Energy balance
A very-low-calorie diet (VLCD, ≤800 kcal/day) produces significantly greater weight loss and more pronounced improvements in hyperandrogenemia (Free Androgen Index) and metabolic markers compared to a moderate energy deficit diet in obese women with PCOS over an 8-week period.
For obese women with PCOS seeking rapid hormonal and weight improvement, a medically supervised VLCD (800 kcal/day) for 8 weeks is significantly more effective than standard moderate dieting. It achieves nearly triple the weight loss and can induce biochemical remission of PCOS symptoms, which moderate dieting failed to do in this trial. This requires strict adherence to meal replacements and medical oversight.
The VLCD resulted in significantly greater weight reduction and was accompanied by more pronounced improvements in hyperandrogenaemia, body composition, and several metabolic parameters in obese women with PCOS as compared to the energy deficit approach.
Why this rating
Randomized Controlled Trial, but small sample size (n=21 VLCD, n=19 control) and high dropout rates (approx 50% loss to follow-up).
Source
The Effect of a Very-Low-Calorie Diet (VLCD) vs. a Moderate Energy Deficit Diet in Obese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)—A Randomised Controlled Trial
Harshal Deshmukh et al. · Nutrients · 2023
DOI 10.3390/nu15183872
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