PCOS affects a major part of a menstruating person’s life than many of them are aware of. The lack of information about the condition and the reluctance of people to talk about the matter makes it worse. As we kick off World PCOS Awareness Month, we try to understand the proper repercussions and the best ways to manage your periods. As science progresses each day, many women have taken the initiative to further the research on PCOS and the reproductive health of women. We spoke to Dr Prarthana Shah, a doctor who specialised in preventative CVD medicine and an Integrative Health Coach to get a better understanding of the vital role nutrition plays in a woman’s reproductive cycle.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder affecting millions of women worldwide. Characterized by irregular menstrual cycles, excess androgen production, and the presence of cysts on the ovaries, PCOS can lead to a range of health issues, including infertility, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and endometrial cancer.

Role of Nutrition in PCOS Management

A balanced diet plays a crucial role in managing PCOS symptoms and reducing the risk of associated health complications. By focusing on nutrient-dense foods and avoiding certain triggers, women with PCOS can significantly improve their overall well-being.

According to Dr. Prarthana, “The first thing is B12. So, a common deficiency, even otherwise, which can affect a woman's hormonal balance, because it helps regulate your hair length, and so it's important to make sure that you're getting enough B12.” There are important nutrients that women must have for healthy menstrual cycles.

• Vitamin B12: Essential for hormonal balance, hair health, and regular menstruation.
• Vitamin D: Helps regulate hormones, supports ovarian function, and improves insulin sensitivity.
• Iron: Crucial for preventing anaemia, which is common during menstruation.
• Electrolytes: Help maintain fluid balance and prevent fatigue.
• Amino acids: Provide building blocks for proteins and support overall health.

Dietary Recommendations for PCOS

As Dr Prarthana mentioned, the key nutrients that women lack are the reason why their periods might be irregular and make it difficult for them to handle it. She suggested that it's essential to prioritize a nutrient-rich diet. Focus on consuming whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Minimize your intake of processed foods, sugary drinks, processed meats, and refined carbohydrates, as these can contribute to inflammation and hormonal imbalances. Consider limiting or avoiding dairy products, as they may contain hormones that can disrupt your hormonal regulation.

She also emphasised the importance of seasonal fruits. While many people have expressed their reservations with cross-contamination and germs from fruits she says, “You have to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables. Greens and salad leaves, all of these things for vitamin B12. Now, of course, there will be some vendors that cut it up. So, don't buy it from there. one tip I personally suggest is that I use something called Veggie Wash where I wash my salad leaves in that at home. You can also wash it with salt or apple cider vinegar.”

When enjoying seasonal fruits and vegetables, be mindful of potential contamination from vendors who cut and sell them. Wash them thoroughly at home to ensure safety. Finally, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day to support overall health and prevent dehydration.

Lifestyle changes you should make for PCOS

According to Dr Prarthana, your lifestyle plays a really important role in PCOS, “So, I know most women, even though they regularly exercise, I mean the ones that do, also kind of skip it during the period and that is the wrong thing to do, ideally.”

She also expresses how much it actually helps with period pains and relief for women, “It's okay. You should go and do some sort of exercise. Go for a walk. It could be lighter if you're, you know, tired. But something in some form of movement, maybe yoga, stretching, whatever works for each person depending on how much pain they have. It really opens up the muscles and gives you relief.”

Other changes include,

• Manage stress: Practice stress-reduction techniques like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing.
• Prioritize sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night.
• Consider supplements: Consult with a healthcare professional about potential supplements, such as vitamin D and iron, to address specific deficiencies.

Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan recently opened up about the diagnosis of his 2-year-old daughter with Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip.

Varun, who welcomed his daughter Lara in 2024 along with his wife, Natasha Dalal, shared that the condition affected her ability to walk and run normally.

In a recent episode of Be A Man, Yaar!, Varun noted that the toddler’s condition was diagnosed when she was around one-and-a-half years old.

"My daughter was diagnosed with DDH, in which the hip slips out of the hip socket. Ek pair lamba chota hojaata hai jiski wajah se walk tedi hojaati hai (One leg becomes shorter than the other, which causes an uneven limp while walking). You can't walk or run properly," he said.

The Badrinath Ki Dulhania actor noted that Lara did not need surgery, but underwent a procedure that put her hip back.

“But she had to be in a spica cast. That means she had to be in a cast for 2.5 months. Which is extremely difficult. To put her under anesthesia, and then she woke up in a cast. Now the cast is out,” he said, adding that the baby is now in recovery.

The Border 2 actor said he chose to speak about Lara’s diagnosis to raise awareness among parents. He urged them to closely observe their children’s movements and consult a paediatrician if they notice anything unusual.

Also read: US FDA Approves Drug To Treat Rare Childhood Syndrome

What Is DDH? How Can It Be Diagnosed?

The UK NHS explains that Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a condition where the "ball and socket" joint of the hip does not properly form in babies and young children.

The congenital multifactoral disease has about a 30 per cent increased risk if a family member is affected.

The hip joint typically connects the thigh bone (femur) to the pelvis. Its upper end, called the femoral head, is shaped like a ball and fits into a cup-like socket in the hip.

However, in children born with DDH, this socket is not deep enough to securely hold the femoral head, resulting in an unstable joint.

Also read: Child Deaths Fall In India Since 2000 But Progress Slows, Says UN Report

In more severe cases, the ball can slip out of the socket completely, leading to dislocation.

DDH may affect 1 or both hips, and is more common in:

• girls
• firstborn children
• families where there have been childhood hip problems
• babies born in the breech position

While some babies born with a dislocated hip will show no outward signs, common signs to look includes:

• Legs of different lengths
• Uneven skin folds on the thigh
• Less mobility or flexibility on one side
• Limping, toe walking, or a waddling gait

DDH: Is The Condition Treatable

Early detection is helpful and boosts treatment. When detected at birth, DDH can usually be corrected with the use of a harness or brace.

