Mediterranean Diet Benefits For PCOS symptoms
Polycystic Ovarian (PCOS) is a common condition affecting how a woman’s ovaries function but evidence suggests The Mediterranean Diet may benefit patients with the condition.
The Mediterranean Diet is often considered one of the healthiest diets in the world, and it could potentially benefit women with PCOS. The diet is based on the traditional eating patterns of people living in countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Research has shown that a Mediterranean-style diet can help improve heart health, reduce inflammation, and promote weight loss. So, if you’re looking for a way to improve your health and manage your PCOS symptoms, consider giving the Mediterranean diet a try!
What Is The Mediterranean Diet?
While there are some regional variations, The Mediterranean Diet is generally defined as being high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish and unsaturated fats such as extra virgin olive oil. It usually includes a low intake of meat and dairy foods.
Although some of the top chefs around the world have incorporated flavours of The Mediterranean in their cuisine, it is possible to make your diet more Mediterranean by making some very simple changes, including;
- Eating plenty of starchy foods, such as bread and pasta
- Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables
- Including fish in your diet
- Eating less meat
- Choosing products made from vegetable and plant oils, such as extra virgin olive oil.
What Is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?
According to the NHS, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects how a woman’s ovaries work.
The 3 main features of PCOS are:
- irregular periods – which means your ovaries do not regularly release eggs (ovulation)
- excess androgen – high levels of “male” hormones in your body, which may cause physical signs such as excess facial or body hair
- polycystic ovaries – your ovaries become enlarged and contain many fluid-filled sacs (follicles) that surround the eggs (but despite the name, you do not actually have cysts if you have PCOS)
If you have at least 2 of these features, you may be diagnosed with PCOS.
What Are The 6 Key Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet for PCOS?
We loved this article on PCOS Support which helpfully outlines the six main reasons that The Mediterranean Diet can help with the symptoms of PCOS. Here’s a handy summary:
- The Mediterranean Diet can help with chronic inflammation associated with PCOS.
We know that women with PCOS experience chronic low-grade inflammation. This is part and parcel of the syndrome that is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
Research shows that the Mediterranean diet can help reduce systemic inflammation (2). This is helpful as any decrease in chronic inflammation will also lead to an improvement in insulin sensitivity, thereby improving PCOS symptoms.
- The Mediterranean Diet can help with Insulin Resistance
Research suggests that 50-70% of women with PCOS also experience insulin resistance, which leads to weight gain, an irregular menstrual cycle and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (3).
Following a Mediterranean diet has been shown to help with blood glucose control, and lowers fasting levels of insulin, increasing insulin sensitivity (4).
This improved insulin sensitivity is why drugs like Metformin or supplements like Inositol are so helpful in women with PCOS.
Increased insulin sensitivity can help with:
- weight loss
- improved menstrual cycle
- ovulation
- decrease in cravings and so much more
- The Mediterranean Diet helps with Fertility
We know that PCOS is one of the leading causes of infertility in women of reproductive age.
A new study, published in Human Reproduction, found that women who adhere to the Mediterranean-style diet have a higher chance of having successful pregnancies and giving birth (5).
In fact, women who ate more fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, fish and olive oil, and less red meat, had a 65-68% greater likelihood of achieving a successful pregnancy and birth compared to women with the lowest adherence to the Mediterranean-style diet.
What’s more, previous research suggests that adherence to the Mediterranean diet may also help improve semen quality.
So, if you are trying to conceive, following a Mediterranean diet could be helpful for both you and your partner.
- The Mediterranean Diet may Help to Lower Testosterone Levels in women with PCOS
We know that the Mediterranean diet is high in Omega 3 and healthy oils. Research also shows that Omega 3 helps to lower testosterone levels in women with PCOS.
One piece of research also showed that women with PCOS who did not follow a Mediterranean diet tended to have higher testosterone levels (6).
Lower testosterone levels will help with acne, hair growth, and male pattern baldness.
We know that the Mediterranean diet is high in Omega 3 and healthy oils. Research also shows that Omega 3 helps to lower testosterone levels in women with PCOS.
One piece of research also showed that women with PCOS who did not follow a Mediterranean diet tended to have higher testosterone levels (6).
Lower testosterone levels will help with acne, hair growth, and male pattern baldness.
- The Mediterranean Diet Improves Gut Microbiome
Women with PCOS tend to have a less diverse gut microbiome in comparison to women without PCOS and this can have a massive impact on our overall health and PCOS symptoms.
Researchers have found that following a Mediterranean diet can help improve the health, diversity, and function of the gut microbiome, which would also improve general health and wellness, as well as PCOS symptoms (7).
- The Mediterranean Diet Improves Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome are more prone to developing NAFLD than women without Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Researchers have found that following the Mediterranean diet for 12 months improves liver fat and insulin sensitivity, irrespective of weight loss (8).