The most prevalent endocrine condition affecting women is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In this post, we look at some promising findings for treating PCOS and the association between the ketogenic diet and the illness.
What is PCOS?
It is a complicated illness and autoimmune disorder induced by a hormonal imbalance between LH and FSH (FSH). As LH levels rise over average, the body produces androgens like testosterone, which can cause irregular menstruation, infertility, and an increased risk of ovarian cancer. (1) Additional indications and symptoms of PCOS include ovarian cysts, excessive body hair, acne, weight gain, and poor sex drive. (2) Today, PCOS affects 12 to 21 percent of reproductive-age women, yet up to 70 percent go untreated. (3) While reproductive difficulties characterize PCOS, the metabolic issues related to nutrition suggest that the ketogenic diet might be used to treat the disease.
What Causes PCOS?
While the specific etiology of PCOS is unknown, experts believe a combination of genetic predisposition and various lifestyle variables causes it. Insulin resistance is usually related to PCOS, which is unsurprising given that hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels) boosts LH production.
Insulin resistance is also a significant driver of weight gain, which explains why approximately half of all women with PCOS are obese or overweight(4), and 75% of all infertile obese women have PCOS. (5) PCOS has been linked to various cardiovascular disease risk factors, diabetes, and hypertension, in addition to being the most prevalent cause of female infertility. (6)
Treatment Options for PCOS
Because there are currently no pharmaceutical therapies for PCOS, researchers have begun investigating food and lifestyle therapy strategies. While it is difficult to identify whether the insulin resistance exhibited in PCOS is a result or cause of the illness, the presence of insulin resistance suggests a treatment target: increasing insulin sensitivity.
According to a new study, boosting insulin sensitivity and losing weight are likely the most effective ways to manage PCOS. Decreasing as little as 5 to 10% of body weight (i.e., 15 to 30 pounds for a 300-pound female) can drastically alleviate hormone imbalances, boost fertility, and reduce miscarriage chances. (7) Additionally, increasing insulin sensitivity reduces excess androgen hormone synthesis, restoring the LH/FSH equilibrium.
While reducing insulin resistance and body weight are essential variables, the ketogenic diet is a potential dietary solution for PCOS.
Impact of the Ketogenic Diet on PCOS
The ketogenic diet is most recognized for its effects on weight loss, epilepsy, type 2 diabetes, neurological diseases, and even some cancers. (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) Nevertheless, because of new studies and anecdotal findings, keto is also being investigated for a variety of other illnesses, including PCOS.
Besides removing extra glucose from the diet would greatly enhance health metrics, low-carbohydrate diets are highly successful in lowering insulin concentrations and improving insulin sensitivity. (12) | (13)
Researchers have begun investigating the ketogenic diet for treating females with PCOS since it can enhance insulin sensitivity and assist in weight loss. While the research is limited, it is encouraging; for example, a 2005 study in a small sample of obese women with PCOS discovered that restricting carbohydrate intake to 20 grams or less per day for 24 weeks resulted in:
- 12% reduction in body mass
- 22% reduction in testosterone
- 36% reduction in LH/FSH ratio
- 54% reduction in fasting insulin levels
While these data show that the ketogenic diet may be used to treat PCOS, the most remarkable discovery was that two women in the research fell pregnant during the trial despite past reproductive issues!
Following the publication of this paper, several practitioners have adopted the ketogenic diet as a therapy for PCOS, numerous anecdotal accounts have been recorded, and other studies are currently underway to give more information. (14)
The bottom line
Even though many women suffer from PCOS, far too many go misdiagnosed, and PCOS treatment choices have proven ineffective. Insulin resistance, a driving factor in PCOS, provides a therapeutic target that can be addressed by numerous lifestyle changes, including the ketogenic diet; nevertheless, much more study is required.
This promising research will pique the academic community’s interest in continuing to explore this issue and helping the many suffering women.
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