Does Dairy Affect PCOS & How? All You Need To Know

If you suffer from PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) you may be familiar with the advice to eliminate dairy products in order to improve your condition. But are dairy-free diets really effective for managing PCOS? And do you have to cut out all dairy products to achieve your goals?

Since the topic of dairy in relation to PCOS is quite controversial I’ve decided to break it down for you in this evidence-based article. I’ll discuss the effects (both positive and negative) of dairy on PCOS in detail so you can make an informed decision regarding your dairy intake.

I’ll also share my personal experience with adopting a dairy-free diet to improve my PCOS and give you some practical tips based on what I’ve learned. You can also access my complete list of the most popular types of milk and milk alternatives for PCOS here: ‘What Type Of Milk Is Best For PCOS? (The Ultimate Guide)’.

If you’d like to get more tips on how to fully reverse PCOS through dietary changes, I highly suggest reading my previous detailed article ‘The Best PCOS Diet (Ultimate Guide)’.

Is dairy bad for PCOS?

In general, the consumption of dairy is not considered good for women with PCOS as it may contribute to insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, inflammation and acne. However, the effects of dairy on PCOS may differ between individuals based on their personal circumstances and the type of dairy.

How does dairy affect PCOS?

Increased IGF-1
Acne
Hormonal imbalance
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals
Increased insulin
Digestive issues

✕ Increased IGF-1

While the research is overall very limited, there are several ways in which the consumption of dairy may negatively affect PCOS and contribute to its symptoms. One of the main reasons is that dairy contains high levels of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1).

IGF-1 is a growth-stimulating hormone with a similar molecular structure to insulin which means that it can bind to the same receptors in the body (including insulin receptors in the ovaries). This also means that increased levels of IGF-1 (similarly to insulin) can cause your ovaries to overproduce androgens (the ‘male’ hormones) and drive most of the PCOS symptoms.

I describe the role of insulin in the development of PCOS in more detail here: ‘PCOS Insulin Resistance Explained & How To Reverse It’.

Another important role in this process plays IGFBP-1 (insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1) which is responsible for regulating the levels of IGF-1 in the blood. This binding protein, however, has been shown to be decreased in women with PCOS as a result of their abnormal insulin levels.

A high intake of dairy products (containing large amounts of IGF-1) can therefore make it even more difficult to keep this hormone in balance and prevent the overproduction of androgens in women with PCOS.

✕ Acne

Hormonal acne is one of the most common symptoms of PCOS that can have a serious impact on the quality of life and mental health of women with this condition. Severe acne can also be physically painful and increase the risk of infection.

Multiple studies have shown that dairy may contribute to the development of acne in several different ways. Dairy appears to increase androgens by affecting IGF-1 and insulin levels in the blood (discussed above) which is the main driver of hormonal acne in most women with PCOS.

Additionally, dairy products (especially A2 milk) also appear to increase inflammation in the body which is another major factor contributing to PCOS, hormonal acne and skin problems. Some studies have shown significant improvements in acne after adopting a low-dairy or dairy-free diet suggesting that there’s a close link between the two.

While there is almost no research investigating the effects of dairy on PCOS specifically, following a dairy-free diet could be particularly beneficial for those suffering from acne. I used to suffer from severe hormonal acne for a long time and I personally registered some of the biggest improvements in my skin after quitting dairy completely.

However, keep in mind that we all have different food sensitivities and that dairy may not trigger acne in all individuals. With that being said, I always recommend eliminating the consumption of dairy for at least a few weeks to see whether it helps improve acne as it usually does.

✕ Hormonal imbalance

Besides the content of IGF-1, there are other hormones naturally occurring in dairy including most sex hormones. This makes total sense considering the main purpose of animal milk – to support the offsprings’ growth and development.

Since most conventional milk is derived from animals that are pregnant, there’ll be a whole mixture of sex and stress hormones present in the milk. While this may not be a problem for all people, it could increase the risk of hormone imbalances in those suffering from an endocrine condition such as PCOS.

In other words, you don’t really want to mess with your hormones when they’re already out of balance. Minimizing any potential endocrine disruptors should, therefore, be your priority.

Besides the potential health risks, there’s also lots of ethical issues associated with the whole dairy industry. To me, it’s pretty scary but learning about it actually helped me to quit dairy and not miss it at all (although this was my personal choice and you should only judge by yourself).

✕ Endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Another thing to consider when it comes to dairy is what other chemicals might accumulate in the milk. Apart from the natural hormones (discussed above), you should be aware of the presence of artificial and industrial chemicals that could also disrupt your hormones.

