Elevated levels of androgens can lead to PCOS symptoms such as irregular periods due to lack of ovulation, cysts on the ovaries or enlarged ovaries, weight gain, oily skin, acne, unwanted hair growth (especially on the face), hair thinning, and infertility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
PCOS is one of the most common causes of infertility and is estimated to impact 6-12% of women of childbearing age. PCOS can affect you regardless of your weight, though many women with PCOS are considered overweight or obese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Doctors diagnose PCOS if you meet at least two of three categories: high androgen levels (testosterone levels), lack of or absent ovulation, and cysts on your ovaries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
4 types of PCOS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are four types of PCOS recognized by certain healthcare professionals. Not all healthcare providers will differentiate between different subsets of PCOS and simply use a blanket diagnosis of PCOS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knowing the possible roots of your PCOS you have can help you better manage it and hopefully reduce your PCOS symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Insulin-resistant PCOS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Insulin-resistant PCOS is one of the most common types of PCOS. Insulin resistance<\/a> is when your body doesn\u2019t respond to insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone released by your pancreas that helps lower your blood sugar levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you have insulin resistance, your body will produce more insulin to try to lower your blood sugar levels. High insulin levels<\/a> drive high androgen levels, which worsen PCOS symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Insulin resistance can lead to weight gain, which is why many women with insulin-resistant PCOS are considered overweight or obese. Having insulin resistance also increases your risk of developing diabetes<\/a>. Women with a bodyweight considered \u201cnormal\u201d may also have insulin resistance, though it isn\u2019t as common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This type of PCOS isn\u2019t recognized in medical literature but is recognized anecdotally among some PCOS authors and experts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Post-pill PCOS describes the hormonal imbalance that can occur when you stop taking hormonal birth control. Women without a history of PCOS might have some symptoms of PCOS when coming off the pill, but those symptoms likely won\u2019t linger once hormones have come back into balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hormonal birth control suppresses your body\u2019s hormone balance. While taking hormonal birth control can mask pre-existing PCOS symptoms, it doesn\u2019t treat the root cause of the hormonal imbalance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you come off hormonal birth control, your body has to work to figure out how to regulate its hormones again. This can take a long time, sometimes up to a year or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adrenal PCOS refers to women who have an abnormal stress response. With adrenal PCOS, you\u2019ll likely have elevated levels of DHEA-S (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate), which is another type of androgen (male sex hormone).<\/p>\n\n\n\n With other types of PCOS, the elevated levels of androgens primarily come from the ovaries. Adrenal PCOS is unique because the adrenal glands (one located in each kidney) are the primary source of the hormone DHEA-S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Levels of DHEA-S increase with acute stress, which is why adrenal PCOS is associated with reduced stress tolerance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Inflammation<\/a> drives many types of disease and health issues. Excess androgens may lead to low-level inflammation, which is one of the symptoms of PCOS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have inflammatory PCOS, you may have high blood levels of C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation in your body. You might also be sensitive to certain foods and have digestive symptoms, as well as a general feeling of being unwell or feeling fatigued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the symptoms and potential complications associated with PCOS include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your diet plays a significant role in the management and treatment of PCOS. Insulin resistance and inflammation can both be affected by your diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have insulin resistance, your blood sugar levels can become too high if you eat a high carbohydrate diet, especially refined carbohydrates and added sugar. The higher your blood sugar levels rise from eating these foods, the more insulin resistant you become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some foods can promote inflammation and worsen PCOS symptoms. On the other hand, anti-inflammatory foods, including healthy fat and antioxidants, can help combat inflammation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone with PCOS will have different responses to foods. Some PCOS diets advertised in books and online promote going gluten-free, dairy-free, and cutting out all refined sugar. While these diet changes may be helpful in certain ways, it\u2019s important not to be too restrictive with your diet since it likely won\u2019t be sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of over-restriction, try to include more whole, less processed foods with natural health benefits into your PCOS diet while working on cutting back on less nutritious foods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to experiment and see how you react by eliminating certain foods (e.g., gluten, dairy, etc.), do so one at a time and assess your symptoms after several months. If you don\u2019t notice any improvement, then you can try eliminating another potential problematic food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sugary beverages are the leading contributor of added sugar in a