Foods to Avoid With Pcos – Overview
Polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS, is one of the most common issues among women, which has a huge effect on their health. It can cause severe health conditions like diabetes, psychological and cardiological issues, etc.
It’s essential to keep a proper diet and treatment to reduce the impact of PCOS on your health. In this article, we will learn about the foods that you need to avoid to reduce the symptoms and improve your health.
What Is PCOS and How Does It Affect Your Body?
PCOS or Polycystic ovary syndrome, can have multiple effects on your body. Some of the most common symptoms are hormonal imbalance, mood swings, irregular periods, hair loss, acne, weight gain, enlarged ovaries, etc. It can cause infertility or miscarriage in women as well.
The actual cause of the condition is still not known, but this usually appears during the teenage years. PCOS is somewhat related to genetics and hormonal imbalance.
According to different studies, PCOS can put you at risk of developing diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, cardiological problems, heart disease, life issues, and psychological issues like anxiety, depression, sleep apnea, eating disorders, and even cancer.
11 Types of Foods to Avoid With PCOS
Foods to Avoid With PCOS – Types of Foods to Avoid
Maintaining a proper diet is essential for women who have PCOS. Your diet can affect your weight management, insulin production, and resistance which is important for your PCOS condition.
1. Processed Food
Processed food like pastries, rice, and bread has refined flour and carbohydrate that is not good for PCOS. It can increase the production of insulin in your body and develop diabetes.
2. Sugar
Sucrose or sugar consists of 50% glucose and 50% fructose, which can disrupt insulin regulation of your body and cause inflammation. Excessive intake of fructose can deteriorate your intestine barrier and cause endotoxemia.
3. Carbs
Carbohydrate foods generally can be of two types: simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates are always readily available, like fructose, glucose, sucrose, etc., whereas complex carbohydrates are the building blocks of any starchy food.
These foods can enter the blood and increase metabolism by digesting glucose. But an increasing rate of glucose in your body can make your PCOS worse by causing insulin resistance.
So it is always better to avoid food like pasta, french fries, white rice, etc., which are the main source of carbohydrates to improve your condition.
4. Caffeine
Caffeine can increase the estrogen level in your body. Whereas in PCOS, there is already a disturbance in hormone levels. This sudden increase in hormone levels can complicate the situation and cause more damage. So it is advisable for all women who are suffering from PCOS to avoid any food item with caffeine in it.
5. Fried foods
Fried foods can always increase the probability of weight gain. They also raise your blood sugar level and cause bloating. Gastric problems are ordinary among people who eat fried food regularly. All these conditions are harmful to someone with PCOS and deteriorate their health conditions.
6. Red meat
Intakes of red meat, like ham, steak, and pork, can reduce your progesterone level. Progesterone is an essential hormone that is necessary for a healthy menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
Deficiency of this hormone can cause several problems like mood swings, irregular menstrual cycle, miscarriage, inability to conceive, etc. Red meat also has bad fat that promotes weight gain as well.
7. Alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption can increase the testosterone level and create an imbalance in different hormone levels which are important for ovulation. This can increase food cravings, leading to weight gain and sometimes nutritional deficiency.
8. Processed Meat
Processed meat, like salami and hot dogs, contains saturated fats and sodium, which may result in weight gain. It can also cause inflammation in some cases and create a hormonal imbalance.
9. Dairy Products
Milk can increase androgen levels in your body which also helps in estrogen production. This hormonal imbalance can be harmful to women with PCOS. They should avoid any kind of dairy products like cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc.
10. Soy
Soy products generally have phytoestrogen, which can mimic the estrogen hormone and reduce its production in your body. It will lead to severe hormonal imbalance and increase the symptoms of PCOS. Soy products can also affect the thyroid gland, which may result in weight gain, bloating, etc.
11. Unhealthy Fats
Foods like cakes, butter, and cookies have unhealthy fat that can promote heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc. it can increase the estrogen level and create an imbalance.
Fruits to Avoid With PCOS
Certain fruits, like oranges, bananas, pineapples, and melons, do not have edible skin. The fiber level of these fruits is very low. They have a higher glycemic index, which can increase the blood glucose level in your body and cause severe harm.
Conclusion
Though there is no permanent cure for PCOS, you can control the condition and reduce the symptoms by maintaining a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Avoid certain foods which can increase blood sugar or insulin level or create a hormonal imbalance in your body. Such food can harm PCOS and increase the probability of developing more severe illnesses.
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