In cases where the hip is not dislocated at birth, the condition may not be noticed until the child begins walking. In such cases, treatment may be more complicated, with less predictable results.

Many women silently accept certain health issues as a normal part of life. However, many of these symptoms, such as painful menses and fatigue, can indicate underlying medical conditions that need attention. So, women shouldn’t neglect their health and seek timely help. Dr Payal Narang, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospital, Pune, in an interview with Health and Me, spoke about the health problems that women often normalise, but that can become catastrophic in the long run.

Read more: Three Health Checks Every Woman Should Do Each Month, According To Experts

Women often juggle multiple responsibilities that include work, family, and household duties and neglect their own health. They are busy due to professional and personal life commitments and often fail to go for regular health check-ups. Moreover, they also experience menstrual problems and ignore symptoms such as painful periods, constant fatigue, heavy menstrual bleeding, and urinary leakage after childbirth. Women should consult a doctor instead of normalising these symptoms, which can delay diagnosis and treatment of important health issues. Paying attention to these signs and seeking medical advice can help women maintain better health and quality of life.

Concerning symptoms that women shouldn’t ignore at all

1. Painful menses that can interfere with the daily routine: Many women believe that severe menstrual pain is a natural part of having periods. Period pain is unavoidable. While mild cramps can be common, intense pain that interferes with daily activities may indicate conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids, or hormonal imbalance that need prompt treatment. Persistent pain should be evaluated by a doctor.
2. Fatigue: Feeling tired sometimes is normal, especially due to hectic schedules or traveling. However, constant fatigue that does not improve with rest may raise the chances of anemia, thyroid problems, nutritional deficiencies, or even stress. So, beware and pay attention to the symptoms.
3. Heavy menstrual bleeding: So, if bleeding lasts more than 7-8 days, requires frequent pad changes, or causes weakness and dizziness, it can be due to hormonal imbalance or fibroids. Heavy bleeding can also increase the risk of anemia if left untreated. So, address this problem with the help of an expert.
4. Urinary leakage after childbirth: Urinary leakage after childbirth is a concerning problem quietly accepted by women due to fear of being ridiculed, embarrassment, judgment, or shame. This can take a toll on the woman’s emotional well-being. She will avoid socializing due to the fear of leakage. It is commonly seen in a large number of women because of weakened pelvic floor muscles after childbirth. Various options, such as pelvic floor exercises, physiotherapy, and medical guidance, can help women to manage this condition and improve their quality of life.

Women, listening to the body, don’t just Google and try any remedies on your own. It is necessary to follow expert-recommended guidelines for tackling these problems.

Long considered a standard tool for assessing body weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) may not be as reliable as once believed. A new study shows that relying on BMI can incorrectly classify people as overweight or obese.

When a team of Italian researchers used the gold standard technique of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure body fat in the general population, they found that the traditional WHO-approved BMI classification system misidentified a significant number of people as having overweight or obesity.

How Is The BMI Wrong?

A total of 1,351 adults of mixed gender aged between 18 and 98 years were checked for their body weight using the DXA system.

The results, published in the journal Nutrients, revealed that more than one-third (34 percent) of those with obesity defined by BMI had been misclassified and should be in the overweight category.

For those with an overweight BMI, DXA showed that more than half – 53 percent – had been misclassified – three quarters of those misclassified fall into the normal weight category, while the other quarter should have been classified as having obesity.

The DXA analysis found that the prevalence of overweight and obesity across the cohort was around 37 percent overall (23.4 percent overweight, and 13.2 percent obesity, compared to 26.2 percent and 14.1 percent with BMI).

“In the past few years, there has been a lot of criticism of the BMI system due to its inability to accurately capture body fat percentage or distribution, to correctly categorise weight status based on adiposity,” said Professor Marwan El Ghoch, of the Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.

Also read: Your BMI Does Not Reflect Your Health: New Study Warns How It Misses A Key Health Aspect

Despite these concerns, BMI as a weight classification system continues to be used in the general population in primary healthcare (i.e., general practitioners) and non-clinical (i.e., policy and health insurance) settings, he added.

The researchers urged revising public health guidelines to consider combining direct body composition or their surrogate measures, such as skinfold measurement or body circumference, with the waist-to-height ratio, with BMI, while assessing weight status in the general population.

Waist-to-Height Ratio May Be More Accurate: The India Story

In January 2025, India revamped its obesity guidelines, and the new approach focused on abdominal obesity and comorbid diseases, rather than just BMI.

According to the redefining team, it was essential to move beyond BMI-only approaches to tackle the ever-growing number of people related to other major health risks. They stated that while BMI can be a screening tool, obesity must be defined by body fat.

“BMI should be used for screening purposes, but obesity should be confirmed ideally by a measure of body fat wherever feasible, or another measure such as waist circumference, WHR, or Waist-to-height ratio,” Dr. Naval Vikram, Professor of Medicine, at AIIMS, New Delhi, was quoted as saying to IANS at the time.

Also read: 41 million children aged 5-19 living with high BMI in India: Study

What Do The New Guidelines Say

It recognizes abdominal fat — closely linked to insulin resistance — as a key factor in the diagnosis. It integrates the presence of comorbidities — such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease — into the diagnostic process.

The revised guidelines also introduce a two-stage classification system, addressing both generalized and abdominal obesity.

Stage 1 Obesity: Increased adiposity (BMI > 23 kg/m²) without apparent effects on organ functions or routine daily activities.

Stage 2 Obesity: Advanced state of obesity with increased BMI more than 23 kg/2, and abdominal adiposity; excess Waist Circumference or Waist-to-Height Ratio.