5 Foods for Dealing with PCOS

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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects as many as 116 million women in the world. It’s a multi-layered problem that can affect several parts of a woman’s life: her weight, her mood, her fertility, and much more.

Unfortunately, despite how common PCOS is, it’s not often talked about or understood. Doctors will often recommend solutions like birth control or hormone therapy, but these come with their own downsides. So what’s a girl to do?

We’ve previously written about managing PCOS holistically, and the many adjustments you can make to lessen the severity of your symptoms. These methods include taking up less strenuous exercise, managing your sleep routines, and of course, adjusting your diet. Below, we’ve listed out five kinds of foods you can add to your diet to help you deal with PCOS, and live a better, healthier life.

High Fiber Food

PCOS is caused by a lot of factors, and one of these contributing factors can be excess insulin. An excess of insulin can lead to hormonal imbalances which can increase the severity of your symptoms. One way around this is to simply switch to eating more high-fiber foods.

According to SFGATE, high-fiber foods like whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole-grain cereals can help stabilize your insulin levels. Foods high in fiber are digested slowly, which in turn slows the release of glucose into your bloodstream.

Fatty Fish

One of the side effects of PCOS is that it can lead to a greater risk of heart disease and related ailments. This is especially dangerous for women, who are more likely to die from heart attacks than men.

A solution? Eating foods high in healthy fats and omega-3s, the best source of which are fatty fish.

Fish oil is rich in EPA and DHA, which the human body is unable to produce. Verywell Health notes that these fatty acids can regulate blood clotting and inflammation, which in turn lowers the risk for

cardiovascular diseases. While supplementation is a popular option, you’ll get more benefits from whole food, so start stocking up on salmon, mackerel, anchovy, and sardines to get the benefits.

Low Glycemic Index Food

Blood glucose levels are crucial if you want to manage your PCOS symptoms, so picking foods that prevent blood sugar level spikes is crucial. These low glycemic index (low GI) foods take longer to

break down, which means that your blood sugar levels are less likely to spike dangerously.

There are tons of low GI foods out there that you can integrate into your diet, such as raw carrots, most fruits, kidney beans, and green vegetables. Brightcore also suggests supplements like ACV gummies, which can lower blood sugar levels naturally and conveniently. Gummies are a particularly good choice because they’re easy to bring around, so you can pop one in if you feel like your blood glucose needs some management.

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Some of the best vitamins for managing your PCOS levels are B vitamins. Vitamin B6, folate, and vitamin B12 can help reduce hormonal imbalances, which are the cause of many PCOS symptoms. These vitamins are also anti-inflammatory, and reduce homocysteine which is an amino acid that can lead to heart and reproductive diseases. Byrdie recommends opting for whole food solutions for vitamin B, of which dark green leafy vegetables are a great source. Spinach, kale, and collard greens are some top options, and can easily be found at your local grocery store.

Nuts

Finally, if you want a natural food solution to your PCOS woes, you might want to check out nuts. Nuts are rich in vitamins and minerals that can help you deal with PCOS symptoms. These include omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, the natural painkiller magnesium, and hormone-regulating enzymes.

The Times of India has a great list of nuts and seeds that you can add to your PCOS diet. These include peanuts, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Mixed with berries or integrated into your meals, they’re a small but powerful solution to PCOS-related troubles.