Research

Hormonal

Gut microbiota dysbiosis in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is significantly associated with clinical phenotypes, including elevated testosterone, increased waist circumference, and altered brain-gut peptides (serotonin, ghrelin, PYY).

This research suggests that the gut health of women with PCOS differs from controls, specifically showing lower levels of beneficial bacteria (like Akkermansia) and higher levels of potentially inflammatory bacteria (like Escherichia/Shigella). These microbial differences are linked to higher testosterone and waist circumference. While this study does not prescribe a specific diet, it supports the investigation of dietary interventions aimed at improving gut microbiota diversity as a potential strategy to manage PCOS symptoms.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Here, we showed an altered gut microbiota significantly correlated with PCOS phenotype. There were 33 patients with PCOS... as well as 15 control subjects... The plasma levels of serotonin, ghrelin, and peptide YY (PYY) were significantly decreased in patients with PCOS compared with controls, and have a significantly negative correlation with waist circumference and testosterone.
Rui Liu et al. · Frontiers in Microbiology · 2017

Why this rating

Observational clinical study with a relatively small sample size (n=48) and cross-sectional design; establishes correlation but not causation.

Source

Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota Associated with Clinical Parameters in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Rui Liu et al. · Frontiers in Microbiology · 2017

DOI 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00324

cross_sectional · n=48Cited 358×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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