Dietary interventions in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome: A bibliographic review

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a female endocrinopathy recognized as a heterogeneous disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism and ovulatory dysfunction that leads to fertility problems. In addition, patients usually present with associated symptoms such as insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, central obesity and/or metabolic syndrome that can induce an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Since one of the main goals of PCOS is to reduce the metabolic consequences related to obesity, insulin resistance, and the metabolic syndrome, targeted dietary interventions may be effective in treating PCOS. A bibliographic search has been carried out in different databases such as Web of Science, Pubmed and Google Scholar, establishing previously defined search criteria. Eleven have been chosen for full review and critical analysis. Among the different interventions that have been used, dietary strategies have been followed such as the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH), modifications in carbohydrates, the inclusion of a certain food in the usual dietary pattern and/or lifestyle modifications. Of the results obtained, we highlight the improvements in body markers with a DASH diet, the benefits promoted by diets with modifications in carbohydrates, in insulin resistance and hormonal markers and favorable effects on clinical manifestations related to hyperandrogenism, fostered by soy consumption and lifestyle modifications. & COPY; 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a female endocrinopathy characterized by hyperandrogenism and ovulatory dysfunction. It is associated with infertility and other symptoms such as insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and metabolic syndrome. Targeted dietary interventions, including the DASH diet and modifications in carbohydrates, have shown positive effects on body markers, insulin resistance, and hormonal markers in PCOS patients.