Higher dietary inflammation potential linked to polycystic ovary syndrome

Women who consume foods with greater inflammation potential in high amounts are more likely to have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a study has found.

Researchers examined the association between diet and PCOS as mediated by the inflammatory properties of the diet. They calculated the dietary inflammatory index (DII) by extracting 36 macro- and micronutrients from a validated 147-item quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).

The analysis included 203 patients with PCOS and 291 non-PCOS controls. The mean age of the overall population was 29.67 years, while their mean body mass index was 24.51 kg/m².

Compared with controls, PCOS patients had significantly greater weight, body mass index, and waist circumference, but had lower physical activity. PCOS patients also consumed greater amounts of carbohydrate, cholesterol, and refined grains, but lower amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, fibre, vitamin B₁₂, vitamin D, and dairy.

Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders showed that compared with participants in the lowest quartile of DII, those in the highest quartile had 75-percent greater odds of PCOS (odds ratio, 1.75, 95 percent confidence interval, 0.95–3.22).

While the pathogenesis of PCOS remains unclear, inflammation has been shown to be involved in PCOS progression and can be regulated by diet. Additional prospective dietary intervention studies and observational prospective cohorts are needed to establish the relationship between DII and PCOS.