My Top 5 Tips to Improve your Gut Health for PCOS!   

 

If you knew that by looking after your gut health you could also reduce PCOS symptoms would you want to learn how you can make a change today? I would! As a fertility dietitian that has a special interest in PCOS, I spend a lot of time working with women to heal and improve their gut health. 

 Recent research has found that women with PCOS had a change in gut microbiome composition and reduced diversity compared to women who do not have PCOS.  Furthermore the gut microbiome was also linked to changes in the how the gut functions and metabolic changes that also explain why women with PCOS also have high androgens, chronic inflammation, reduced immunity and may have insulin resistance.  

 We do not know the exact causes of PCOS but emerging research highlights that gut health may be a part of the possible development of PCOS.  Studies have also found that dietary management to improve the gut microbiota and diversity was linked to lower androgen production, improved weight loss and reduced insulin resistance.  

 

To learn more about the gut and how it impacts women with PCOS click here:  

Gut Health & PCOS - What’s the Link?  – Lora Attia (dietitianformums.com.au) 

 

 

Here are my top 5 tips to improve your gut health for PCOS!   

1.Increasing dietary fibre  

 As a fertility dietitian I recommend aiming for at least 30g of dietary fibre a day!  

 To do this include more plant food daily by adding seeds, mix salads or vegetables on your plate at each meal time.   

Try these easy swaps to boost your fibre intake:  

  • Swap white bread for a wholemeal  seeded bread  
  • Switch  one animal protein source for a plant based protein such as legumes, chickpeas or tofu more often 
  • Up your vegetables intake per day! (Aim for at least 5 serves of veggies a day)  
  • Add seeds such as sunflower and flax seeds to smoothies and yoghurt  

Find more sources of Dietary fibre: key for a happy, healthy gut » Dietitians Australia 

 Personally I love using lentils and beans because they are so versatile in their uses try my most made lentil curry recipe and let me know what you think!  

 

Dietitian & Fitness For Mums (@dietitianformums) • Instagram photos and videos 

 

2. Go one further and increase your gut microbiome diversity by adding a variety of plant based foods. The more diversity in your diet the more nutrient supply is available for your gut microbiome to flourish!  

 As a fertility dietitian this strategy is not only important in helping you conceive but also important for managing PCOS for the long term. By adopting dietary practices that improve PCOS symptoms we can also mitigate risks and complications pregnancy and later in life such as gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes.  

 To increase diversity, try these easy swaps:  

 Swap a can o f beans for a four bean mix 

  • Swap a handful of nuts to include a variety of nuts and seeds for example: walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds.  
  • Swap plain pasta for wholemeal or pulse based pasta 

 

3. Eat more prebiotic especially inulin  

Inulin is a prebiotic fibre, a type of fibre necessary for the good bacteria to continue to grow and thrive. Studies have found the daily consumption of inulin improved bacterial diversity and significantly improved PCOS symptoms. Benefit included improvement in blood sugar control, appetite regulation, weight loss and androgen production.  

Dietary sources of Inulin include  

Fruit  

  • Banana 
  • Apricot 

Vegetables  

  • Asparagus 
  • Garlic  

Grains & nuts  

  • Almonds 
  • Rye  

Others  

  • Legumes (beans & chickpeas)  
  • Silken Tofu  

4. Reduce Saturated fats 

Saturated fats have been linked to causing dysbiosis or a change in your gut microbiota. By reducing the number of good bacteria and consequently increasing the bad bacteria  

Aim to reduce saturated fats to less than 10% of dietary intake.  

Sources of Saturated fat include:  

  • Meat – such as fatty cuts of beef, pork and lamb, processed meats like salami, sausages and the skin on chicken 
  • Palm oil and coconut oil  
  • Deep fried foods 
  • Pastry and pies  

 

 Find more sources of saturated fat here: Where do I find saturated fats in food » Dietitians Australia 

 

5. Increase healthy fats from: Nuts & seeds, avocado, extra virgin olive oil and including oily fish in your diet at least twice a week.  

 Try making these easy swaps to your diet:  

Instead of this, switch to:  

  • Cooking with coconut oil switch to extra virgin olive oil 
  • Consuming processed meats in lunches switch to a can of sardines or tuna  
  • Using butter as a spread switch to using avocado instead  

 

Want to more ways to manage your PCOS symptoms and get pregnant faster?  

 

Enquire about my 12 Week –Get Pregnant with PCOS program designed to tailor diet and supplementation to your unique needs to help shorten your time to pregnancy!  

Get Pregnant with PCOS – 12 Week Program – Lora Attia (dietitianformums.com.au)