Читать книгу The Ultimate PCOS Handbook: Lose weight, boost fertility, clear skin and restore self-esteem - Theresa Cheung - Страница 83

There are bad fats that can increase your risk of health complications due to PCOS, and good fats that can protect you from the symptoms of PCOS.

Saturated fats are the ‘bad’ fats found in dairy products and red meat. These animal fats are bad for us because they contain unhealthy prostaglandins (which can trigger blood-clotting) and hormones and antibiotics that can upset your digestive, immune and hormonal systems. If that weren’t enough, saturated fats can cause weight gain, interfere with the absorption of other nutrients and stimulate oestrogen production.

You also need to avoid hydrogenated fats and oils in the form of fried, oxidized or trans fats found in margarines, vegetable shortenings and many processed foods and fast food snacks as well as cakes, sweets and biscuits. These vegetable oils contain transfatty acids that can increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease.⁹

But you shouldn’t avoid fat altogether – because the right fats can protect your health.

Unsaturated fats¹⁰ (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated) have a protective effect on the heart and are found in olive oil and foods such as avocado, but the most beneficial fats for women with PCOS are the Omega 3 essential fats and, to a lesser extent, the Omega 6 fats. You can find both these fats in oily fish, nuts and seeds. Every single cell in your body needs these essential fats (EFAs) to maintain the cell wall so it’s flexible enough to take in nutrients and push out toxins. They are also crucial for hormone balance, weight-management and fertility.

EFAs help protect your heart by helping your body make the healthy kind of prostaglandins that can help reduce the risk of blood-clotting. (Some experts also believe that, as EFAs are needed in your cell membranes, they don’t travel to fat cells in your bum and thighs because your body uses them.) A diet low in EFAs can make PCOS symptoms worse and increase the risk of insulin resistance, weight gain and heart disease.¹¹ This is because EFAs delay the passage of carbohydrates in your system and keep blood sugar levels stable and insulin levels down. EFAs are without doubt one of the best blood sugar-stabilizers, and as you’re well aware a stable blood sugar means a reduction in symptoms and less likelihood of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and even depression.

A low-fat diet is wrong for women with PCOS – we need fat. But, as with carbohydrates, we need to make sure we’re eating the right kind.