Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): The Positive Effects of a Low-Carb/Keto Diet in Getting Pregnant

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a condition wherein a female produces abnormally high male hormones called androgens. A study proves how a low-carb diet helps women with PCOS get pregnant. 

What happens to women with PCOS? 

Each female baby is born with about six to seven million eggs. And once a woman reaches adolescence, her body releases a mature egg that waits for a sperm cell for fertilization. However, sometimes, a woman does not produce enough hormones for her to ovulate. 

As a result, her ovaries develop many small cysts, which then produce androgens. Usually, it happens to women with PCOS. These women have symptoms that show an excess of testosterone. Some women with the condition also have insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. 

PCOS and low-carbohydrate diet

You will notice that women with PCOS have excessive body hair, irregular menses, and in some, infertility. While there is no known cure for polycystic ovarian syndrome, a woman could improve her health through exercise and diet.

See also: How to Healthily Gain Weight? 17 Foods to Help You Add Pounds Safely

Studies have revealed that a ketogenic or a low-carbohydrate diet could help people lose weight. Apart from that, subjects also showed insulin resistance improvements. Scientists studied subjects from a community PCOS support group and by word of mouth in North Carolina for six months.

The research team let the subjects from the age range of 18 to 45 with a PCOS history and with a BMI of 27kg/sq meters or above follow a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. They asked the subjects to drink at least six glasses of eight ounces of allowed fluids per day. 

The research team discouraged the subjects to drink caffeine and alcohol. Other than that, they advised the subjects to workout at least three times a week. 

All the subject lost weight

The scientists found that all their subjects lost weight, and they found that a low-carb ketogenic diet could help reverse androgen secretion. They also found that insulin sensitivity improved in their subjects. 

See also: Lose Weight Easily With The Low Carb Diet

A low-carbohydrate diet could help women with PCOS get pregnant

The research team also found that two women who had infertility became pregnant after following the low-carb ketogenic diet (LCKD). It suggests that LCKD could help women with PCOS conceive despite having untreatable hormonal issues. 

A study was done in 2013 also proves that women with polycystic ovarian syndrome could benefit when they decreased their carbohydrate intake. Their subjects had weight loss and showed significant hormonal improvements after lowering their carbohydrates by 41 percent.

See also: How Long Does It Take to Get Pregnant? What are Common Factors to Note When Trying to Conceive?

A recent study in 2020 also revealed how a ketogenic Mediterranean diet helped 14 women with PCOS. In 12 weeks, the subjects had a decrease in blood glucose and insulin levels. The research team also found that their subjects had improved reproductive hormone levels and function. 

The subjects also showed an average decrease in weight of 20 pounds (9.4 kg). Moreover, the women they studied showed a decreased risk of heart disease.