Comparative Evaluation of Biomarkers of Inflammation Among Indian Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Consuming Vegetarian vs. Non-Vegetarian Diet

In a 2019 study, researchers evaluated the impact of diet on inflammation in 144 Indian women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and 320 healthy controls. The participants were divided into vegetarian and non-vegetarian groups. The findings indicated that women with PCOS had higher pro-inflammatory markers and lower anti-inflammatory markers compared to healthy controls. Among the dietary groups, non-vegetarian women with PCOS had higher Modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mFG) scores, total serum testosterone, and serum lipid levels than vegetarians. However, vegetarian women with PCOS and healthy vegetarians had higher serum pro-inflammatory and lower anti-inflammatory markers than their non-vegetarian counterparts. The study concluded that a vegetarian diet is associated with higher levels of pro-inflammatory and lower levels of anti-inflammatory markers in Indian women with PCOS, suggesting that diet composition may influence inflammation in this condition. Further research with larger, randomized studies is needed to confirm these findings.