How Your Diet Can Improve Insulin Sensitivity & Alleviate PCOS Symptoms
For some people, PCOS and insulin resistance go hand in hand. Controlling insulin levels with diet and exercise is crucial for treating PCOS symptoms.
Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia appear to affect many women with the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), even though the precise cause of the condition is unknown. This frequently causes symptoms to worsen, it becomes harder to keep a healthy weight and the risk of developing other chronic conditions increases.
The Relationship Between PCOS and Insulin
It was discovered that between 65 and 70 percent of PCOS-affected women also had insulin resistance. Insulin resistance appears to have a separate relationship to PCOS and is not entirely due to obesity, despite the fact that it is more common in obese women.
High insulin levels are a primary cause of PCOS rather than merely one of its symptoms. The ovaries may produce too much testosterone and ovulation may be impaired by high insulin levels.
Heavy bleeding, erratic or painful periods, and infertility are typical PCOS symptoms. Additionally, PCOS can result in dark skin patches in the neck, armpits, groin, and waistline, acne, a rise in facial hair, and weight gain around the midsection. By encouraging females to create more testosterone, high insulin levels exacerbate these symptoms. More acne, hair growth, and irregular or nonexistent periods result from this. The risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and hypertension is increased in women who have PCOS insulin resistance.
The management of PCOS should be tailored to each woman's specific goals.
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How to Manage PCOS Symptoms?
The most essential methods for individuals to manage insulin levels and control PCOS symptoms are a PCOS diet and PCOS exercise. Women facing PCOS side effects are encouraged to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day in a moderate manner in order to control blood sugar levels.
Healthy eating is also encouraged and fad diets or any diet that could result in extreme gains or losses are discouraged. All women with PCOS need a balanced diet; and nothing too rigid.
- Eat consistently throughout the day to maintain stable blood sugar levels. Women who have PCOS and insulin resistance shouldn't try to fast or cut back on calories.
- Opt for whole foods: Whole fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and nutritious fats like oils, nuts, seeds, and avocados are all good food choices. A sweet tooth can be satisfied with dates and other dried fruit.
- Patients should be able to grasp the fat, calorie, and protein content of food as well as how to look for added sugars and refined carbohydrates by reading food labels.
- Choose whole grains over refined ones: Women with PCOS are advised to choose whole wheat, brown rice, and oats instead of white bread, processed crackers, and cookies. Limiting carbohydrates is crucial, as is balancing them with protein, fruits, and vegetables.
- Limit sweets: Sugar management is essential for treating PCOS and symptoms of insulin resistance. Limiting or avoiding sweetened beverages, desserts, and other forms of added sugar is advised for patients.
Weight loss might often be more challenging due to insulin resistance. A diet rich in refined carbs, such as starchy and sugary meals, can make it harder to control insulin resistance and, consequently, weight loss.
When a person has insulin resistance, the body may try to produce excessive amounts of insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Increased insulin levels can trigger the production of testosterone from the ovaries.
One of the major potential issues is infertility. Insulin levels in PCOS patients are typically higher than average. By preserving glucose in cells, insulin reduces blood sugar levels. When cells develop insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes results. When it occurs, an unusually large amount of insulin is produced.
The good news is that PCOS symptoms can be managed with just a few easy lifestyle adjustments, such as diet and exercise.
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