PCOS Infertility Diets

For many years, women plagued with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) knew only that they were often subjected to painful ovarian cysts and diminished fertility. Recently however, it has been discovered that alterations made in their diets have a great deal to do with eradicating the symptoms associated with PCOS. This is likely because many women with PCOS are often obese. Provided these women adopt a diet lower in simple carbohydrates and low glycemic index foods, their chances for managing their PCOS and subsequently overcoming the fertility problems associated with PCOS are absolutely within their grasp.

Insulin

The production of the ovarian cysts that are a hallmark of PCOS are largely driven by higher-than-normal levels of insulin produced by the pancreas. Many physicians see a connection between high insulin, frequently high-carbohydrate diets and obesity in their patients that suffer from PCOS. Therefore, adopting a diet of foods that have a low glycemic index (a method of ranking a carbohydrate's affect on serum blood glucose) has shown many positive results.

Foods

To combat the fertility issues related to PCOS, it is best to limit refined or processed carbohydrates from your diet. In general, many of these higher glycemic index carbohydrates come from white flour foods, i.e., white bread, white rice and white pastas. A switch to whole wheat pastas, whole grain breads and brown rices is therefore recommended. Further, for those women who ingest a fair amount of fruit juices, it is better to eat the physical fruit and stay away from the processed juice. One reason why this is the case is that the fruit contains far more fiber than the juice does. Fiber can fill the stomach more, therefore feeling more satiated.

Supplements

There are many supplements on the market today which claim to have beneficial effects on bodily functions, but none so many as those meant to aid in achieving a pregnancy. One such supplement that has proven benefits for infertile women with PCOS is wheat grass juice. Many nutritionists believe this is because the properties of wheat grass can help to normalize ovulatory cycles or in some cases, initiate ovulation to occur.

Results

When insulin levels are excessive, this can often interfere with ovulation. Once a woman with PCOS successfully addresses her diet and begins to reduce the serum insulin in her body, ovulation will usually begin to normalize. Specifically, many experts believe that once a woman with PCOS has reduced her body weight by five percent through diet alone, her ovulation patterns can significantly normalize. Providing there are no other ancillary factors affecting her fertility, pregnancy can often be successfully achieved.