Improvement Seen in Reproductive Hormone Levels With Keto Diet in PCOS

THURSDAY, Sept. 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), following a ketogenic diet is associated with significant improvement in reproductive hormone levels, according to research published online Sept. 7 in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

Karniza Khalid, M.B.B.S., from the National Institutes of Health in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and colleagues pooled evidence from clinical trials to examine the effects of a ketogenic diet on reproductive hormones (luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, free testosterone, serum progesterone) as well as evidence of change in weight.

The researchers found that among women with PCOS, there was significant improvement in reproductive hormone levels following 45 days or more of a ketogenic diet intervention, with a reduced luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, reduced serum free testosterone, and an increase in serum sex hormone-binding globulin. In all included studies, significant weight loss was observed.

"We found an association between the ketogenic diet and an improvement in reproductive hormone levels, which influence fertility, in women with PCOS," Khalid said in a statement. "These findings have important clinical implications, especially for endocrinologists, gynecologists, and dieticians who, in addition to medical treatment, should carefully plan and customize individual diet recommendations for women with PCOS."

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