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PCOS Awareness Month

Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is an endocrine (hormonal) condition that can cause multiple ovarian cysts, abnormal hair growth, inflammation and other symptoms.

Amanda Stathos, a clinical dietitian at Johns Hopkins’ Sibley Memorial Hospital, says people diagnosed with the disorder can improve their health, starting with nutritious foods.

Foods to Avoid with PCOS

Stathos emphasizes that individual foods are seldom the culprits behind conditions such as polycystic ovary disease, and likewise, no single food is likely to be a “magic bullet” to restore health.

However, she notes, eating too many foods associated with inflammation can aggravate PCOS symptoms and raise the risk of myriad other diseases that people with PCOS are at risk for developing, such as heart disease.

People with PCOS should avoid these foods that can ramp up inflammation:

Fried foods (French fries, potato chips, corn chips and fried chicken or fish)
Saturated fats such as butter or margarine
Red meat, including hamburgers, roast beef and steaks, processed luncheon meat and hot dogs
Processed snacks: cakes, cookies, candy and pies
Prepared cereal high in sugar, including instant oatmeal, granola
Sugary beverages such as sodas, teas and sports drinks
Alcoholic beverages
Refined flour, white bread, rolls, pizza crust and pasta
White rice

Best Foods for PCOS

“Substituting whole, unprocessed options for inflammatory items can set the stage for better long-term health,” Stathos says. Choices such as these from the Mediterranean diet can help you get to a healthy weight and manage PCOS symptoms with plenty of nutrition and great taste:

Omega-3 rich fish, such as salmon, baked or broiled
Olive oil instead of butter or margarine
Beans and other protein-rich legumes instead of meat
Non-starchy vegetables such as leafy greens (spinach, kale, escarole, endive, lettuce, etc.), tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, celery and fennel
Whole grains, such as brown rice, barley, sorghum and others. Breads and pastas made with whole grains can help people with PCOS avoid spikes in blood sugar.
Whole fruit for dessert. The fiber content in whole fruit helps you feel full, helps your digestion and slows down the absorption of its sugars into the bloodstream.