Turkish Yoghurt and PCOS Management
Turkish yoghurt can be included as part of a balanced diet for PCOS, but no specific food—including Turkish yoghurt—has proven superior for PCOS management; what matters is achieving overall caloric reduction and weight loss if overweight. 1
The Evidence on Specific Foods in PCOS
The 2020 International Evidence-Based Guideline for PCOS definitively establishes that no specific dietary composition or individual food type provides selective advantages for managing PCOS. 1 Multiple RCTs comparing high-protein, high-carbohydrate, and DASH diets showed no significant differences in anthropometric, metabolic, fertility, or quality of life outcomes—the key finding was that any diet aimed at reducing weight benefited women with PCOS, regardless of macronutrient composition. 1
Why Turkish Yoghurt Isn't Specifically Recommended
The guideline explicitly states that "assertions that specific dietary composition has selective long-term advantages at this stage appear to be unjustified," based on systematic reviews showing no benefit of any one diet type in the general population or PCOS specifically. 1
Emphasis should be on individual preferences and cultural needs while maintaining a balanced, healthy dietary composition to achieve energy intake reduction for weight loss. 1
No research evidence exists specifically evaluating Turkish yoghurt (or any specific yoghurt type) for PCOS outcomes. 1
What Actually Works: The Evidence-Based Approach
For women with PCOS who have overweight or obesity, aim for an energy deficit of 30% or 500-750 kcal/day (approximately 1,200-1,500 kcal/day based on individual requirements). 2
Key Dietary Principles That Matter
Weight loss of even 5-10% in those with excess weight yields significant clinical improvements in both metabolic and reproductive abnormalities. 2, 3
Follow general healthy eating principles across the life course, avoiding unduly restrictive or nutritionally unbalanced diets. 2
Any balanced dietary approach that reduces energy intake is acceptable—Mediterranean diet, DASH, ketogenic diet, or others—as long as it's sustainable and culturally appropriate. 4, 5, 6
Critical Pitfall to Avoid
Do not focus on specific "superfoods" or individual dietary components (like Turkish yoghurt, specific proteins, or particular carbohydrates) at the expense of overall caloric management and sustainable dietary patterns. 1 This is a common mistake driven by consumer-targeted misinformation about PCOS. 1
Practical Integration of Turkish Yoghurt
If Turkish yoghurt fits your cultural preferences and helps you maintain a balanced, calorie-appropriate diet, include it. 1, 2 Turkish yoghurt is typically high in protein and can be part of various healthy dietary patterns, but it offers no unique PCOS-specific benefits beyond its nutritional composition as a dairy product. 1
The priority is achieving and maintaining weight loss through any sustainable dietary approach that creates an energy deficit, combined with at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity physical activity. 2, 5