Written by: Felice Ramallo, MSCN, RDN, LD – Lead Dietitian at Allara and medically reviewed by Dr. Stacy Hengisman MD.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is known as a multifactorial condition, which means it’s caused by more than one contributing factor. Prominent symptoms associated with PCOS include hirsutism (excessive hair growth), hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and acne.
However, one of the most noted and widely discussed PCOS symptoms is difficulty losing weight, along with the increased incidence of weight gain, overweight, or obesity in comparison to non-PCOS counterparts. As a result, international medical consensus finds that the first-line interventions to treat PCOS should be lifestyle changes, including a PCOS diet, exercise, and stress management. These are fundamental to decreasing the risk for chronic disease, reducing inflammation, preventing unfavorable weight changes, and other side-effects seen with the condition.
Lucky for you, here at Allara, we are well-versed in the latest evidence, and can offer some support in understanding how you can manage PCOS.
Here’s what we’ll be covering throughout this article:
- What influences a “PCOS diet”
- The role of insulin resistance
- What are the components of a PCOS friendly diet?
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
- Proteins
- Glycemic index, glycemic load, and non-nutritive sweeteners
- Are there foods I should exclude from my PCOS diet?
- What will work best for me?
- Managing PCOS through diet
How Does Diet Impact PCOS?
Two things influence diet recommendations: its most common symptoms and underlying causes of PCOS. Symptoms of PCOS include higher risk for chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension/high blood pressure due to the increased genetic predisposition associated with the condition. Knowledge is power, and in this case, awareness and screening for these common issues means that you can play a part in preventing them. The preventative diets for these conditions overlap with the foundations of a healthy PCOS diet.
Additionally, the condition is not caused by one sole thing. However, it is characterized by complex hormonal imbalance throughout the body, particularly androgens (male hormones), which 70-80% of people with the condition experience. The imbalance of androgens is often exacerbated by another hormonal issue in the body: insulin resistance (IR).
The Role of Insulin Resistance
Insulin is a growth hormone that everybody produces steadily throughout the day, and more at mealtimes to help nutrients circulating through the blood into body cells. Most widely mentioned, it lowers blood glucose or sugar (BG) by getting it into those cells. However, normal function is impaired and the body becomes insulin resistant, or desensitized to insulin, when BG spikes or swings often.
Diet matters because it can make the response to insulin slower, steadier, and prevent or reverse the development of insulin resistance. A balanced PCOS diet can also mean better PCOS symptom management, more regular ovulation, and improved fertility; along with optimizing health now, to prevent chronic diseases later.
What Are the Components of a “PCOS Friendly Diet”?
A PCOS-friendly diet isn’t far off from what would be generally healthy for the average individual, and it includes all food groups and aims for representation of all macronutrients (carbohydrate, fat, and protein) with fiber at all meals and snacks.
1. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates include sugars (simple carbohydrates), starches (complex carbohydrates), and fiber (indigestible carbohydrates). Sugar is the most ready-to-use source of energy one can eat. It can be quickly absorbed from food and immediately used, However, if you do not use it right away (for example, through exercise or movement), it can spike blood sugar levels and contribute to insulin resistance. Though a little bit of sugar as part of a well-balanced meal can help with satisfaction, thus preventing cravings later on, refined sugars should be limited if possible.
A Note on Sugar
Often, sugar is demonized as a major nutrient to exclude from your PCOS diets. But we’d like to point out that sugars and desserts are not inherently “bad,” though it is recommended to include them with or directly after a meal so that absorption of the sugar is slowed, preventing BG spikes. Complex carbohydrates include starches, which take a little bit more time to break down, and are preferable to sugars for regular sources of carbohydrates at meals because they do not spike blood sugar so much. Getting enough complex carbohydrate prevents blood sugar from dipping too low, and helps prevent intense cravings that can be hard to ignore or control.
(Check out our article on the science behind sugar, insulin resistance, and how to satisfy your sweet tooth as part of a balanced PCOS diet here).
2. Incorporating Fiber
Lastly, fibers are indigestible sources of carbohydrates, meaning the human body cannot break them down into usable units of energy. However, gut bacteria can! Soluble fiber helps form gels in our gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), binding and slowing absorption of cholesterol, sugar, and other nutrients. Insoluble fiber acts as a broom, sweeping stool through the GI tract, and keeping bowel movements regular.
Fibrous foods often contain a mixture of these two types. Both types of fiber can be prebiotic, meaning they feed and support healthy gut bacteria. Gut flora/bacteria are important because they act as part of our immune system, support healthy hormone production, synthesize vitamins, and more. Here are some carbohydrate-rich food groups:
- Vegetables: one of the best sources of insoluble fiber, vitamins A and C
- Starchy vegetables offer nutrient-dense complex carbohydrates to a meal; the most common include potatoes (sweet or white), squash, and root vegetables
- Leafy greens are packed with antioxidants, insoluble fiber, vitamins (like vitamin K), and minerals (like iron)
- Fruits: great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants
- Berries and other dark fruits like blood oranges or pomegranates are especially high in antioxidants
- Fruits are a great way to add nutrients, fiber, and flavor to a dessert
- Grains: high in B vitamins and minerals like selenium and magnesium (especially in fortified grains/cereals)
- Half of grain intake should be whole grains, including whole wheat, brown/black rice*, corn (including popcorn)*, oats*, quinoa*, spelt, bulgur, amaranth*, sorghum*, buckwheat*, and teff*
- “ * ” = gluten free → However, there is no evidence that those with PCOS need a gluten-free diet unless they otherwise have an allergy, celiac disease, or intolerance
- Whole grains are the #1 source of fiber in our diets
- See ‘legumes’ under the discussion about protein foods
3. Fats
Fats have many amazing roles.
