There are a few big name people making a lot of inflammatory content about gluten and dairy and PCOS and it’s creating a lot of confusion among the people I talk to on a daily basis.
Do I need to go gluten and dairy free is a question I’m asked at least once a week and the answer may not be what you think.
In the next few paragraphs, let me explain why the answer isn’t yes OR no, it’s maybe and how you can discover if YOU are a yes or no answer person.
So first, the facts.
Gluten and dairy are not inherently bad foods. Gluten is a protein in wheat (yes, that means wheat products can help raise your protein count!) and dairy relates to the whole class of products made from animal milks, particularly cow’s milk.
There is no direct connection between these foods and PCOS symptoms. What I mean by that is you’re not going to be able to go on pubmed and type “gluten free dairy free PCOS” and get studies telling you exactly what to do about these foods.
We do, however, have connections between these foods and certain PCOS symptoms, but often with contradictory information. Rather than being unrealiable, this really speaks more to the fact that nutrition is a highly individual issue and the practice of nutrition is as much an art as it is a science.
When deciding whether a client of mine will do well gluten and dairy free, I’m looking at their complex history, current symptoms, and using the blend of my knowledge AND my intuition to get a feel for what might work best for them.
Some reasons why someone might feel better gluten and dairy free?
First, and likely most common, switching from a nutrient-poor, high fast food, high processed food diet, something like the Standard American Diet to a GF/DF diet means giving up a lot of these “junk” foods by extension. This helps balance blood sugar and lower inflammation levels which helps with PCOS symptoms.
But second, and also fairly common, those with PCOS are more at risk for food allergies and sensitivities. If you have gut health issues or an autoimmune issue alongside your PCOS, this may be more likely for you!
Wheat and Dairy are some of the most common foods in the Standard American Diet AND they are both on the list of most common food allergens.
This means if you’re likely to get allergic to anything, it’s more likely going to be wheat or dairy than, say, spinach.
So, if you’ve got a subtle food sensitivity or allergy and you remove one of these foods, you might hit the nail on the head of the food causing your digestive issues and be able to get some reductions in inflammation and body stress that can lead to improved symptoms.
Both of these issues are real and both of them happen frequently in PCOS but if you don’t suspect a food allergy or sensitivity, there’s really no reason to go GF/DF- simply work on increasing your food QUALITY and eat more whole, unprocessed foods. Rely less on dairy and wheat and more on veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats like olive and avocado oil and you’ll likely see many benefits for your PCOS.
If you’re already doing that and it isn’t helping, and you’ve got some of the other issues mentioned above (like an autoimmune issue) or a skin issue like eczema, it might be time to pursue food sensitivity/allergy work even without digestive problems.
I highly recommend doing that work with a professional if you can or pursuing a step-by-step guide.
I created my course Functional PCOS with that in mind and the second phase walks you through figuring out food sensitivities in great detail. You can see more about that here.
