Study on impact of dietary intervention and use of functional foods in reducing symptoms of PCOS

Original Research Article

Abstract

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of dietary intervention and functional foods in mitigating PCOS symptoms. A sample size of 40 women, ages 17 to 33, diagnosed with PCOS were selected. Twenty participants were assigned to the Standard group, who received structured dietary counselling. The other 20 participants were assigned to the Experimental group, who received the same standard care with daily supplements of 20 g black raisins and 10g soaked fenugreek seeds for three months. Anthropometric measurements and clinical parameters were evaluated at baseline and after 3 months of intervention. BMI, insulin sensitivity, and menstrual regularity all showed significant improvements in both groups (p<0.05 for within-group changes). In particular, the experimental group's mean weight loss was −5.30 ± 2.9 kg (p < 0.0001) and their BMI was reduced by −2.05 ± 0.97 kg/m² (p < 0.0001), which was significantly lower than the Standard group. The Experimental group experienced a complete normalization of menstrual cycles by the end of three months. Insulin resistance decreased significantly from 4.2 to 2.5 and the mean hirsutism score decreased significantly from 7.4 to 4.2 in the experimental group, indicating a more effective metabolic impact of functional foods. The results of this study showed that dietary intervention together with functional foods significantly improved symptoms of PCOS.