The Best PCOS Diet (Ultimate Guide)

If you suffer from PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) you may already know that dietary and lifestyle modifications are the primary treatment strategy of this complex endocrine disorder. But what is the best diet for PCOS? And what exactly you should and shouldn’t eat to get the most results?

That’s what you’ll find out in this article based on the latest research and my personal experience with reversing PCOS through dietary changes. However, keep in mind that there are other important factors that also play a role in the management of PCOS.

I’ve explained this in detail in my previous article ’How To Treat PCOS Naturally (Science-Based Guidelines)’ where you can find more information.

Nonetheless, I do believe that proper nutrition is the main building block of this process not only because of my nutritional background but mostly because of my own positive experience.

Can you reverse PCOS with diet?

In general, most women are able to successfully reverse PCOS through dietary changes and reduce their symptoms. However, there are other important lifestyle factors that also need to be considered to fully achieve those goals including sleep, exercise, stress and environmental toxins.

Due to the complexity of PCOS, it is important to manage this condition with a holistic approach to health (everything is connected) and focus on all relevant aspects of health and wellbeing. Making dietary changes can be a great first step of doing so as it’s been shown to lead to some major improvements.

The role of diet

The reason why diet is such an effective tool for managing PCOS is that food is not only energy but also information for the body. All food is made out of different chemical compounds (with different structures and characteristics) that will act in certain ways (sending different signals) once they enter the body.

Because those compounds can affect our bodily functions, hormone regulation and even gene expression, it only makes sense why our food choices can either improve or worsen our health. You should therefore be focused not only on the quantity (calories) but more importantly on the quality (nutrients) of your diet to get the most benefits.

What is PCOS diet?

PCOS diet is a nutritional guide specifically designed to help manage PCOS and reverse its symptoms. This dietary approach is based on evidence-based recommendations and mainly focuses on improving blood sugar management, hormone regulation, microbiome and inflammation in the body.

Keep in mind that PCOS is very complicated and many people experience this condition very differently. Additionally, nutritional science is also quite complex (with everchanging evidence) and there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to diet.

For this reason, I always recommend working with a professional (at least at the beginning) to fully understand your condition and make relevant changes that will fit your individual needs and requirements.

However, there are some general evidence-based guidelines you can follow to achieve your goals and successfully reverse PCOS. Those recommendations were designed to target the root cause of PCOS rather than just the symptoms.

The root cause of PCOS

Even though PCOS is usually a result of several different factors (genes, lifestyle, environment) it has become clear over the last few years that insulin resistance is the main driver in most women with this condition (up to 70%).

Chronic inflammation, hyperandrogenism and excessive stress are all both contributors as well as outcomes of PCOS and insulin resistance which makes it a vicious cycle almost impossible to break.

That’s because insulin resistance (your body’s inability to process glucose effectively) increases your levels of insulin in the blood. High blood insulin then causes your ovaries to overproduce androgens (the ‘male’ hormones) responsible for most of the PCOS symptoms (including chronic stress).

Exessive stress, in turn, contributes to impaired glucose metabolism resulting in insulin resistance. Additionally, increased levels of insulin can also signal your body to store more visceral fat (in the abdominal area) which is the main driver of inflammation in the body.

You can find more information about this whole process in my previous article ‘PCOS Insulin Resistance Explained & How To Reverse It’ where I share more details.

Overall, an effective PCOS diet plan should, therefore, primary focus on improving:

Insulin resistance
Hormone regulation
Inflammation
Weight management
Chronic stress
Gut microbiome

And here’s all you need to know to succeed…

The Best PCOS Diet Plan:

Eat whole foods
Eliminate processed foods
Eat enough protein
Eat enough healthy fats
Watch your carbohydrate intake
Eliminate dairy products
Drink a lot of fluids
Limit alcohol consumption
Include anti-inflammatory foods
Include probiotic and prebiotic foods
Consider intermittent fasting

1. Eat whole foods

One of the best choices you can make is switching to a wholefood diet as it’s an easy way to achieve multiple health benefits from a single change. By including more foods in their natural forms (or minimally processed) you can expect to improve your insulin resistance, manage weight, regulate hormones and reduce inflammation.

That’s because whole unprocessed foods (in particular plant-based) are naturally high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients. At the same time, whole foods also tend to be low on the GI (Glycemic Index) scale which is a good indicator of how your blood glucose levels will get affected (the lower the number the better).

The role of fiber

Once you start including more whole foods in your diet, you’ll automatically increase your dietary fiber intake which can help you in several different ways. Firstly, it can help you lose weight as fiber cannot be broken down and fully digested by your body (it doesn’t provide any calories).

Fibre also helps regulate hunger by slowing down digestion and absorbing water in your intestines (it makes you feel full). Because it takes significantly more time to break down and absorb whole high-fiber foods you won’t experience any rapid spikes in blood sugars followed by erratic levels of insulin.

