Researchers studied 200 women with PCOS (a common hormone condition) to see if eating inflammatory foods made their symptoms worse. They found that women who ate more pro-inflammatory foods—like processed items and sugary snacks—had higher blood sugar levels, more body inflammation, and imbalanced hormones compared to those eating less inflammatory diets. This suggests that choosing anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains might help manage PCOS symptoms, though more research is needed to prove this works long-term.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether eating foods that cause inflammation in the body makes PCOS symptoms and hormone problems worse in women
  • Who participated: 200 women aged 18-48 years old who have been diagnosed with PCOS using standard medical criteria. The average age was about 38 years, and participants had a healthy average weight
  • Key finding: Women who ate more inflammatory foods had significantly higher blood sugar levels, more inflammation markers in their blood, and more imbalanced hormones (like testosterone and FSH) compared to women eating less inflammatory diets
  • What it means for you: If you have PCOS, eating less inflammatory foods (like processed snacks, sugary drinks, and fried foods) and more anti-inflammatory foods (like vegetables, fruits, fish, and whole grains) may help improve your blood sugar control and reduce inflammation. However, this study shows a connection, not proof that changing your diet will definitely help—more research is needed

The Research Details

This was a cross-sectional study, which means researchers looked at a group of people at one point in time rather than following them over months or years. The 200 women with PCOS completed a detailed food questionnaire about what they ate, and researchers measured their blood sugar, cholesterol, inflammation markers, and hormone levels. They used a scoring system called the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) to rate how inflammatory each person’s diet was—higher scores meant more inflammatory foods.

The researchers used statistical methods to look for connections between diet scores and health markers while accounting for other factors that might affect results, like age, weight, exercise, and smoking. This approach helps isolate the effect of diet from other lifestyle factors.

Understanding how diet affects PCOS is important because PCOS involves chronic inflammation and hormone imbalances that can lead to serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease. If diet plays a significant role, it offers women a practical way to manage their condition through food choices rather than relying only on medication. This type of study is a good first step to identify potential dietary interventions worth testing in longer-term studies.

This study has several strengths: it used a validated food questionnaire, measured multiple relevant health markers, and adjusted for confounding factors. However, because it’s cross-sectional, it only shows associations at one point in time and cannot prove that diet causes the health changes—people eating inflammatory diets might have other lifestyle differences. The study was published in a reputable journal (Scientific Reports), which suggests it met quality standards. The relatively large sample size of 200 participants strengthens the findings.

What the Results Show

The main finding was clear: women whose diets scored higher on the inflammatory scale had worse health markers across multiple areas. Their fasting blood sugar was significantly higher, meaning their bodies had more trouble controlling glucose. They also had elevated inflammation markers in their blood (measured by hs-CRP and ESR), indicating more systemic inflammation throughout their bodies.

Hormone levels also differed significantly. Women eating more inflammatory diets had higher levels of FSH and LH (the hormones that control the ovaries), which are already imbalanced in PCOS. These hormonal imbalances are a core feature of PCOS and contribute to irregular periods and fertility problems.

The researchers found these associations remained significant even after accounting for age, body weight, smoking, exercise level, and total calories consumed. This suggests the inflammatory nature of the diet itself—not just overall calorie intake or weight—matters for these health markers.

Beyond the main findings, the study noted that inflammatory diet patterns were associated with worsened lipid profiles (cholesterol and triglycerides), which are already problematic in many PCOS patients. The study also confirmed that PCOS itself is characterized by chronic inflammation, supporting the idea that anti-inflammatory approaches might be beneficial. The researchers noted that the average participant had a relatively healthy weight (BMI of 24.4), suggesting that even lean women with PCOS show these inflammatory patterns when eating inflammatory diets.

This research builds on previous studies showing that the Dietary Inflammatory Index is linked to various metabolic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. However, this is one of the first studies specifically examining how the DII relates to PCOS-specific hormonal and inflammatory markers. The findings align with existing knowledge that PCOS involves chronic inflammation and that diet can influence inflammation levels. The study supports growing evidence that anti-inflammatory dietary approaches may benefit PCOS management, though previous research on this topic has been limited.

The biggest limitation is that this study only captures one moment in time—it cannot prove that eating inflammatory foods causes worse PCOS symptoms, only that they’re associated. People eating inflammatory diets might have other unhealthy habits not measured in the study. The study doesn’t tell us what happens when people change their diets—we’d need a long-term study where some women eat anti-inflammatory diets and others don’t to prove causation. Additionally, the study relied on women’s memory of what they ate, which can be inaccurate. The findings may not apply to all PCOS patients, particularly those with different body weights or ethnic backgrounds.

The Bottom Line

If you have PCOS, consider reducing inflammatory foods (processed foods, added sugars, fried items, refined grains) and increasing anti-inflammatory foods (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fatty fish, nuts, olive oil). This dietary approach appears to support better blood sugar control and reduced inflammation based on this research. However, this is a moderate-strength recommendation since the study shows association rather than proof of benefit. Consult with your doctor or a registered dietitian before making major dietary changes, especially if you’re taking PCOS medications.

This research is most relevant for women with diagnosed PCOS who want to manage their condition through diet. It may also interest women at risk for PCOS or those with metabolic syndrome. Healthcare providers treating PCOS should consider discussing anti-inflammatory dietary approaches with their patients. This research is less directly applicable to people without PCOS, though anti-inflammatory diets have general health benefits for everyone.

Don’t expect overnight results. Changes in blood sugar control and inflammation markers typically take 4-12 weeks to become measurable. Hormonal changes may take longer—often 3-6 months to see meaningful shifts in FSH, LH, and testosterone levels. Regular monitoring with your doctor can help track progress.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your daily Dietary Inflammatory Index score by logging foods consumed. Note which meals and snacks increase your score (more inflammatory) versus decrease it (more anti-inflammatory). Aim to reduce your daily DII score by 10-20% each week and monitor how you feel—energy levels, bloating, period regularity—alongside the score changes.
  • Start by identifying your top 5 most inflammatory foods you eat regularly and replace each with an anti-inflammatory alternative. For example: swap white bread for whole grain, sugary drinks for herbal tea, processed snacks for nuts and seeds, fried foods for baked or grilled options, and refined oils for olive oil. Make one swap per week to build sustainable habits.
  • Use the app to log meals daily and track your DII score weekly. Set reminders to check in on PCOS-related symptoms (period regularity, energy, bloating, mood) every two weeks. After 8-12 weeks, review your dietary patterns and symptom changes to see if reducing inflammatory foods correlates with symptom improvement. Share this data with your healthcare provider at your next visit.

This research shows an association between inflammatory diets and worse PCOS markers, but does not prove that changing your diet will improve your PCOS. This study is observational and cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships. Before making significant dietary changes, especially if you take medications for PCOS or other conditions, consult with your doctor or a registered dietitian. This information is educational and should not replace professional medical advice. Individual results may vary, and what works for one person may not work for another.