4 Foods that Lower Testosterone in Women with PCOS

One of the common symptoms of PCOS is excess androgen or male sex hormones. Testosterone is the main androgen that seems to be out of balance in women with PCOS.

Higher levels of testosterone in women can cause acne, hair loss, excessive hair growth, and irregular periods. Just what every woman wants to deal with!

If you are a fellow PCOS cyster then you more than likely are dealing with higher than normal testosterone levels for a female.

How do you know if testosterone is to blame for your symptoms?

Testosterone in women is responsible for ovarian function, bone strength, and normal libido. You need a proper balance for the ovaries to work normally. But if your testosterone levels are too high, that’s when you can start to experience symptoms like irregular periods, excess facial hair, male pattern baldness, weight gain, depression and anxiety.

The best way to determine if your testosterone levels is to blame is to have your doctor run some basic blood work.

These are the tests that your doctor should be ordering and evaluating:

Total Testosterone -normal ranges should be 8-48 ng/dL

Free Testosterone - normal ranges should be 1-6 pg/mL or <21 pmol/L

DHEA-S - normal ranges should be based on your age.

Here are some guidelines:

• To age 29 <380 µg/dL

• ages 30-39 <270 µg/dL

• ages 40-49 <240 µg/dL

Sex binding hormones (SHBG)- normal ranges should be 18-144 nmol/L.

If your doctor won’t run the tests, or you don’t want to deal with going to the doctor’s and work with insurance there are at-home tests that are very reliable like this one from EverlyWell.

These tests will help you determine if you have excess androgen and give you a baseline. Having a baseline is important so you can then compare results once you start introducing new treatments. Comparing results will allow to see if you are making progress and if your methods are moving things in the right direction. You won’t know if you don’t track!

Want help talking to your doctor and navigating how to get treated properly? Then this guide is for you!

So, the real question is how do you lower your testosterone level, and can it be done naturally?

At least that is what I wanted to know. My elevated level of testosterone was causing me to suffer from painful, cystic acne. It was especially severe around my jawline and neck. I never knew what it was like to have clear, beautiful skin (at least until now)!

What a lot of women don’t know is that acne is one of the earliest warnings signs of hormonal imbalance particularly PCOS.

So if you have persistent acne that won’t go away, you need to advocate for more tests to be done. Acne is a symptom of inflammation in the body.

If you are looking for ways to heal your acne naturally, check out my natural remedies! Don’t let acne control you and fade your smile.

After doing my research and due diligence, like I always do, I discovered that I could in fact lower my testosterone levels naturally!! Whoop!! Whoop!!

The best way to manage and lower testosterone is with food.

How easy it that? And the great news is that these foods won’t cause you any unpleasant side effects like typical prescription meds.

Here are the foods that lower androgens naturally. Bon appétit!

1.      Almonds and walnuts

These nuts are powerhouses. They are sources of healthy fats, which will keep you satiated longer and are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids.  

In fact research shows that nuts can benefit women with PCOS. On study looked at women with PCOS who ate either walnuts or almonds for 6 weeks. The results found that walnuts helped increase sex binding hormones (SHBG) which helps to bind free testosterone in the body (this is a good thing- you don’t want excess testosterone floating around). Almonds also helped women with PCOS by decreasing free androgen levels.

Almonds and walnuts can easily be incorporated into your diet when you are looking to nosh on something. Nuts are also extremely portable and great for on the go snacks. I always keep some in a Ziploc bag in my purse. That way I don’t have to make bad choices if I’m out and get hungry. Plus I am reaping the benefits!

Plan on having a serving of one ounce daily of the raw variety.

If they are covered in toppings, sugars, or coatings stay away; these kinds won’t help you. It is okay if they are roasted and salted though.

2.      Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds are chock full of Omega-3 fatty acids and fiber-both soluble and insoluble. They are also known to have powerful anti-androgen effects.

The easiest way to incorporate flaxseeds into your diet is to buy flaxseed meal and add a scoop to smoothies, oatmeal, soups, etc. You can even make a flax egg and use it as an egg substitute when you are baking. I have tried this and it works well.

You can pretty much add it to anything you want. It doesn’t real change the taste of what you are eating.

I personally like and use Bob’s Red Mill. Add a scoop to your foods daily and you will start to reap the benefits.

The suggested serving size is about 1 to 2 tablespoons a day of ground flaxseed. This is not a lot and can be easily done.

Flaxseed meal does go bad quickly because of its high fat content. So it best to store it the refrigerator or freezer. I would recommend to use it quickly and to buy it in small quantities. Just buy more once you use it up.

*Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not consume flaxseeds. Raw flaxseeds contain trace amounts of cyanide. There are also conflicting studies about whether flaxseeds can be helpful or harmful to a growing fetus.

3.      Spearmint tea 

This herbal tea has proven anti-androgen effects for women with PCOS.

How much spearmint tea to lower testosterone?

Studies show that women who drank spearmint tea twice a day for 30 days noticed a reduction in free and total testosterone levels.

Looking for a good option? Try this one!  It is important that you choose a brand that is unsweetened.

Spearmint tea can be enjoyed hot or cold based on your preference.

Spearmint also helps with bloating, another annoying PCOS symptom.

If you are someone who struggles with anxiety, another added benefit is that it will help calm you. This tea will not only help reduce your testosterone, but it will also relax you. That’s what I’m talking about! Sings “Let's give them something to talk about”. I love music and songs just pop into my head all the time. 😊

*Women who are breastfeeding should hold off on spearmint tea until they are done breastfeeding because it can decrease milk supply.

4.      Fish

Fatty fish are excellent foods that lower testosterone in females.

The fish that you should include are salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, and sardines. These types of fish are, you guessed it, high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Fish high in Omega-3 are foods that lower testosterone levels.

Try to get wild caught when eating fish because farm raised are pumped full of antibiotics and hormones. Yes, wild caught will cost you a little more but you are what you eat eats!

It is recommended to try to eat these fish 2 times a week.

*Women who are pregnant should incorporate fish into their diet but they must avoid fish high in mercury like tuna, mackerel, swordfish, and others.

When it comes to PCOS, diet can play a huge role in managing your symptoms and even reversing them especially if you follow these 6 PCOS diet rules! Don’t underestimate the value of natural methods of control. Testosterone is one of the many hormones that can be influenced by the choices you make at meal time. It is time to take charge of your health!

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