Additionally, fiber is also important for eliminating excess hormones, toxins and other waste products from your body which is an extremely important process for women with PCOS.

How to eat more whole foods:

While eating 100% whole foods all the time would be absolutely amazing, it is not a very realistic idea in today’s busy world. But the good news is that it doesn’t have to be. It’s all about balance and it’s important to focus on the vast majority of your diet rather than perfection.

✓ Check the ingredient list

You can start by checking the ingredient list on every item you buy. Ideally, there won’t be any list of ingredients at all such as when you buy whole fruits or vegetables (it’s just one ingredient). But in general, the shorter the list the more ‘whole’ and ‘natural’ the food probably is. You can just ask yourself ‘Did nature make it or did man make it?’.

However, this may not be realistic for everyone so the next important thing is to look through the ingredients and make sure that you at least recognize all of them. If you see a lot of unpronounceable words, added sugars and harmful fats, you may want to find a better alternative.

✓ Learn to cook

Once you switch to a wholefood diet you may also find that you need to spend some more time in the kitchen. That’s because most whole foods don’t come in ready-to-eat packages and some meal preparation is usually required.

Learning to cook can, therefore, be extremely helpful. However, if you don’t enjoy cooking there are many ways in which you can simplify this process (such as meal prep, freezing, batch cooking) so you can still enjoy healthy homemade meals.

Best whole foods for PCOS:

Vegetables (leafy greens, cruciferous vegetable, nightshades)
Fruits (berries, citruses, apples, olives, avocado)
Mushrooms (shitake, oyster, protobello, white button)
Legumes (peas, soy, beans, lentils, chickpeas)
Nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashew, brazil nuts)
Seeds (flax, chia, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower)
Eggs (chicken, quail, duck)
Meat (grass-fed, poultry, organs)
Fish (oily fish, white fish, shellfish)

2. Eliminate processed food

Minimizing your intake of processed food goes hand in hand with the previous point – increasing your intake of whole foods. As I’ve already discussed above, eating more foods in their natural form is crucial since most of the beneficial nutrients (fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants) are removed during the processing techniques of most packaged foods.

Unfortunately, they are also usually replaced with other ingredients (added sugars, harmful fats, flavoring agents, colorings, artificial chemicals) to prolong their shelf-life and enhance their flavor and appearance. By doing so, it doesn’t only make those foods extremely practical and convenient but also very addictive and almost impossible to stop eating.

The danger of processed food

For women with PCOS, those types of foods are some of the most harmful to their condition for a number of reasons. They tend to be extremely high in calories (but low in nutrients) which can contribute to weight gain as they’re also usually less filling (lower in volume) and easier to overeat.

Due to the typical high-sugar and low-fiber content, they are also characterized by having a very high GI (Glycemic Index) number which causes rapid changes in blood glucose levels and contributes to insulin resistance. This also usually results in constant cravings and uncontrollable hunger.

You can find out more here: ‘PCOS Cravings: How To Reduce Appetite & Excessive Hunger’.

In addition, most processed foods are also very pro-inflammatory as they’re filled with simple sugars, artificial chemicals and inflammatory fats. Some chemicals (EDCs – endocrine-disrupting chemicals) found in those foods can also disrupt your hormones and lead to even greater hormone imbalances.

How to eliminate processed foods:

When it comes to processed foods it’s important to recognize there is a difference between minimally processed foods and heavily processed foods. That’s because some types of foods (such as olive oil, yogurt, nut butter, tomato passata) are basically still processed food (they were processed in some way) even though they’re extremely healthy.

✓ Recognize heavily processed foods

You don’t really need to restrict the intake of those types of foods (minimally processed) as they won’t cause you any harm (as long as you read the ingredient list), however, you should be more conscious with the intake of heavily processed foods.

Those types of foods are the ones associated with the negative effects on health I’ve discussed above. They’re typically filled with lots of unrecognizable ingredients and food additives but they also taste amazing which makes it really difficult to appreciate the natural taste of whole foods.

✓ Find alternatives

By minimizing your intake of those heavily processed foods, you’ll soon find out that your taste buds recover and your tolerance to sweet and salt will also change (it usually takes a few weeks). You don’t have to go ‘all in’ and change your diet overnight (although it works for some people) but you can rather start by finding some better alternatives to your favorite foods.

Luckily, there are so many good options nowadays and you can find a ‘healthy alternative’ to almost anything. If you enjoy cooking and baking you can also make most of those treats by yourself as there are plenty of recipes easily accessible online.

Worst processed foods for PCOS:

Added sugars (chocolate bars, dresings, cookies, baked goods)
Artificial chemicals (colorings, flavorings, perservatives)
Added salt (chips, sauces, canned food, fried foods)
Trans fats (margarine, chips, baked goods, cookies, fried foods)
Ready-to-eat (fast foods, frozen dinners, microvawe dinners)

3. Eat enough protein

Protein (made out of amino acids) is an essential macronutrient which means that you need to get sufficient amounts from your diet to achieve optimal health. Proteins are basically the building blocks of your whole body (including muscle tissue, bones, enzymes, hormones hair and skin) which is why your body can’t function properly if you don’t eat enough protein.

