Association of D-chiro-inositol and the Ketogenic Diet in the Treatment of Overweight/Obese Patients With Insulin Resistance and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Weight loss is the main approach to counteract PCOS phenotype, improving ovulatory function and reducing insulin and systemic levels of free testosterone.

It is not yet ascertained whether the composition of the diet can have a positive effect on the metabolic pattern; however, it should be considered that blood glucose levels are influenced by the intake of carbohydrates that regulate insulin secretion.

Therefore, low-carbohydrate diets should be preferred over standard low-calorie diets, in terms of improvement in metabolic/endocrine parameters, which accompanies weight loss in women with PCOS.

The ketogenic diet (KD), a very low-carbohydrate diet capable of developing physiological ketosis, has proven very effective aganist various pathological conditions, including obesity and type 2 diabetes.

In particular, in the context of KD there is an ever increasing interest in VLCKD (Very Low Calorie Ketogenic Diet) diets with very low calorie content as well as carbohydrates, which have been shown to be effective and safe in the management of metabolic diseases.