Most conventionally raised animals are fed with large amounts of antibiotics to treat infection and compensate for their poor living conditions. In order to increase milk production, it’s also common practice to induce animals with artificial hormones (although this practice is now banned in some countries).

Additionally, the animals’ diet largely consists of chemically treated feed (if you don’t buy organic) which increases the risk of harmful pesticides, herbicides and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) present in the milk. If you’re familiar with the effects of EDCs on health, you may already know that it’s now considered a risk factor for PCOS.

If you’d like to know more about other PCOS risks factor and how to manage them, you can find more details here: ‘How To Treat PCOS Naturally (Science-Based Guidelines)‘.

✕ Increased insulin

In terms of the nutritional content of dairy, there are also a few things to keep in mind. Regular milk is naturally high in sugar (lactose) which will have an impact on your blood sugar levels. This is particularly true for skimmed-milk and low-fat dairy products as they have a higher GL (Glycemic Load) and get absorbed into the blood more quickly.

If you’re trying to manage PCOS and balance your hormones, you probably know that keeping your insulin levels in check is one of the most important steps. Unfortunately, the consumption of milk and dairy products has been shown to stimulate hyperinsulinemia (high levels of insulin) and contribute to insulin resistance.

Whey (a type of protein found in dairy) also appears to trigger insulin (even more than whole-wheat bread) and raise this hormone to abnormal levels. While not all dairy products contain whey (such as cheese) it is commonly added to other processed foods.

The vast majority of protein powders are, in fact, made from whey protein so if you decide to use this dietary supplement you may want to choose a different source.

I’ve created a complete guide on how to best choose and use protein powders for PCOS that you can access here: ‘What Protein Powder Is Best For PCOS? (The Ultimate Guide)‘.

✕ Digestive issues

Lactose intolerance is a major issue affecting about 75% of today’s population. This condition is caused by the lack of digestive enzyme lactase which is responsible for the digestion of lactose (a type of sugar naturally occurring in dairy).

When your body isn’t able to break down this type of sugar (due to the lack of lactase) it gets passed to the large intestine where it starts fermenting and can cause some severe digestive symptoms (such as nausea, bloating, gas, diarrhea, stomach pain).

The truth is that most mammals (including humans) were originally evolved to stop producing this milk-digesting enzyme once they have been fully weaned. This makes sense since mammals are expected to only drink milk when they’re babies.

While humans were actually able to adapt to the consumption of dairy throughout their adulthood, the vast majority is still not able to fully digest lactose due to the lacking enzymes. Dairy is, therefore, one of the most common triggers of digestive issues.

“Dairy is one of the most common triggers of digestive issues.”

According to research, women with PCOS are more likely to suffer from digestive problems, abdominal pain and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) due to their abnormal hormone levels, increased inflammation and microbiome dysbiosis.

Therefore, if you commonly experience those digestive issues (even if you’re not lactose intolerant), you may still benefit from limiting your dairy intake. I used to struggle a lot with constant bloating and abdominal pain which made me keep a detailed food diary and experiment with my diet.

Dairy was actually the biggest trigger for me (even though I was never diagnosed with lactose intolerance) and most of the bloating went away after adopting a dairy-free diet. But as I’ve already mentioned we are all sensitive to different foods and you should always listen to your own body.

Benefits of dairy:

Calcium content
Protein source
Taste

✓ Calcium content

According to US data, dairy is considered to be the primary source of calcium for the vast majority of people (up to 72%). Milk is also often promoted as the ultimate food for healthy and strong bones. However, while dairy is indeed a good source of calcium, it hasn’t been actually shown to support bone health.

In fact (paradoxically), some of the biggest studies have shown that the consumption of dairy was linked to an increased risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis. The truth is that getting sufficient amounts of calcium is absolutely essential for your health but there are other great food sources you can obtain it from.

However, you may need to be more mindful with your dietary choices if up till now you were relying mostly on dairy as your primary source of calcium. If you decide to go completely dairy-free, make sure you include enough calcium-rich food sources (such as dark leafy greens, beans, peas, soy, nuts and seeds) or work with a nutrition professional.

✓ Protein source

Another benefit of dairy is that it’s a good source of complete protein (containing all essential amino acids). Since protein plays an important role in the management of PCOS you should focus on getting enough of this essential macronutrient from your diet.

But again, you can easily meet your daily protein requirements from other food sources (both animal and plant-based) if you decide to limit your dairy intake. Just make sure you replace dairy with other high-protein foods, especially if it’s currently your main source of protein.