Benefits of dietary protein

The great thing about dietary protein is that it doesn’t cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels that would contribute to insulin resistance. In fact, by combining protein with other types of food (that contain carbohydrates) you’ll be able to slow the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream.

Some studies even suggest that eating your proteins before the rest of your meal is an effective strategy to prevent erratic fluctuations in glucose and insulin levels.

What’s more, protein is considered the most satiating macronutrient (it’s quite difficult to digest) which is why you should include at least one source of protein in your every meal to prevent cravings and manage hunger. Getting enough protein in your diet can therefore help you lose weight and improve your body composition.

Additionally, sufficient protein intake can also help you improve your hair and skin quality, especially if you suffer from PCOS-induced acne and excessive hair loss (collagen appears to be particularly effective). Find out more: ‘PCOS Hair Loss Explained & How To Reverse It‘.

How to eat enough protein:

✓ Add protein to every meal

First of all, make sure you know what are some good protein sources that fit your dietary approach (animal or plant-based) and always include at least one of them in your meals. It might be helpful to actually start with choosing your protein and build your meal around that.

✓ Know your protein requirements

However, you don’t need to go overboard and eat protein in excessive amounts as it won’t provide any additional benefits. Protein should be consumed in moderation to match your individual requirements.

According to the current recommendations, most people should consume at least 0.8-1g/kg of protein per day but other factors (such as activity levels, body composition, goals) also need to be taken into account. Most studies also suggest that eating smaller portions of protein (15-20g) throughout the day leads to generally better outcomes (especially for muscle building).

✓ Consider using protein powders

If you struggle to get enough protein into your diet throughout the day (or if you’re just busy), you might find protein powders extremely helpful. Using protein powders is definitely not a necessity of a healthy diet but it can be a great tool that helps you achieve your nutrition goals.

I share more information and practical tips on how to best choose and use protein powders for PCOS in my other article ‘What Protein Powder Is Best For PCOS? (The Ultimate Guide)’.

Best protein sources for PCOS:

Fish (oily fish, white fish, shellfish)
Meat (grass-fed meat, poultry, organs)
Eggs (chicken, quail, duck)
Legumes (lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas)
Soy products (tofu, tempeh, natto, yogurt)
Nuts (nuts, nut butter, nut flours)
Seeds (seeds, seed butter, seed flours)
Protein powders

4. Watch your carbohydrate intake

Carbohydrates (made out of sugar molecules) is the one macronutrient that affects your blood sugar and insulin levels the most. Modifying your carbohydrate intake is therefore one of the best strategies for managing blood sugar and improving insulin resistance.

According to research, low-carb, keto and low-GI diets are amongst the most effective dietary approaches for women with PCOS due to their beneficial impact on insulin management.

Different types of carbohydrates

However, it’s not just all about the amounts of carbs you eat (different people have different requirements) but rather about the quality. There are two main types of carbohydrate sources you should recognize: simple carbs (made out of simple sugar molecules) and complex carbs (made out of chains of sugar molecules).

Simple carbs (usually found in refined, processed foods) get digested and absorbed into your bloodstream very quickly resulting in rapid spikes and dips in your blood glucose levels followed by the overproduction of insulin (they have a high GI number).

Complex carbs (usually found in whole unprocessed foods) are generally digested and absorbed more slowly so they raise your blood sugar levels more steadily without extreme spikes triggering the release of too much insulin (they have a low GI number).

By choosing the right carbohydrates in the right amounts you can drastically improve your insulin resistance, lose weight, balance hormones and successfully manage PCOS.

How to choose carbohydrates:

✓ Don’t exclude all carbohydrates

Keep in mind that you don’t need to cut all carbs out of your diet to control your blood sugars and reverse PCOS. In fact, it’s almost unrealistic since most foods are a combination of different macronutrients (carbs, proteins, fats) rather than just one. Even vegetables consist of mostly carbohydrates and you don’t really want to limit your vegetable intake.

Read more: ‘The Best Carbs For PCOS (Food List)‘

✓ Check the glycemic index number

The real key here is to limit the refined (usually white) carbohydrate sources in your diet with a high GI number. Those are the foods and drinks that are high in added sugars (soda, cookies, fruit juices, chocolate bars) and refined grains (white flour, white rice, bread, baked goods).

Even though whole fruit and whole grains are much better carbohydrate options due to their high-fiber content and low glycemic impact, you should still be mindful of your portion sizes as they can still negatively affect your blood sugar levels.

✓ Find your carbohydrate threshold

It’s all about finding your own tolerance to carbohydrates and recognizing the differences between certain types. Blood sugar monitors can be a helpful tool to do so as they can track the changes in your blood glucose levels in response to different foods (very valuable data!).

