Energy balance
Energy restriction and weight loss improve menstrual cyclicity, insulin sensitivity, and lipid profiles in overweight women with PCOS, regardless of whether the diet is high-protein or low-protein.
For overweight women with PCOS, the most effective way to improve menstrual cycles, insulin resistance, and cholesterol is to lose weight through a caloric deficit. Whether you choose a high-protein or low-protein diet matters less than the fact that you are eating fewer calories and losing weight. Aim for a sustainable caloric deficit (e.g., ~1400-1500 kcal/day) and maintain some level of physical activity.
Improvements in menstrual cyclicity, lipid profile, and insulin resistance (as measured by the homeostasis model); and decreases in weight (7.5%) and abdominal fat (12.5%) occurred independently of diet composition.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with clear outcomes, though small sample size (n=28) limits generalizability.
Source
Dietary Composition in Restoring Reproductive and Metabolic Physiology in Overweight Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Lisa Moran et al. · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2003
DOI 10.1210/jc.2002-020815
More from this paper
- A high-protein diet (30% protein) may offer minor differential improvements in lipid profiles (specifically maintaining HDL-C) and postprandial glucose response compared to a low-protein diet during energy restriction, but does not improve reproductive outcomes.Moderate
- A low-protein diet (15% protein) during the weight maintenance phase may lead to a deterioration in the Free Androgen Index (FAI) compared to a high-protein diet, potentially reversing some metabolic benefits achieved during weight loss.Moderate
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