PCOS: Addressing the Root Cause with Nutrition
Up to 70% of women with PCOS have insulin resistance. By lowering insulin through low carb nutrition, many PCOS symptoms — irregular periods, weight gain, acne, and fertility challenges — can improve dramatically.
Common PCOS Symptoms
PCOS affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age in Australia. Symptoms vary widely, but most share a common underlying driver: insulin resistance.
The Insulin–PCOS Connection
PCOS is not primarily an ovarian problem — it is a metabolic one. Understanding this changes the treatment approach entirely.
Insulin Drives Androgen Production
High insulin levels stimulate the ovaries to produce excess testosterone and other androgens. This causes acne, hair changes, and disrupts ovulation. Lowering insulin through diet directly reduces androgen production.
Insulin Promotes Fat Storage
Elevated insulin locks fat in storage, particularly around the abdomen. This visceral fat produces inflammatory chemicals that further worsen insulin resistance — creating a cycle that conventional low-fat diets cannot break.
Insulin Disrupts Ovulation
The hormonal imbalance caused by insulin resistance prevents follicles from maturing properly, leading to the characteristic immature follicles visible on ultrasound and causing irregular or absent periods.
What Low Carb Nutrition Can Do for PCOS
Research shows that low carb and ketogenic diets can significantly improve PCOS outcomes by directly addressing insulin resistance.
- Restoring regular menstrual cycles
- Reducing androgen levels (testosterone, DHEA-S)
- Improving fertility outcomes
- Clearing hormonal acne
- Sustainable weight loss — especially abdominal fat
- Reducing inflammation markers (CRP, IL-6)
- Improving mood, energy, and mental clarity
- Lowering long-term risk of diabetes and heart disease
Our Team's Expertise
While we are nutrition coaches rather than endocrinologists, our deep understanding of insulin resistance — the metabolic driver of PCOS — positions us uniquely to help. Steven Hamley's PhD research at Deakin University focuses specifically on the pathophysiology of insulin resistance.
Dr Glen Davies, a GP and Fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine, has extensive experience using dietary intervention to improve metabolic health markers — the same markers that drive PCOS symptoms.
We work alongside your GP or specialist, not in place of them. Our role is to provide the nutritional expertise and coaching support that most medical consultations don't have time for.
Further Reading
Insulin Resistance: The Root Cause
Understanding the metabolic dysfunction behind PCOS, diabetes, and more.
Sustainable Weight Loss
How our low carb approach helps with the weight gain common in PCOS.
The Hidden Cause of Chronic Illness
How insulin resistance silently drives disease — often for decades.
Menopause & Nutrition
Women with PCOS face unique challenges during menopause transition.
Take Control of Your PCOS
PCOS doesn't have to define your life. Book a free 15-minute consultation to discuss your symptoms and find out how dietary changes can make a real difference.