Diet with PCOS

[jennifer820]

Hi All!

I have PCOS (as seen in ultrasound). I'm a vegetarian, 5 feet 2 inches tall and have a wight of 52 kg. I have been married since a year and I'm planning to conceive in 2 years from now. I have read that by modifying diet one can completely reverse PCOS. I have following questions about diet:

1. Can I consume soy products? Is it suggested to consume soy products thrice every week. (I'm not sure about this. Somewhere I have read that soy has protein and for PCOS one should combine carbohydrate with protein, so it is good to have soy products.
I have also read soy has phytoestrogen (estrogenic activity) so it will add to the already elevated levels of estrogen in the body of a PCOS sufferer, so it should be avoided. On the contrary some articles say that soy is good as it has estrogenic activity and would block the excess estrogen receptors in PCOS). Please advice.

2. Can I consume milk and egg white? I love milk but recently I came to know that now a days hen, cows and buffaloes are being injected with hormones and consuming their milk will worsen the condition of hormonal imbalance in PCOS. Moreover milk is acidic and has a ph below 7 and hence not good for PCOS. However, if I leave milk I'm afradi that being a vegetarian I might miss on certain essential nutrients. Please suggest.

3. Can I consume fruits with high sugar content? As high blood sugar is associated with PCOS. I'm wondering if I can consume mangoes, watermelon and other fruits with high sugar content. I thought these fruits have natural sugar which will not cause any harm. Please suggest.

Thanks so much
I look forward to some insightful discussion

[Renee Radenberg]

PCOS is an imbalance of hormones, mainly the male hormones in the female, and can lead to obesity and insulin resistance, then diabetes. Your weight is good for your height. The recommended diet is consuming complex carbohydrates with protein to help lower the insulin resistance. As a vegetarian you eat complex carbohydrates (whole grain, vegetables) so you do not have much to change in your diet. You stated that you are concerned about milk and egg, suggest using organic sources for those products. Soy products are fine because you are only consuming it twice a week. As far as fruits consummation goes, recommend eating only fresh fruit (avoid fruit juices) and eat fruits within a meals or with a protein source. That will help decrease the fast absorption of fruit natural sugar so the sugar levels in the blood do not spike up. Hoped this helped you.

[jennifer820]

Thanks Rene for your response. I will take care of the things you mentioned. Do you think I should take ayurvedic or homeopathic medications to regularize my periods and flow? I do not prefer allopathy or hormonal treatment as they can have several side effects.