Best carbohydrates for PCOS:

Non-starchy vegetables (leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, nightshades)
Starchy vegetables (sweet potato, squash, carrots)
Fruits (berries, apples, citruses, bananas)
Pseudograins (quinoa, buckwheat)
Legumes (beans, lentils, peas)

5. Eat enough healthy fats

Fat is another type of essential macronutrient that your body requires in sufficient amounts (omega-3 and omega-6) to function properly. For women with PCOS, the intake of healthy fats is perhaps even more important as it plays a crucial role in hormonal health and female fertility.

Benefits of dietary fat

Unlike carbohydrates, dietary fats don’t elevate blood sugars and therefore won’t impact your insulin levels. Because fats are also very filling (they slow down the rate of stomach emptying and the digestion process), they will keep you satiated for longer periods of time.

Another important function of dietary fats is that they help absorb several important nutrients such as fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). This is why including at least one source of healthy fats in your meals (especially with veggies) is necessary to achieve optimal levels of those beneficial nutrients.

Even though fat is the most energy-dense macronutrient (9kcal/g) you don’t need to be scared of including them in your diet, especially the high-quality ones. Since they’re blood sugar-friendly and very satiating, they can help you improve insulin resistance, control hunger and manage weight and PCOS.

Also, don’t forget that your brain consists of about 60% fat and many studies have shown that your dietary fat intake (especially omega-3) plays an important role in your brain function and mental health. Eating enough fat is, therefore, also important for managing stress.

Different types of fats

However, there are big differences between the types of fats you eat and some are definitely more beneficial than others. While some types of fats have strong anti-inflammatory properties, others can have the opposite effect and increase inflammation in your body. Recognizing those differences and making relevant choices is therefore another key aspect of an effective PCOS diet.

Based on the structure and physical properties of fats there are two main types of fatty acids: unsaturated fatty acids (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated) and saturated fatty acids. In most foods, there’s usually a combination of those different types of fatty acids in different proportions.

There’s also trans fat which doesn’t naturally occur in food (only in trace amounts in some meat and dairy) but is artificially manufactured and added to food as partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. This type of fat is now considered harmful to health and is becoming more strictly regulated in the food industry.

How to eat enough healthy fats:

✓ Eliminate trans fats

It is generally recommended to eat more unsaturated fats and reduce the intake of saturated and trans fats. However, while the effects of trans fats have been shown to be clearly damaging, the evidence on the harmful effects of naturally occurring saturated fats is not as straightforward.

In fact, more and more evidence is now suggesting that dietary saturated fat may even have some health benefits (in particular MCT).

✓ Balance your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio

There are also different types of polyunsaturated fatty acids: omega-3 (anti-inflammatory) and omega-6 (pro-inflammatory). While both of them are essential (you need to obtain them from diet) you need to be conscious of the overall ratio as it can impact the levels of inflammation in your body.

Because the Western diet is typically extremely high in omega-6 (found in most cooking oils) and very low in omega-3, the unbalanced ratio (as high as 20:1) appears to largely contribute to increased chronic inflammation.

Women with PCOS should therefore focus on balancing this ratio by including more omega-3 fatty acids and less omega-6 fatty acids in their diet to lower inflammation and reduce their symptoms.

✓ Consider processing techniques

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as choosing just the right type of fatty acids and there are other things to consider. You should note that most cooking oils (particularly refined vegetable oils) are heavily processed as they need to go through several chemical treatments to be extracted from the plants.

Therefore, it is better to choose whole foods as your dietary source of fat or such oils that can be easily extracted without the use of chemicals (eg. by pressing or crushing). Some types of fats can also be easily damaged after exposure to heat (most polyunsaturated fats) while others are more stable and therefore more suitable for cooking (saturated fats).

Read more: ‘The Best & Worst Cooking Oils For PCOS‘

Best healthy fats for PCOS:

Oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna)
Oily fruits (olives, avocado)
Nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashew, macadamia)
Seeds (flax, chia, pumpkin, hemp, sesame)
Oils (olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, flaxseed oil)

6. Eliminate dairy products

The consumption of dairy is overall a very controversial topic but perhaps even more so in relation to PCOS. Many argue that only people with allergies and lactose intolerance should limit their dairy intake while others suggest that adapting a dairy-free diet can be greatly beneficial for women with PCOS (and other chronic conditions).

You can find more information about this issue in my detailed article ‘Does Dairy Affect PCOS & How? All You Need To Know‘.

Dairy and PCOS

Despite the limited research, there are several ways in which the consumption of dairy products may negatively affect PCOS and contribute to its symptoms. One of the main reasons is the high content of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) found in dairy. This growth-stimulating hormone (acting similarly to insulin) can signal to your ovaries to overproduce androgens and therefore drive most PCOS symptoms.

Women with PCOS also tend to lack an important binding compound IGFBP-1 (insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1) due to their constantly high levels of insulin. This protein is however responsible for reducing the levels of IGF-1 in the blood which can become even more difficult with the consumption of dairy (containing IGF-1).

