Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) struggle with a number of challenging chronic symptoms. These negative side effects can make day-to-day life with PCOS really difficult. So, finding ways to heal your body naturally is an essential piece to reversing your symptoms and getting back on track.

One of the most common recurring problems in women with PCOS is poor gut health, which can cause a cycle of irritating symptoms. Inflammatory foods are often the culprit to ongoing gut issues, that’s why I always suggest trying the gluten and dairy free lifestyle for at least 30 days to see how you feel and if it helps improve symptoms.

The cycle goes like this: Poor gut health from food, stress, insulin resistance, and bacterial imbalances lead to inflammation. This inflammation overworks your adrenal system, which produces extra hormones that increase glucose levels and insulin resistance. With all that, you get headaches, joint pain, weight gain, fatigue, and bloating. That last one can cause a lot of pain and discomfort throughout your whole day!

So, today, we’re discussing how you can relieve turmoil in your gut that leads to gas, bloating, and more irritating digestive problems. I’ll walk you through my favorite natural supplements for managing gut health, and then I’ll go into some lifestyle tips to keep bloating at bay. Here’s how to fight the bloat and start feeling better:

10 Best Supplements For Bloating And Gut Health with PCOS

Probiotics

Probiotics supplementation is probably the #1 way most women find success treating gut issues. A good probiotic will include a blend of different probiotic strains that help kill bad bacteria and promote the growth of good bacteria in your gut. This can help a lot with digestion and give you relief from your worst GI symptoms.

Ginger 

Ginger has been used to heal tummy troubles for centuries. Not only can it help reduce the feeling of nausea, but studies show that ginger can help quicken the movement of food through your digestive tract. It also appears to protect the gut and prevent bloating, cramping, and gas. To this day, it’s still a great remedy for almost any gut problem! 

L-Glutamine

Our bodies need consistent healthy tissue growth throughout our entire body. In order for our bodies to make tissue, it needs amino acids. L-glutamine is one of those amino acids that helps repair and strengthen the intestinal lining, which helps prevent leaky gut syndrome. 

L-glutamine can also reduce inflammation and balance good/bad bacteria, breaking that cycle of bad symptoms I discussed earlier. All of these things can help reduce bloating and get you back to feeling yourself!

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is the one you get from the sun! Unfortunately, this is a very common deficiency for PCOS women. Because of that, taking a vitamin D supplement is something you should consider. Studies have shown that it can help with a number of issues including inflammation, insulin resistance, mood and digestive problems. Research also finds that vitamin D can help relieve stomach pain, gas, inflammation, and bloating! 

Digestive Enzymes

Your body naturally produces digestive enzymes that help break down food for better digestion. Using a supplement, though, can ensure your body is making enough enzymes to maintain proper digestion if you’re struggling with bloating. These supplements have been shown in some studies to help with bloating, nausea, and indigestion. 

Chamomile

Chamomile is another natural medicine that’s been helping people with their ailments for centuries. Early studies have shown that the anecdotal benefits of chamomile have scientific backing. Researchers and patients alike have found chamomile to help with immune, cardiovascular, and, of course, digestive health.

Plus, it can help lower androgen levels, which is good for gut health as well as regulating the menstrual cycle and improving fertility. One of the best ways to get chamomile is by drinking a tea blend that includes it as well as other hormone-balancing teas! You can try mine called Testosterone Relief Tea!

Psyllium

Bloating is often caused by inflammation and constipation, and a psyllium supplement has been shown to help with both of these. It can also help with other PCOS symptoms like high blood sugar levels, high cholesterol levels, and weight gain. It’s a great source of soluble fiber and can be a great asset to your supplement routine!  

Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the best-known natural supplements for gut health! It’s been shown to promote regular bowel movements, reduce chronic inflammation, prevent leaky gut syndrome, and balance the gut microbiota. There are other PCOS-benefits of magnesium too and it’s included in my MetaMulti vitamin from Ovafit!

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are great for helping you balance your gut microbiota. It helps ensure that there’s diversity in bacteria to improve digestion and strengthen the immune system. It can help reduce inflammation among other PCOS-benefits too. You can find omega-3 supplements in my Metabolism Plus bundle!

Ovasitol

Ovasitol is my favorite supplement for PCOS! It gets to some of the root issues of PCOS including inflammation, insulin resistance, and hormonal imbalance. It can help improve all of those condition to alleviate a host of symptoms including gut and immune health struggles!

How To Reduce PCOS Bloating

Perform slow weighted exercises on a regular basis. 

Exercise is beneficial to our bodies for a lot of reasons. Specifically, women with PCOS using the right workouts can find relief from several symptoms, including digestive troubles. Working out can help gas move through the intestine, which helps reduce bloating. Of course, exercise can also help improve insulin resistance and promote weight loss as well as improved gut health!

Manage your stress levels.

Stress can actually cause bloating. Studies show the excess cortisol your body produces when you get stressed directly impacts your gut and immune system. Plus, it causes inflammation and imbalances in sex hormones, which aren’t good for your digestive system. Practicing self-care, reducing known stressors, and regulating your other PCOS symptoms, can help reduce stress and improve your gut health. 

Drink more water.

Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to decrease bloating and gas. It increases mucus secretion, softens stools, and cuts down on gas, which can help with bloating and constipation. Make sure to get the recommended amount of water each day! 

Avoid gassy foods. 

This one is pretty self-explanatory, and if you’re on our anti-inflammatory, gluten- and dairy-free diet, you’ll already be eliminating food that causes gas. Foods that’ll make you bloat include beans, dairy, gluten, soda, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, and greasy meals. 

Plus a lot of these foods can contribute to high blood sugar and high insulin levels, which many women with PCOS struggle with already. (Discover your PCOS Type HERE.) Consider cutting or reducing some of these foods in your diet and drinking more water to aid with digestion! And, for PCOS-friendly meal plans and recipes, download The Cysterhood app!

Practice mindful eating.

The way we eat can actually affect digestion. Studies have shown that practicing “mindful eating,” which relaxes your body before and during mealtimes, can help relieve common poor gut health symptoms like indigestion, gas, and bloating. Try eating outside, playing music, setting aside enough time to have lunch and making a mindful experience out of it.

This is because when we’re overwhelmed or thinking about other things, our body redirects blood flow away from your GI tract and towards other organs that it thinks needs it more. Mindful eating tells your body it’s time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, so it can be ready to properly digest food. 

Here are some mindful eating tips:

Get your thyroid tested. 

When your thyroid hormones are imbalanced, it can cause constipation, diarrhea, bloating, and more. Hypothyroidism can also affect your reproduction, menstruation, metabolism, and mental health if you have the fourth PCOS type (Thyroid PCOS). To get your thyroid back on track, test your thyroid routinely and talk with your doctor about reversing your thyroid hormone imbalance. You can learn more about the relationship between the two HERE.

You don’t have to live with bloating – you can work to reverse it with these tips! 

Managing PCOS involves finding the source of your symptoms. Reverse your PCOS naturally with us at The Cysterhood. It’s a community of women like you who are working to reverse their polycystic ovarian syndrome and reclaim their life. You can find more information on naturally healing PCOS on our blog and podcast. And, if you want another way to connect, follow me on Insta for everyday tips for living with PCOS. It’s time to join our community, so we can tackle this together!

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