Are Food Intolerances Making Your PCOS Symptoms Worse?

If you’ve ever felt bloated, sluggish or uncomfortable after eating certain foods, you might have wondered whether you have a food intolerance.

For women with PCOS, food sensitivities can be frustrating, not just because they affect digestion, but because they can also flare up hormone symptoms, trigger cravings, and make it harder to stay consistent with healthy eating.

But here’s the thing: food intolerances are rarely the root issue. They’re often a symptom of an imbalanced gut, heightened inflammation, or hormonal disruption, all common in PCOS.

In this blog, we’ll explore why food reactions are so common with PCOS, the difference between an intolerance and an allergy, and what to do if you suspect certain foods are making your symptoms worse.

What Are Food Intolerances?

Food intolerances happen when your digestive system struggles to break down certain ingredients.

This can cause symptoms like:

• Bloating or excess wind

• Constipation or loose stools

• Brain fog or low energy after eating

• Headaches or skin breakouts

• Cravings, irritability, or mood swings

• Sluggish digestion or feeling full for hours

Unlike a true food allergy, which involves the immune system and can be life-threatening, intolerances are usually slower and harder to spot.

They don’t show up on standard allergy tests, which is why many women are told “everything looks normal,” even when they clearly feel worse after eating specific foods.

Why Are Food Intolerances So Common in PCOS?

If you’ve noticed more bloating, discomfort, or reactivity since your PCOS symptoms started, you’re not imagining it.

Women with PCOS often experience underlying gut issues that contribute to food sensitivities, such as:

1. Gut Dysbiosis or SIBO

An imbalanced gut microbiome or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can lead to fermentation of certain foods (especially carbohydrates and fibres), producing gas, bloating and discomfort.

2. Leaky Gut / Increased Intestinal Permeability

Chronic inflammation or stress can weaken the gut lining, allowing larger food particles to pass through and trigger low-grade immune responses.

3. Blood Sugar Imbalance

When insulin is high or blood sugar dips quickly, this can affect digestion, motility and how your body handles different types of carbohydrates – making certain foods feel harder to tolerate.

4. Oestrogen Imbalance and Slow Detoxification

Poor oestrogen clearance (common in PCOS) can affect the gut and liver, leading to increased histamine sensitivity or sluggish digestion.

Are Your Food Reactions Making PCOS Symptoms Worse?

Food sensitivities can drive a vicious cycle in PCOS:

• Bloating or gut inflammation may impair nutrient absorption

• Low-grade immune responses can increase overall inflammation, worsening insulin resistance

• Histamine reactivity can contribute to headaches, mood swings, or PMS-type symptoms

• Unpredictable reactions can make meal planning stressful, leading to restricted eating or binge-restrict cycles

This often leaves women feeling stuck, cutting out more and more foods without feeling any better.

How to Identify a Food Intolerance (Without Becoming Over-Restricted)

You don’t need to cut out half your diet to feel better. In fact, the goal is to improve tolerance, not remove more foods.

Here’s where to start:

Step 1: Track Patterns

Keep a simple food and symptom diary for 5–7 days. Look for patterns in bloating, energy dips, headaches, or mood swings 1–24 hours after meals. This can help spot triggers.

Step 2: Start with Gut Foundations

Before eliminating foods, focus on improving gut health with:

• Regular meals that balance blood sugar

• Mindful eating: slowing down, chewing well

• Reducing snacking to support gut motility

• Adding bitter foods (e.g. rocket, lemon, dandelion tea) to support digestion

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Step 3: Consider a Short-Term Food Reset

In some cases, a short trial of removing likely culprits (e.g. gluten, dairy, high-FODMAP foods) can help calm symptoms, but this should be temporary and strategic. The goal is to reintroduce foods once gut health improves.

Step 4: Support the Gut Lining

Key nutrients like L-glutamine, zinc, omega-3s and polyphenols (from berries, turmeric, olive oil) can help reduce inflammation and improve tolerance over time.

Should You Do a Food Intolerance Test?

Food intolerance tests (usually IgG-based) are widely available but can be misleading. They don’t confirm a diagnosis, and high reactivity may simply reflect poor gut barrier function, not a true intolerance.

Instead, a root cause approach looks at why you might be reacting to foods in the first place. Functional testing (e.g. stool tests, SIBO breath tests, or hormone panels) can be more useful when done as part of a full picture.

When to Seek Support

If you feel like your list of “safe” foods is getting smaller or food is becoming a source of anxiety, it’s time to take a step back.

You deserve a plan that helps you feel better without going in circles, or cutting out entire food groups unnecessarily.

Supporting Your Gut and Hormones Together

Food reactions are a sign your body needs support, not punishment. With the right strategy, many women with PCOS are able to reduce sensitivity, expand food choices, and finally feel more at ease in their bodies.

Next Steps

Want to understand what’s behind your food sensitivities and PCOS symptoms?

Download your free Hormone Health Snapshot or book a free 30-minute discovery call to explore personalised support that goes beyond guesswork.

Professional Nutrition Support for PCOS

Sick of cutting out more foods and still feeling bloated or stuck?

Let’s chat. Book your free PCOS strategy call to explore how we can support your gut and hormones – without restriction.

As a BANT registered nutritionist and hormone health coach, I specialise in helping women with PCOS rebalance hormones, reduce bloating and overcome food reactivity using a root-cause, food-first approach. I work online with women locally in Manchester and across the UK.

My 12-week Hormone Shift Method combines practical nutrition and optional testing to give you clarity and confidence – without extreme diets or generic plans.

Updated in June 2025 to reflect new PCOS research and nutrition strategies.

Please note: This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individual medical advice.