The relationship between IGF-1 and increased androgens may also be one of the reasons why dairy consumption has been linked to the development of acne in multiple studies. Another factor appears to be the inflammatory properties of dairy products that can also drive skin problems and contribute to PCOS.

The content of dairy products

Another thing to consider is that the whole purpose of animal-derived milk is to deliver sufficient nutrients and hormones to their offspring to grow into their full size. While this means that dairy is rich in several vitamins and minerals, it also means that it naturally contains a whole mixture of hormones that can cause disruptions in your endocrine system.

In addition, most conventional dairy products may contain other types of harmful chemicals as the animals usually live in a stressful environment and are commonly fed with antibiotics, artificial hormones and chemically treated feed. All of those factors can then also have an impact on your overall health and hormonal balance.

How to eliminate dairy products:

✓ Know your tolerance to dairy

It’s important to mention that not everyone needs to completely cut out dairy from their diet as we all have different food sensitivities. However, most women with PCOS (me included) do experience big improvements in their condition after consciously limiting their dairy intake. I personally saw the biggest improvements in my hormonal acne and digestion after quitting all dairy products.

But again, we are all different and you may just need to find your personal tolerance to dairy. It’s, however, definitely worth trying and modifying your dairy consumption for at least a few months to register any changes.

✓ Find alternatives

Luckily, adopting a dairy-free diet has become so much easier in recent years as there are so many great alternatives and food choices. You can check out my previous article ‘What Type Of Milk Is Best For PCOS? (The Ultimate Guide)‘ to get some ideas.

✓ Focus on the quality

If, however, you still want to include regular dairy in your diet, I highly suggest choosing the best possible quality and considering the ethical issues associated with dairy as well. Choose organic grass-fed dairy products from a reliable source to ensure it comes from healthy and well-treated animals.

In terms of the nutritional content, it is best to choose full-fat products (they have lower GI) in order to prevent erratic glucose response and overproduction of insulin contributing to insulin resistance. Fermented dairy products (yogurt, cheese, kefir) may also be a better option as they provide additional probiotic benefits.

Worst dairy products for PCOS:

Milk (skimmed, flavored)
Cheese (highly processed, low-fat)
Cream (low-fat, whipped cream)
Butter (conventional)
Processed foods (ice cream, milk chocolate)

7. Drink a lot of fluids

It is well known that your hydration status is another key element of achieving optimal health since water is involved in almost every bodily function. Drinking enough fluids during the day is therefore also extremely important for managing PCOS.

While drinking too much water can also be life-threatening (there is a fine balance) most people usually experience the opposite problem and don’t drink enough. Unfortunately, this can result in common dehydration-like symptoms (such as headache, irritation, dryness, sleepiness and confusion).

Dehydration and PCOS

However, insufficient water intake can also affect blood sugar levels and contribute to insulin resistance. Dehydration may also increase the risk of chronic inflammation as your body requires enough fluids to eliminate toxins and waste products from your body.

Additionally, being dehydrated may also induce food cravings contributing to weight gain as thirst is commonly misinterpreted as hunger. If you suffer from digestive problems and constipation, you should also focus on your daily water intake as it can help bulk up the fiber in your intestines and move more easily through your body.

There is also a close link between the hydration status and your skin condition. As I’ve already mentioned poor hydration can cause dryness and increase the risk of inflammation which can then contribute to acne and other skin conditions associated with PCOS.

How to drink more fluids:

✓ Know your fluid requirements

It is generally recommended to drink between 2-3 L of fluids per day, however, those requirements will largely differ between individuals based on their personal circumstances (body composition, gender, activity levels, medical condition, diet).

✓ Carry a water bottle

My best tip on increasing your daily water intake is to always carry a water bottle with you (even at home) to remind you to drink frequently throughout the day. It also gives you a better idea of how much you’ve actually had and whether it’s enough.

✓ Add flavor

While getting enough water is absolutely vital, it can be difficult for some people to drink enough of this plain-tasting fluid in sufficient amounts. Luckily, there are some other ways in which you can increase your fluid intake and improve your hydration status.

You can enhance the taste of regular water by adding some fresh fruit or choosing sparkly water (such as Seltzer). However, don’t rely on sweet sodas and fruit juices as your main source of fluids as they’re extremely high in sugars which can contribute to weight gain and insulin resistance.

✓ Drink tea

Another excellent option is drinking unsweetened hot (or cold) beverages such as tea. In fact, many herbal teas have been shown to be effective in improving PCOS symptoms. I’ve created a complete list of the most beneficial teas and herbs for PCOS accessible here: ‘What Type Of Tea Is Best For PCOS (The Ultimate Guide)’.

If you’re not sure whether you should drink coffee and caffeinated drinks if you suffer from PCOS, you can find all the information in my other article ‘Is Coffee Good Or Bad For PCOS & Why?’.

