PCOS, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, refers to a cluster of symptoms that can include irregular periods, weight gain, depression, excessive hair growth called hirsutism, acne and infertility. Women with PCOS are at increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Adopting a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet and regular physical activity, is key to managing PCOS symptoms and preventing chronic diseases. The best diet for PCOS is one that restricts carbohydrates, according to dietitian Martha McKittrick, and the Paleo diet may be a way to accomplish this goal.
The Paleo Diet
The premises of the Paleo diet is to choose foods that were available to our hunter-gatherer ancestors during the Paleolithic era, before the invention of agriculture. These include seasonal vegetables, tubers, fruits and nuts, as well as fish, eggs, meat, avocado, olives and coconut. The Paleo diet excludes any foods that were introduced more recently or are processed, such as grain-based products, dairy, legumes, seed oils and sugar. A typical Paleo breakfast could be eggs with roasted tomatoes and mushrooms drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. A Paleo lunch could be spaghetti squash served with a homemade spaghetti sauce, and dinner might be a steak served with broccoli cooked in coconut oil with a baked sweet potato. Fruits, nuts and hard-boiled eggs are good examples of Paleo snacks.
Carbohydrate Intake
The main sources of carbohydrates in the Paleo diet are provided by vegetables, tubers and fruits, making it low in carbohydrates compared to the the standard American diet by excluding whole or refined grains. Off-limits are grain foods such as breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, rice and granola bars. Sugar is also excluded, so the diet excludes soft drinks, candies and desserts. Most Americans get over half of their calories from carbohydrates, but that may not be appropriate for women with PCOS because of their underlying insulin resistance, as explained by McKittrick.
Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance, or the inability of insulin to function normally in your body, is a common problem in women with PCOS and may be the cause of most of the symptoms associated with this condition. Controlling your insulin resistance can help you regularize your menstrual cycle and manage your PCOS symptoms. The best way to decrease insulin resistance is to lower your insulin levels, which can be achieved by restricting your carbohydrate intake. Although no studies have evaluated the effectiveness of the Paleo diet in women with PCOS, a study published in the June 2007 issue of "Diabetologia" showed that the Paleo diet had a greater tendency to decrease insulin levels compared to the Mediterranean diet.
Considerations
Drastically modifying your diet can result in side effects. The lower carb intake of the Paleo diet may cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, carb cravings and constipation in some women during the first weeks. Consult your doctor before switching to the Paleo diet and gradually transition to a lower carb intake to avoid the side effects. Staying hydrated and including enough calories from the healthy, natural fats that were available to our ancestors can help you avoid most of these unpleasant side effects. It is also recommended to have a health check, including blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, blood-sugar levels and various hormones, done before starting on the Paleo diet to allow you to evaluate how this way of eating is affecting your health after a few months.
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