Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that affects 5 to 10 percent of women of child-bearing age. It is characterised by an excess of androgens (male hormones) and lack of regular ovulation, and is a leading cause of infertility in women.
It is already known that women with PCOS are likely to be insulin-resistant, which ramps up their risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and that losing weight improves the condition and their chances of conception.
Now a study from the University of Sydney, headed by Professor Jennie Brand-Miller and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, has found that a low-GI diet (broadly defined as being high in foods which break down slowly, and therefore do not cause spikes in blood sugar) significantly improved menstrual cycle regularity in 95 percent of participants.
The researchers concluded that their study provides “the first objective evidence to justify the use of low-GI diets in the management of PCOS.”
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Related video: British researchers are urging women to plan ahead and ‘bank’ sections of their ovaries while they’re young, as studies have shown that saving a third of an ovary is more reliable than freezing eggs.
