The top 4 diets for PCOS: DASH diet, high protein diet, reduced calorie diet, and the keto diet. Which is better?

 PCOS is a condition wherein people have imbalanced hormone levels. These imbalances present themselves in the form of polycystic ovaries, chronic irregular periods, and higher levels of testosterone in the form of increased body/facial hair. Among people who have PCOS, 80% of patients will hold fat around their belly and gain weight because of the effects of hormonal imbalances on their bodies. These effects include insulin resistance, gut dysbiosis, low-grade inflammation and more. 

To treat this weight gain, doctors tend to recommend different diets to PCOS patients. But, the efficacy of these diets are heavily dependent on the person's individual situation. There are four major dietary approaches used to lose weight for people with PCOS: Reduced calorie diets, DASH diets, high protein diets, and keto diets. For most people, a combination of all of these diets will work best. 

Here's a short explanation of each of these diets: 

1) Reduced calorie diet: You eat less calorie-rich foods and cut down on portions while eating as much nutritious food as possible. Most lower-calorie diets have led to benefits for PCOS patients: For example, better body composition (less fat, more muscle) as supported by different studies like (Liza Haqq et Al. 2014) and (Amany Alsayed Salama 2015.)

2) DASH diet: You eat less sodium, and eat more whole foods. Your diet will focus on eating a ton of vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, legumes, lean meats, and whole grains, in place of processed foods with seed oils. This diet is the most preferrable for people who have insulin resistance (or diabetes) along with PCOS, since it reduces sugar spikes in the bloodstream. Eating with a DASH diet may be recommended for people who have acanthosis nigricans (aka blackened skin on the neck, elbows, and other joints) 

3) Higher protein diets: By eating more protein and less carbohydrates, there's less of a sugar spike in the bloodstream like in the DASH diet, but also improved body composition, since your muscles need protein for growth. This diet is the best for people who accommodate strength training into their day, since they'll be able to recompose their body as quick as possible.

4) Keto diet: This is one of the most infamous diets in the world of diet culture, because of the kind of lethargy and tiredness it causes in the first two weeks of the diet. This diet emphasizes high fat consumption and low carb consumption; meaning you'd consume a lot of ghee and butters with meats. This kind of diet can leave you tired, but has shown great improvements in people with high blood sugar and cholesterol levels.