The effect of vitamin D supplementation in combination with low-calorie diet on anthropometric indices and androgen hormones in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is known as the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive age women.

The aim of this studywas to evaluate the effects of vitamin D supplementation in combination with low-calorie diet on anthropometric indices, reproductive hormones and menstrual regularity in overweight and obese PCOS women.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 60 women were involved.

PubMed indexes the participants as adults, women only.

At the beginning and end of the study, the anthropometric indices, body composition, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and free androgen index (FAI) were measured and regularity of menses was compared among the two groups.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

Because people in this Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

As a double-blind Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group a baseline to be compared against.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Androgens, Anthropometry, Biomarkers, Caloric Restriction, Dietary Supplements, Insulin Resistance and Obesity.

The authors tagged it with the keywords Low-calorie diet, Menstrual cycle, Polycystic ovary syndrome, Randomized controlled trial and Vitamin D.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 60 women.

Results are reported in around 6 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2018 (Journal of endocrinological investigation), a journal based in Italy.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.