic
- Environment
- Obesity
- Dysregulation of ovarian function
- Abnormalities in the hypothalamic and pituitary gland function.
Did you know?
Many studies suggest that genes predispose a woman to PCOS. Women whose mother or sister have this condition have up to a 50% chance of getting PCOS.
PCOS Diet
If you are suffering from PCOS, diet plays an important role in the management of PCOS. Women with PCOS are observed to have vitamin D deficiency. Include a healthy diet consisting of vitamin C-rich foods, green leafy veggies, fruits, organic meat and much more.
Insulin resistance is one of the main reasons for weight gain because it results in the deposition of sugar in the bloodstream. These are then biochemically converted into fat and stored in the lower abdomen, buttocks, and thigh area. Not only obese women but also those with non-obese BMI but higher waist to hip ratio (WHR) are also susceptible to this metabolic disorder. And to maintain weight choosing the right PCOS diet is crucially important.