Intermittent fasting review finds preliminary changes in weight and PCOS markers
Pooled studies reported improvements in weight and several blood measures, but other hormonal and cholesterol outcomes did not show statistically significant changes.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review reported lower body weight and improvements in several metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory measurements with intermittent fasting. Results were not uniformly favorable across the measured outcomes, and the authors describe the evidence as preliminary. The abstract does not establish whether these changes translate into better fertility, fewer symptoms, or sustained benefits.
This abstract-based explanation cannot assess fasting schedules, comparison conditions, participant totals, or follow-up lengths because these details are missing. Their absence limits interpretation of what was tested and how broadly the pooled findings might apply.
What changed in the analyses
Reported reductions included weight, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, an insulin resistance measure, triglycerides, and selected hormone and inflammation markers. These are distinct endpoints; improvement in several measurements does not establish improvement in every aspect of PCOS.
What remained uncertain
Waist-to-hip ratio and several cholesterol measures showed no statistically significant change. The same was true for total testosterone and anti-Mullerian hormone. These findings leave uncertainty about those outcomes rather than demonstrating an absence of effect.
The original publication
Effect of Intermittent Fasting on Anthropometric Measurements, Metabolic Profile, and Hormones in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Ranneh Y, Hamsho M, Shkorfu W et al.
Nutrients · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40806019
- Record checked
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