Can a low-carbohydrate diet help with PCOS?

Abdominal obesity and insulin resistance are two metabolic characteristics of PCOS that may improve in response to a carbohydrate-restricted or low-carbohydrate diet. Low-carbohydrate diets containing <45% carbohydrates are effective for reducing body mass index, improving insulin sensitivity and certain blood lipids, and increasing sex hormone binding globulin levels in women with PCOS, along with reducing testosterone in studies lasting more than 4 weeks.^[1] There may also be psychological benefits to low-carbohydrate diets, and one study found a significant reduction in depression and increase in self-esteem in women with PCOS who were following a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, despite the absence of weight loss.^[2] It should be noted that this was just one pilot study, and there is a lack of evidence on how dietary composition affects psychological outcomes in PCOS.