Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, is thought to be associated with insulin resistance. Many, but not all, women with PCOS are insulin resistant. Insulin resistance is when the body’s cells become less resistant to insulin, causing the body to produce more insulin than is needed.

Several studies have looked into the connection between PCOS, diet, and insulin resistance. Diets that help control blood sugar and improve insulin resistance may improve irregular cycles and other symptoms related to PCOS, even in women who are not diagnosed as insulin resistant.

Some dietary habits that may help include:

• Including more foods in your diet that are considered to be low on the glycemic index
• Eating more complex carbohydrates (like whole grain breads) and less simple carbohydrates
• Including more calories from proteins (like meat, eggs, fish, and dairy products) while decreasing the daily calories taken in from carbohydrates (like breads or pasta)
• Eating a bigger breakfast and smaller dinner, while not increasing your daily calorie intake
• Pairing foods that are higher on the glycemic index with proteins or fat, which lowers the overall glycemic impact (for example, instead of eating just two slices of bread, eating some cheese or meat with the bread)
• Losing weight and adding in regular exercise, which is the only proven dietary method found to improve fertility rates

While some small studies have found that diet may improve symptoms in women with PCOS, more research needs to be done to show whether these changes can also improve pregnancy rates.