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The 2023 International Guideline for PCOS highlights the importance of dietary and lifestyle advice and guidance to be provided to all women with PCOS (1).
While there's no cure for PCOS, making changes to your diet and lifestyle, with the guidance of a dietitian specialising in PCOS, can make a significant difference to your symptoms and overall health and wellbeing.
In this blog article, I'll be exploring why seeing a PCOS dietitian can empower you with the right knowledge and tools to manage your PCOS symptoms, and help you to achieve your health goals in a sustainable way.
Managing Insulin Resistance
Most women with PCOS have insulin resistance. If you are insulin resistant, your body blocks glucose from going into your cells. This causes you to have high glucose and high insulin levels in your blood which can lead to increased appetite, fatigue and weight gain.
High levels of insulin can also effect reproductive hormones that control ovulation and cause your ovaries to start producing more testosterone. High testosterone levels can stop ovulation completely and can impact on your fertility, cause excessive hair growth and/or hair loss, and acne (2).
A dietitian can guide you to eat the right type and the right amount of carbohydrates to help you to control your blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, which is essential to improve your symptoms of PCOS.
Personalised Nutrition Guidance
PCOS affects everyone differently. A dietitian can provide a personalised approach with sustainable changes that are targeted to improve your individual symptoms, and your overall emotional and physical health.
A Balanced Approach
It can be challenging to manage symptoms of PCOS, and the physical symptoms can affect your emotional health. The pressure to lose weight can also lead to stress, anxiety, and a negative relationship with food and body image. Women with PCOS are already at a higher risk of disordered eating and low self esteem, and the added stress of weight loss can exacerbate these problems (3).
A dietitian can provide sustainable and compassionate care to support you to form a positive relationship with food and your body so that you can live well with PCOS, without dietary restrictions.
A holistic approach that includes balanced nutrition, mindful eating, regular movement, stress management, adequate sleep, and professional support is far more effective for managing PCOS than focusing solely on weight loss.
Gut Health Support
A study in 2010 found that 42% of women with PCOS also had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) compared to the women without PCOS (4). The exact reasons why women with PCOS are more likely to have IBS are not fully understood. However, a dietitian will be able to help you to manage any gut symptoms such as constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, including IBS symptoms, and optimsie your overall gut health.
Energy Support
Fatigue is a common symptom experienced in women with PCOS. Due to hormonal imbalances, it’s not uncommon for women with PCOS to have difficulties sleeping.
If you’re sleep-deprived, you might find it challenging to be active and follow a balanced diet. Lack of sleep can also lead to reduced immunity, increasing your stress hormones which can worsen insulin resistance and intensify your PCOS symptoms.
A dietitian can ensure that your diet is meeting your nutritional requirements while focusing on foods rich in fibre, high quality sources of protein, iron and B vitamins to help boost your energy levels.
Correct Nutritional Deficiencies
PCOS can lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc, calcium and folic acid.
A dietitian can help you to identify and treat these deficiencies through dietary changes and recommend appropriate nutritonal supplementation when necessary.
Optimise fertility
Due to the hormonal imbalances that occur with PCOS, your menstrual cycle is affected and you may have irregular or no periods at all. This can make it difficult to become pregnant.
A dietitian can support you to improve the quality of your diet, which includes anti-inflammatory, high fibre/low glycaemic index foods. Eating in this way will support your ovarian function, regulate your menstrual cycle, optimise egg development and improve your chances of falling pregnant.
Next steps
Living with PCOS can be challenging, but with the right kind of support and approach, you can manage your symptoms and improve your overall health and wellbeing. Remember, your health journey is unique, and it’s about finding what works best for you. By working closely with your PCOS dietitian you can develop a management plan that works for you, make informed choices, and take control of your PCOS.
If you’re looking for some personalised support to manage your PCOS, feel free to contact me to book your free 20-minute Discovery Call, or you can also email me here: laura@nurture-for-life.com
References;
Teede, H. J., et al. (2023). Recommendations from the international evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 108, Issue 10, October 2023, Pages 2447–2469.
Diamanti-Kandarakis E, Dunaif A. Insulin resistance and the polycystic ovary syndrome revisited: An update on mechanisms and implications. Endocr Rev. 2012;33(6):981–1030.
Dokras A, Stener-Victorin E, Yildiz B, et al. Androgen Excess-Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society Position Statement on Depression, Anxiety, Quality of Life and Eating Disorders in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Fertility and Sterility 2018;In Press.
Mathur et al (2010). Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with an increased prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome. Accessed at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19697132/
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