Best drinks for PCOS:

Water (plain, sparkling)
Tea (green, spearmint, chamomile)
Coffee (black, green, coffee alternatives)
Kombucha

8. Limit alcohol consumption

The consumption of alcohol is a major risk factor for developing multiple health conditions but if you suffer from PCOS you may need to be even more conscious of your alcohol intake as it can impact your condition in several different ways.

Alcohol and PCOS

Firstly, alcohol can largely contribute to weight gain and the inability to lose weight as it’s very calorically dense (7kcal/g) but with a low nutritional value (containing no nutrients). Alcohol also provides no satiating effects so it’s likely to induce cravings and increase hunger.

Since many alcoholic beverages are also consumed with high-sugar mixers (soda, juice, coke) it can also negatively impact your blood sugar and insulin levels. Other hormones also appear to be affected by alcohol consumption, especially those involved in the menstrual cycle and fertility.

But there are other serious risks associated with alcohol in relation to PCOS one of which is the development of fatty liver disease. Because NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) is quite common amongst women with PCOS (due to their metabolic abnormalities) the consumption of alcohol may even enhance the progression of this condition.

Other negative health outcomes of alcohol intake may include sleep problems, poor mental and disturbed microbiome. You can find more about the risks and benefits of alcohol for PCOS in my other article ‘Does Alcohol Affect PCOS & How? All You Need To Know’ where it’s explained in more detail.

How to limit alcohol:

✓ Find your limit

When trying to cut back on alcohol it’s good to know your own personal limit as we all react to alcohol differently. While general recommendations still consider drinking up to 1 drink per day to be safe, it may not be the most effective strategy if you’re trying to reverse PCOS.

I’m personally very sensitive to alcohol and even though I genuinely like it I can hardly tolerate even just 1 drink per week without experiencing some adverse effects on my symptoms. You may want to try going completely alcohol-free for some time (at least a few months) and see what difference it may make.

✓ Choose the right alcohol

However, I believe that alcohol (in moderation) can still be a part of a healthy lifestyle and there are certainly some benefits to it as well. If you enjoy a glass of wine with your dinner or going out for a drink with your friends, you can still have a good time with some alcohol involved.

Nonetheless, be wise with the type of alcohol you decide to drink as they are not all created equal. If you’d like to know which alcoholic beverages are the most PCOS-friendly and which are not, I highly suggest checking out my article ‘The Best & Works Alcoholic Drinks For PCOS (Complete List)’.

Best alcohol for PCOS:

Hard liquor (vodka, tequila, whiskey)
Dry wine (white, red, sparkling)
Low-sugar cocktails (skinny bitch, dry martini)

9. Include anti-inflammatory foods

It’s been shown that chronic inflammation and increased levels of oxidative stress are two typical features of PCOS contributing to many of its symptoms. The good news is that diet can be used as a powerful tool to lower inflammation and reduce oxidative stress in the body.

Anti-inflammatory vs pro-inflammatory foods

The most effective dietary strategy is to eat more anti-inflammatory foods and limit the intake of pro-inflammatory foods. Certain foods are particularly rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that can help combat free radicals and prevent oxidative damage.

Those types of foods (mostly plant-based) are usually associated with dark rich colors and a bitter taste. Some vitamins (vitamin A, C & E) and fatty acids (omega-3) also act as anti-oxidants which is why it’s important to eat a diverse nutrient-rich diet.

On the other hand, there are some types of foods that may trigger inflammation in the body and contribute to greater oxidative damage. Unsurprisingly, some of the most inflammatory foods include refined, processed and packaged foods which is why adopting a wholefood diet is one of the best strategies to lower inflammation.

How to eat more anti-inflammatory foods:

✓ Eat the rainbow

Eat the rainbow as different colors usually represent different types of antioxidants and bioactive compounds associated with different health benefits. This is why including a variety of differently colored foods in your meals is the real key to a healthy nutrient-rich diet.

Try to include at least 3 different colors in your every meal and opt for eating more vibrant foods (veggies, fruits, herbs, spices) and less blunt foods lacking in color (refined grains, sugar, cereals, bread, pasta).

✓ Choose dark-colored bitter foods

The darker the color, the more nutrient-dense the food usually is. This is why some of the best sources of antioxidants are foods like dark leafy greens, blueberries, dark chocolate or turmeric root. The food’s bitterness is another good indicator of those beneficial compounds (think rocket, radish, brussel sprouts, kale).

✓ Use herbs & spices

Don’t be afraid to use a lot of different herbs and spices in your meals. They are not only delicious but they are also packed with nutrients and high levels of antioxidants. In fact, many of them have been shown to have strong therapeutic effects on PCOS.

✓ Know your trigger foods

Besides processed foods (which is highly inflammatory) you may also want to minimize the consumption of dairy, gluten and alcohol as all of those foods may also trigger inflammation in some individuals. However, this will be highly dependent on your personal response and whether you suffer from any food intolerances and sensitivities.

