She also suggests that other symptoms like low mood, brain fog, fatigue and constipation could be linked to a sluggish thyroid. “Research shows that very low-carb diets may inhibit the conversion of T4 to T3 – an active thyroid hormone,” she explains.

“Low carb is often also low fibre. Women with PCOS are much more likely to have a less diverse microbiome than others, so it’s essential to keep the fibre in to keep our good bugs happy. Plus, pooing is part of how we clear hormones – we definitely want to be going every day,” she adds.

While some in the online community swear that a low-carb protocol is beneficial for PCOS, the science is conflicting. Often, study subjects are unable to complete low-carb trials as they find the protocol unsustainable, and data gathered comes from only a small number of subjects who manage to complete the trial. In a 2005 pilot study, only five subjects managed to complete a six-month study, and in a 2020 study, only 14 subjects completed theirs, which they put down to the restrictive nature of this protocol.

Clinical dietitians have discovered that when it comes to PCOS management, it’s the type of carb that matters. PCOS is an inflammatory disease, and refined sugar and processed carbohydrates can cause inflammation. This can be said of all macronutrient types – processed protein and fat sources can trigger inflammation too.

“I tried a low-carb protocol to improve my PCOS symptoms – and the effects were shocking”