The Claim
In overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome, a low-protein diet (15% protein) during energy restriction causes a 10% decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.008), and during weight maintenance, it causes a 44% increase in the free androgen index (P = 0.027).
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
In overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome, a diet with 15% protein during weight loss reduces high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 10%, and during weight maintenance, it increases the free androgen index by 44%.
See the scientific wording
In overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome, a low-protein diet (15% protein) during energy restriction led to a 10% decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.008), and during weight maintenance, the free androgen index increased by 44% (P = 0.027), suggesting potential adverse endocrine effects of low-protein diets in this population.
When people eat less protein while losing weight and then maintain their weight, the liver makes less of the good cholesterol and more male hormones, because the body has less protein to manage fat and insulin properly. This causes good cholesterol to drop and male hormone levels to rise.
What the research says
1 studyIn overweight women with PCOS, eating less protein while losing weight caused their 'good' cholesterol to drop and male hormone levels to rise, which could be bad for their health. The study found this happened specifically with the low-protein diet.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.