✓ Balance your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio

Additionally, you also want to be conscious of your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio (discussed in the fat section) and try to keep a healthy balance by including more omega-3 sources in your diet (which are anti-inflammatory).

Best anti-inflammatory foods for PCOS:

Dark leafy greens (kale, spinach, rocket)
Vegetables (red cabbage, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes)
Berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
Fruits (avocado, olives, citruses)
Herbs (oregano, basil, licorice)
Spices (turmeric, cinnamon, ginger)
Omega-3 (oily fish, flaxseed, walnuts, chia)
Beverages (coffee, tea, cacao)

10. Include probiotic and prebiotic foods

Having a healthy gut microbiome (a colony of microbes and bacteria living in your gut) is now considered one of the most important aspects of health. That’s because this microbial colony is involved in so many important functions including digestion, hormone regulation and immune response (around 60% of your immune system is in your gut).

The role of the gut microbiome

It’s been shown that changes in the gut microbiome can lead to weight gain, high blood sugar levels and increased cholesterol. The state of your gut microbiome (in terms of diversity, volume and balance) can therefore drastically affect your body composition, insulin resistance and cardiovascular health.

There is evidence that women with PCOS suffer from dysbiosis of gut microbiota which is basically an imbalance between the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria living in your gut. PCOS is associated with a gut microbiome that is less diverse and lacks certain beneficial bacterial families such as Bacteroidaceae and Clostridiaceae.

Based on those findings, it is suggested that adjusting the gut microbiome in women with PCOS (by targeting certain bacterial species) can be an effective strategy in the treatment of PCOS. Since diet is one of the most important factors affecting the gut microbiome, you can significantly improve the state of your microbiome by making relevant dietary changes.

Probiotic vs prebiotic foods

There are two particularly important types of foods that can help you develop and support a healthy microbiome:

probiotic foods – contain healthy bacteria (found in fermented foods)
prebiotic foods – contain soluble fiber that feeds bacteria (found in high-fiber plants)

You can support your gut microbiome by including both of those types of foods in your diet. Probiotic foods (such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, pickles) can help you increase the population of healthy bacteria in your gut as it’s already present in the food.

Prebiotic foods (such as whole fruits, vegetables, legumes) also help increase the volume and diversity of your gut microbiome as it feeds the good bacteria in your large intestine (where most of them live). Since your body cannot fully digest soluble fiber and resistant starch, it gets passed to the colon where it can be fermented by the gut microbes.

How to support your gut microbiome:

✓ Eat more plants

It’s important to eat a very diverse diet consisting of lots of different high-fiber foods. Try to include more plants in your diet as they usually contain a combination of different types of fiber (soluble, insoluble, resistant starch) all of which are extremely beneficial to your health and the health of your gut microbiome.

✓ Eat fermented foods

Introduce more fermented foods into your diet as they’re one of the most gut-friendly and nutrient-rich types of food you can consume. There are so many great options to choose from and you can even start fermenting your own food as it’s a very simple process.

✓ Limit processed foods

Additionally, try to limit the consumption of highly processed foods and artificial sweeteners as they’ve been shown to cause disturbances in the gut microbiome. Most ‘bad’ bacteria also feeds on glucose which is why high-sugar diet can also lead to imbalances in the gut microbiome.

✓ Consider probiotic supplements

Another way to support your gut microbiome is to include some high-quality probiotic supplements. However, the product quality is very important here as most probiotic supplements are not very effective.

If you have the opportunity, it’s also worth getting your gut microbiome tested (from a stool sample) as it can tell you exactly which strains of bacteria you may lack so you can take a custom probiotic supplement.

Best probiotic and prebiotic foods for PCOS:

Fermented foods (sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, yogurt)
Fermented drinks (kombucha, kefir)
Fermented soy (tempeh, miso, soy sauce, natto)
Resistant starch (green bananas, lentils, beans)
Soluble fiber (chia seeds, flaxseeds, psyllium, chicory root)
Vegetables (brussel sprouts, broccoli, cucumber, carrots)
Fruits (pears, avocado, figs, apples, apricots)

11. Consider intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is not really a type of diet but rather a style of eating. All of the previous points were mainly focused on what to eat on a PCOS diet to gain the most benefits but the truth is that how and when you eat can also strongly affect your results.

What is intermittent fasting?

In simple terms, intermittent fasting (also known as time-restricted eating) basically means cycling between periods of eating and fasting during the day. There are several different approaches of IF but one of the most popular ones is the 16/8 protocol (fasting for 16 hours/ eating for 8 hours).

While the research on intermittent fasting is still in its infancy, there appear to be some major health benefits associated with this dietary approach (such as weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, reduced inflammation) many of which can also help manage PCOS.

Benefits of intermittent fasting

The way it works is that by going longer periods of time without eating your body is forced to use up all of your glucose stores (glycogen) and switch to burning fat as its main source of energy. This can help your body to become more efficient at using stored body fat as energy and even lead to weight loss.