More than half of the vitamins are fat soluble, meaning they are absorbed with the help of fats. Fat also blunts spikes in blood sugar, and thus are a great addition to meals with CHO foods. One of the best sources of fats is liquid oils, like those from plants and fish, which also help combat inflammation and heart disease. Some oils are better than others in terms of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The top recommendations include olive oil, avocado oil, walnut oil, or flaxseed oil. Some fatty foods are also shown to be anti-inflammatory or health promoting, including fatty fish or fish oil (wild salmon, mackerel, cod, trout), nuts (especially walnuts), seeds (chia, flaxseed, sesame), or avocado.
4. Protein
Protein boosts satiety (feeling of fullness/satisfaction after meals) and keeps our muscles and cells strong. Like fats, protein also prevents blood sugar spikes. Although, it is easy to overestimate how much one needs. For most people, a large steak or piece of meat at every meal is unnecessary; but if you include nuts, seeds, dairy, beans/legumes, seafood, or eggs with your meal, that is often enough and provides nutrient-dense variety to the diet. Some protein-rich foods are:
- Animal proteins: offer protein and essential B-vitamins
- Includes poultry, beef, pork, eggs, etc.
- Seafood is especially high in anti-inflammatory minerals and fats (omega-3 fatty acids)
- Dairy: is an animal protein, but also contains fat and carbohydrates. It is high in essential bone-building nutrients like phosphorus, calcium, and vitamin D
- Can come from cows, sheep, goats, and any other mammal
- Full-fat, or whole, dairy is the recommended form for those with PCOS because whole dairy is shown to promote ovulation
- Whey protein is also shown to increase insulin secretion and reduce T2DM prophylaxis, meaning it can benefit those with PCOS
- Some individuals do notice an increase in acne with increased dairy consumption (especially from milk; not cheese or yogurt), so those with acne should look out for symptoms of intolerance
- Dairy products include fermented products/yogurt (which also contains probiotics), cheese, and whole milk
- Legumes: beans, peas, lentils are examples of legumes, and provide soluble fiber, starches, protein, folate, potassium, iron, and magnesium
- Nuts and Seeds: whole nuts/seeds and their “butters” contain a mix of fiber, healthy fats, protein, antioxidants, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, and more
- Some favorites at Allara are walnuts, pecans, almonds, sesame (tahini), pumpkin, sunflower, chia, and flax seeds
What Foods are “Bad” for PCOS?
One key to our program is that there are no “bad” foods. Well...maybe there are two things:
- zero/low calorie sweeteners are not recommended
- low- or nonfat dairy (anything not labeled “whole”) - we propose a switch to whole dairy, if you eat dairy products
Other than that, the only food you should staunchly avoid are foods that you don’t like or are sensitive, allergic, or intolerant to. Instead, the focus is put on foods that one may need more of, like vegetables, legumes, or whole grains. Along with that, we don’t stick to the age-old tale of only shopping the perimeter of the grocery store for two reasons a) beans, grains, and other nutritious products live in the center of the store; and b) convenience foods are sometimes a necessity for people short on time, skill, or ability to cook.
When looking for shelf-stable, frozen, canned, or other convenience options, a helpful rule of thumb to start with is to look at the ingredient label and prioritize foods that list ingredients you would cook with at home. It may sound like an oxymoron, but less-processed is better, but not all processed is “bad.” A lot of the suggestions beyond that are best determined one-on-one with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RD/RDN), like we have at Allara.
What PCOS Diet is Best?
We do not recommend any specific diet, counting calories, tracking macros, or eliminating foods or food groups as a long-term and sustainable solution for managing PCOS. Nutrition and eating are both highly personal and variable depending on the individual. No same diet regimen works for everyone. With that being said, we follow some of the same evidence given by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) and draw from the Mediterranean and DASH diets it mentions, per the body of evidence we collect for PCOS treatment.
At Allara we treat each person’s body as the ultimate source of wisdom when it comes to nourishing their bodies. We help our patients build or strengthen their relationship with their body and food. We teach patients how to tune in and listen to what their bodies are telling them. We highlight the worth of stress-management and develop personalized plans based on self-care and self-love needs.
Last but not least, we always make behavior-first counseling goals. That means focusing on changes one can directly make (like eating more fruit, or regularly moving more), not a long-term desired outcome like weight loss or improved fertility. It takes the pressure off of what you cannot control, and builds self-efficacy by turning monstrous goals into tiny, achievable changes. For many, those long-term outcomes are simply side-effects of implementing healthy behaviors.
Even without drastic weight loss, one can improve their symptoms and expression of PCOS. Also, studies show that the more you diet, the more weight you gain and damage done to your body in the end. We said it and we can prove it: you do not have to lose weight to effectively treat your PCOS.
Managing PCOS Through Diet
Following a healthy diet looks different for everyone. For most, that means including all food groups. To prevent cravings and manage insulin resistance, it is best to include all macronutrients and fiber in all meals and snacks. A PCOS-friendly diet supports symptom reduction and prevents the development of chronic diseases down the road. Beyond that, using mindfulness and a weight-neutral approach is the foundation of our highly effective treatment at Allara.
Allara Health provides personalized treatment for hormonal, metabolic & gynecological conditions that utilizes a holistic plan that merges nutrition, lifestyle, medication and supplementation, and ongoing, expert support to heal your body.