All animal-based foods are good sources of complete protein (eggs, fish, shellfish, meat, poultry) and by combining different types of plant-based sources (beans, peas, nuts, seeds, soy, grains) you can also obtain all essential amino acids from your diet.

Are eggs okay for PCOS?

Eggs are generally considered to be one of the best foods for women with PCOS due to their high nutrient content and low glycemic index. Since eggs are not classified as dairy, they can also be included in low-dairy and dairy-free diets.

If you’d like to learn more about the effects of eggs on PCOS, make sure to check out my previous article ‘Is Eating Eggs Good Or Bad For PCOS? (Evidence-Based)‘.

✓ Taste

One of the best things about dairy is that it’s just such a delicious and versatile cooking ingredient. There are so many different forms of dairy (cheese, butter, cream, milk) that you can use in your meals that it can be really difficult to imagine a life without it.

I totally get it and it probably won’t be easy at first. However, there are so many possibilities nowadays that you can find more and more dairy-free alternatives for pretty much everything. I personally find some of them even tastier (especially some plant milks) and I also find cooking and baking without dairy not difficult at all.

You can find more tips on how to best choose and use milk alternatives for PCOS in my other article ‘What Type Of Milk Is Best For PCOS? (The Ultimate Guide)’.

Things to consider:

Personal tolerance
Quality
Nutrition content

• Personal tolerance

You may not need to cut dairy completely out of your diet (if you’re not lactose intolerant) but rather find your personal tolerance. Knowing your own body and how it responds to different foods (in different amounts) is key to finding the most optimal diet for you. Remember that we all have different triggers and food sensitivities.

While I think that adopting a dairy-free diet can be extremely helpful for most women dealing with PCOS (especially after my experience), having some dairy products here and there may be just fine for you. It’s all about finding your personal limit.

You can start by completely eliminating dairy from your diet (at least for a few weeks) and see how it makes you feel. After that, you can experiment with slowly adding some dairy products back in and again see how it makes you feel. I highly suggest keeping a food diary or using other assessment methods to track your progress.

I share more tips on some useful tracking tools here: ‘TOP 5 Smart Devices To Monitor & Manage PCOS‘.

Should I cut out dairy for PCOS?

Cutting out dairy for PCOS may not be necessary for all women with this condition. However, limiting the intake of certain dairy products could help restore hormonal balance and improve PCOS. Women suffering from severe acne or digestive issues may benefit from eliminating dairy completely.

How much dairy is okay for PCOS?

As a general rule, reducing the intake of dairy to 2 or fewer servings per week appears to be beneficial for women with PCOS. However, the amounts may differ between individuals depending on their personal tolerance to dairy, food sensitivities and the type of dairy products consumed.

• Quality

If you do decide to consume dairy after all, it is important to choose high-quality products from reliable sources. Things worth considering include:

where is it from – is it from your local farmer or a conventional dairy factory?
what was the animal fed – was it grass-fed or did it eat chemically treated grains?
in what environment did the animal live – did it have enough space and access outdoors?
how was the animal treated – was it under a lot of stress all the time?

While you may not be able to always find the answers, you can start by choosing organic grass-fed dairy products. If you have a farmer’s market in your location, you may also be able to find some good-quality dairy products there.

• Nutrition content

There are also some nutritional differences between different types of dairy products. Opt for fermented dairy products (such as yogurt, kefir and cheese) as they are generally better digested and may provide some additional probiotic benefits.

You may also benefit from choosing full-fat dairy products (with lower GI) as they won’t cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels followed by the overproduction of insulin. Even though skimmed-milk and low-fat dairy products seem to be ‘healthier’ as they’re lower in calories and dietary fat, they may not be the best option for women with PCOS.

Try to avoid highly processed dairy products that are additionally high in added sugars, trans fats, flavorings and artificial chemicals (such as ice cream, dairy desserts, flavored yogurt or ultra-processed cheese).

Does dairy-free diet help with PCOS?

In general, adopting a low-dairy or dairy-free diet appears to help improve PCOS in most women suffering from this condition. However, there are currently no official recommendations regarding the intake of dairy for women with PCOS and further research addressing this issue is required.

Full-fat vs low-fat dairy for PCOS

Full-fat dairy products are generally considered a better option for women with PCOS in comparison to low-fat dairy products. The fat content in dairy slows down digestion and absorption which helps stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of hyperinsulinemia.

Dairy products to avoid for PCOS:

Milk
Cheese
Whey protein
Cream
Dairy desserts
Butter
Yogurt
Buttermilk

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