Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are twice as likely to have a cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke than a healthy person. Some of the factors responsible for increasing your chances of developing heart disease are high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
You may know that women with PCOS have high blood pressure and are at risk of diabetes, but what about cholesterol? Do women with PCOS also have high cholesterol levels? This is the question I am answering today!
This post will answer your questions about cholesterol and PCOS, including whether or not PCOS causes high cholesterol, what the different types of cholesterol are, and how you can naturally lower your cholesterol and find relief from your symptoms. Here’s the link between PCOS and cholesterol:
Can PCOS Cause High Cholesterol?
Yes, PCOS can cause high cholesterol. Though cholesterol has its purpose in the body creating cell membranes, hormones, and vitamin D, too much is never a good thing. Excess triglyceride cholesterol (bad cholesterol) can collect in your arteries restricting blood flow, and creating blocks that lead to strokes, heart attacks, and peripheral arterial disease.
It goes without saying, but high cholesterol is definitely something a Cyster will want to monitor. You can determine your lipid profile, which is the amount of good, bad, and total cholesterol in your body using a PCOS blood test. If you do find you have high levels of bad cholesterol, here’s how your PCOS is may be causing these spikes:
Does PCOS Affect High Cholesterol?
Many women with PCOS are naturally insulin resistant. (This depends on your PCOS type, which you can figure out here.) When someone is insulin resistant, it’s difficult for their bodies to maintain healthy glucose levels. This may lead to a build up of insulin in the body, and, eventually, weight gain.
Without the proper management techniques, excess belly fat accumulates. This type of fat around the abdomen then can cause higher levels of bad cholesterol (triglycerides) and lower levels of good cholesterol (high density lipoprotein or HDL.) Then, the surplus of cholesterol has nowhere to go and can’t be broken down quickly enough, so it sticks to your arteries, restricting blood flow to your heart.
How To Lower Cholesterol If You Have PCOS?
Those high triglycerides stem from higher levels of insulin. So, insulin resistance is the root cause that needs mending. A Cyster’s low insulin sensitivity doesn’t only lead to cholesterol issues, but also high blood pressure and the risk of type 2 diabetes. Further increasing a Cyster’s chances of developing cardiovascular disease.
Luckily, there is a management plan that doesn’t involve a bunch of harsh medical procedures or medications. Here’s what you can do to naturally help drop pounds, lower triglyceride levels, and raise HDL numbers:
Exercise.
Regular physical activity has been shown to raise helpful HDL cholesterol while lowering damaging triglyceride cholesterol. However, if you’re a Cyster who’s tried to workout again and again and has seen NO results, you’re not alone. Hormonal issues related to PCOS can make losing weight feel impossible.
Luckily, specific workouts that keep your heart rate low will produce better results. You can read more about that here. Beneficial workouts for Cysters looking to lower their cholesterol and lose weight include slow weighted workouts, yoga, pilates, light cardio, and walking.
Reduce alcohol consumption and quit smoking.
Most drinks are full of carbs—especially red wine and beer. Carbohydrates are sugars that break down quickly and raise your insulin levels. Additionally, alcohol can disrupt your sleep, and that also raises insulin levels.
And, as for smoking, the chemicals in cigarette smoke damage your blood vessels and cause bad cholesterol to build up. Because of this, smokers are 2-4 times more likely to develop heart disease. Ditching the cigarettes can definitely help get those cholesterol levels where they need to be.
Smoking and alcohol use have other negative effects on our PCOS bodies as well, so stopping or reducing your intake of these harmful substances should help lower your cholesterol and alleviate other PCOS symptoms too.
Eat the right foods.
Finally, eating the right foods can help lower bad cholesterol. The food we eat holds so much power, and the right diet can be the key to reversing the symptoms of PCOS. What we put in our stomachs affects everything in our bodies from our hormone levels to our insulin sensitivity. Below, I’ve summarized the best diet for high cholesterol and PCOS:
The Best Diet for High Cholesterol and PCOS
The foods we eat should be beneficial to us. Intentional food choices can help relieve SO many symptoms of PCOS including high cholesterol. The best foods for Cysters with PCOS and high cholesterol include:
- Foods low in saturated fats and trans fats: Both of these types of fat cause your bad cholesterol levels to rise. Red meat, dairy products, and store-bought packaged snacks are usually high in saturated and / or trans fats and should be avoided.
- Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids: Foods like salmon, chia seeds, kidney beans, and flaxseeds are high in omega-3s that help reduce triglycerides, keep arteries clear, regulate heart rate, and even lower blood pressure.
- Foods with soluble fiber: Soluble fiber helps break down and remove bad cholesterol from the body. You can find soluble fiber in lots of foods like legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
- Foods free of dairy and gluten: Both dairy and gluten can contribute to insulin resistance and other negative PCOS symptoms. Going gluten and dairy free may be very beneficial for your cholesterol and overall PCOS management.
If this feels overwhelming, I completely understand. Many Cysters feel like they don’t know where to start, but they know they need to do something. That’s why I created The Cysterhood.
There, you can join others working towards the same goals as you, and you’ll get regular PCOS-friendly workouts and a delicious meal plan that can help you lower cholesterol and improve many of your debilitating PCOS symptoms.
PCOS can cause high cholesterol, but lifestyle changes can help reduce your risk.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) affects so much in our bodies. Sometimes it can feel like you’re totally out of control, but hang tight. Though there is no cure for PCOS, you can heal and feel whole again. Check out my blog and podcast to get the info you need to naturally remedy your PCOS. You can do this! Just, don’t do it alone. Join our community, and let’s do this thing together.
