If you suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome, also known as PCOS, you probably wonder if there's something you can do to alleviate your symptoms and manage your condition. The good news: a healthy diet with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables and exercise seem to help many women manage their PCOS, according to the government website WomensHealth.gov.
PCOS Causes/Symptoms
It's not clear what causes PCOS, according to the MayoClinic.com. Women who have PCOS have high levels of "male" hormones, such as the hormone testosterone, and lower levels of female hormones. As a result, they often fail to ovulate, and their ovaries develop many tiny cysts--hence the term "polycystic ovary." Symptoms of the disorder include missing or irregular periods, infertility, male-pattern hair growth on the face, obesity, acne and dandruff, according to WomensHealth.gov.
PCOS and Insulin
Women who have PCOS almost always have excess levels of the hormone insulin in their bodies, according to MayoClinic.com. Insulin enables your body to process sugar into energy for your cells, but too-high levels of this hormone can lead to what's called insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, often a precursor to type-2 diabetes. The extra insulin may cause your ovaries to produce too much male hormone, which causes some of the symptoms in PCOS, such as hair growth and acne.
Fiber and Diet
You can help control your insulin levels by altering your diet, which makes diet a potential tool for managing PCOS symptoms, according to McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champlain. Although there's no scientific evidence to support one diet over another in PCOS, the health center recommends getting 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day as part of a balanced diet that's heavy in fruit and vegetables and low in processed carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates and Diet
Children's Hospital Boston's Center for Young Women's Health takes diet advice for PCOS sufferers one step further, advising women to limit their consumption of sugary foods or refined grains, such as bread and white rice. These carbohydrate-rich foods can have a disproportionate effect on your blood insulin levels, potentially increasing your resistance to insulin and possibly exacerbating your PCOS symptoms.
Exercise
Exercise also can help you lose weight, which will bring down your insulin levels, according to Children's Hospital Boston. You might want to consider exercising after a meal, because that can lower insulin levels that naturally rise after eating. PCOS patients should try to exercise five days a week for 1 hour a day, but if you haven't had much physical activity, start slowly and build up your exercise times. In addition, it helps to find a sport or activity that you enjoy.
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