New Delhi, June 6 -- For most of her adult life, Naimita Jagasia felt as though she was fighting her body without ever being given a clear explanation why. She was first diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) as a teenager. It came with little guidance. Over the next 15 years, she sought multiple opinions, only to hear version of the same message: the pain would improve once she got married or had children.

"Nobody really told me what it meant for my body long-term," says Jagasia, now 31. Across doctor appointments in both India and the UK where she studied, she often felt dismissed. Jagasia had always considered herself athletic. Before becoming known for her vegan and allergen-friendly pastry business Ode to Gaia in Mumbai, ...