However, the main benefit of allowing your body to fast for a prolonged period of time is that you won’t be constantly spiking your blood sugar levels (by eating) followed by elevated insulin levels. This will allow your body to regain its sensitivity to insulin and reduce insulin resistance.

Another great benefit of IF is that once you become adapted to this approach, you’ll be able to go longer periods of time without feeling hungry (or even thinking about food). This is not only great for reducing cravings and regulating weight but it also benefits your cognitive function, focus and mental clarity.

Risks of intermittent fasting for PCOS

While some of the early studies investigating the effects of time-restricted eating on PCOS do support its beneficial properties, you should note that this approach may not be appropriate for all women with this condition.

That’s because women tend to be more sensitive to a fasted state (mainly for reproductive purposes) which can cause imbalances in other important hormones such as cortisol and estrogen. For this reason, it is better to adopt shorter IF protocols (such as 16/8 or 14/10) rather than practice alternative days of fasting.

You can find out more about the benefits and risks of intermittent fasting for PCOS here: ‘Is Intermittent Fasting Good Or Bad For PCOS & Why?‘

How to practice intermittent fasting:

I personally have only good experience with intermittent fasting and now it’s just a part of my everyday life (I’ve been practicing IF since 2017). I saw the biggest improvements in my energy levels, mental clarity and hunger regulation after implementing this strategy (it’s also super practical in my opinion).

✓ Try different strategies

However, don’t forget that we are all different and that what works for me may not work for you. I always suggest trying different strategies to find the most suitable one for you as we all thrive on different things. If you’re new to this it’s also best to work with a professional to gain the most benefits and ensure complete safety.

✓ Change your first and last meal of the day

Nonetheless, you can just start with simple steps such as reducing snacking during the day, postponing your breakfast or eating your dinner early. Don’t forget that most of the fasting is actually done while you sleep (8 hrs) so adjusting your first and last meals of the day can easily get you to a 16h fast.

In practice, this may look like having your breakfast at 10am and your dinner at 6pm (16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of eating). Besides water, you can also consume a few different beverages during the fasting window such as coffee or tea (unsweetened).

✓ Add fat to your coffee

Having a cup of coffee when you wake can therefore still be a part of your daily routine. In fact, coffee helps reduce appetite and you can even add a little bit of coconut oil (or MCT) to keep you fuller for longer. I find this especially great before working out in the morning.

✓ Eat a balanced diet

During your eating window, make sure that you meet all of your energy and nutrient requirements by eating a healthy balanced diet and following the PCOS diet guidelines. Try to avoid eating large amounts of carbohydrates at once as it can still negatively impact your insulin levels.

If you decide to give IF a try, keep in mind that your body needs some time to adapt to such changes which can take between a few days to several weeks.

Best intermittent fasting protocols for PCOS:

16/8 (16 hours fasting/8 hours eating)
14/10 (14 hours fasting/10 hours eating)
12/12 (12 hours fasting/12 hours eating)

What is the best diet for PCOS?

In general, the best diet for PCOS is one that consists of whole anti-inflammatory foods and that is rich in fiber, healthy fats and proteins. The intake of carbohydrates should be limited to low GI foods and complex carbohydrates. Adopting a dairy and gluten-free diet may also help improve PCOS.

Pro tips:

Practice mindful eating – eat slowly and pay a close attention to your food and senses when you eat as it can help improve digestion, reduce stress and make you feel more satisfied
Buy organic – choose organic foods (especially animal-based) whenever possible to reduce your exposure to harmful pesticides and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, check the list of ‘Dirty Dozen and Clean 15’ to know which foods consists the higest levels
Track your progress – get tested, make measurements, keep a food diary and keep a track of your progress, with enough data you’re more likely to see what strategies work for you best and it also helps you stay motivated, you can find some useful tools here ‘TOP 5 Smart Devices To Monitor & Manage PCOS‘
Find alternatives – replacing some foods and dietary habits with healthier alternatives is one of the most effective methods you can use, it doesn’t make you give up any of your enjoyments completely and it makes the process of habit change much easier
Plan ahead – being prepared makes it so much easier to stick to new habits – be ‘hunger-ready’, carry some healthy snacks, meal-prep for the week, make grocery lists and plan your days in advance
Start small – you don’t have to go all in and completely change your diet overnight, take baby steps and slowly transit into the new way of eating (it’s not dieting!), the key is consistency and suistainability if you want to make some long-lasting changes (it only gets easier once you start seeing results)
Be patient – don’t expect any overnight results, keep in mind that your body is a complex system that doesn’t like rapid changes – it usually takes several weeks before you start seeing results and it can take up to months or years to fully achieve your goals
Work with a professional – find a PCOS specialist, health coach, nutritionist or dietitian – PCOS is a complex condition that can become very overwhelming so having access to the right information and moral support can be a life-changer in your journey

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