typical Western diet. Drinks like soda, sweetened teas, sugary coffee drinks, energy drinks, and many more are high in added sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drinking sugary drinks regularly can worsen insulin resistance and may contribute to inflammation. Consuming extra calories from added sugar can make it difficult to reach a healthy weight if you\u2019re working towards weight loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Added sugar isn\u2019t always easy to spot in foods. Sugar is added to foods that might otherwise seem healthy, like yogurt, dried fruit, some nutrition bars, and granola. Many processed foods contain added sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cutting back on added sugar can also help with weight loss. Losing weight<\/a> often improves insulin sensitivity and may reduce PCOS symptoms in some women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory, while omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The typical Western diet is much higher in omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. Some sources of omega-6 fatty acids and foods to avoid with PCOS include corn oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, sunflower, and safflower oils. Meat from animals fed a grain-based diet is also higher in omega-6 than omega-3s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, try to include healthy fat from foods like fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and grass-fed meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blueberries are rich in anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight inflammation by preventing cell damage from free radicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blueberries<\/a> are a great source of fiber and are a source of natural sugar. They raise your blood sugar levels less than foods high in refined sugars or other low-fiber carbohydrates due to their high fiber content. Blueberries are a healthy, tasty addition to a PCOS diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Women with polycystic ovary syndrome are more likely<\/a> to be deficient in magnesium. Magnesium not only helps promote relaxation to help manage stress levels, but it might also play a role in insulin resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some magnesium-rich foods to eat with PCOS include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only are vegetables among the best foods to eat for PCOS, but they have many other health benefits. Non-starchy vegetables are very low in carbohydrates, which means they won\u2019t raise your blood sugar or insulin levels significantly. If you have insulin-resistant PCOS, this is especially helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vegetables, especially those with rich colors like orange and dark green, are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants that can help fight inflammation<\/a> and are a great choice for a PCOS diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Starchy vegetables can be included in a PCOS diet, but be careful with your portion size if you have insulin resistance. Starches break down into blood sugar, which means large portions of starchy vegetables (or combining starchy vegetables with other types of carbohydrates) can raise your blood sugar levels and worsen insulin resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Examples of low-carbohydrate, non-starchy vegetables to eat with PCOS include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have PCOS, you may take metformin. While taking metformin for PCOS<\/a>, you may want to adjust your diet. Keep reading to find out five foods to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some other lifestyle changes that may help in addition to following a PCOS diet include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n PCOS is a health condition stemming from a hormone imbalance. Eating a healthy diet rich in whole foods that are high in fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients while avoiding added sugar and inflammatory foods can help PCOS patients manage their symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPost-pill PCOS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Adrenal PCOS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Inflammatory PCOS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Symptoms and complications of PCOS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How does diet affect PCOS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"nordic](\"https:\/\/blog.bensnaturalhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/nordic-diet-diabetes-1024x256.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFoods to avoid with PCOS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Foods and drinks high in added sugar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Foods high in omega-6 fatty acids<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Foods to eat with PCOS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Blueberries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"blueberries-diabetes\"](\"https:\/\/blog.bensnaturalhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Daily-Blueberry-Consumption-May-Help-Manage-Diabetes-Study-Finds-1024x256.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFoods high in magnesium<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Non-starchy vegetables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"cruciferous](\"https:\/\/blog.bensnaturalhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/large-Diindolylmethane-Uses-Side-Effects-Interactions-Dosage.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFoods to avoid when taking metformin for PCOS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Foods to eat when taking metformin for PCOS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lifestyle changes to help manage PCOS<\/h2>\n\n\n\nConclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Explore More<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"polycystic-ovary-syndrome\"](\"https:\/\/blog.bensnaturalhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/large-PCOS-and-Diabetes-What-to-Know.jpg\")
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