Vitamin D can improve metabolic health of PCOS women – RCT

By Audrey Yow

- Last updated on GMT

Vitamin D supplementation can manage PCOS-related metabolic dysfunctions, a study finds. © Getty Images
Vitamin D supplementation can manage PCOS-related metabolic dysfunctions, a study finds. © Getty Images
Vitamin D supplementation improved body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and other health markers for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), indicating its potential for managing PCOS-related metabolic dysfunctions, a study finds.

Researchers in China conducted a randomised controlled trial (RCT) on PCOS patients with vitamin D deficiency, and found that vitamin D supplementation improved BMI, WHR, and other health markers after 12 weeks.

“Vitamin D supplementation had beneficial effects on metabolic parameters in PCOS women, especially in women with obesity or insulin resistance,” ​wrote researchers in the Journal of Ovarian Research​.

Previous studies confirmed that PCOS is associated with metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes (T2DM), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and metabolic syndrome (MS). Worldwide data also confirmed that vitamin D deficiency is common in women with PCOS.

“Moreover, studies have confirmed that vitamin D supplementation could reduce the level of metabolic parameters such as TC [total cholesterol], ​low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), TG [triglycerides], glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), as well as decreases homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in patients with T2DM,”​ said researchers.

Glycated haemoglobin shows average blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months, while HOMA-IR measures the insulin level needed in the blood to maintain normal sugar levels.

Effects of vitamin D on PCOS women with obesity and insulin resistance (IR)

To explore the effects of vitamin D supplementation on metabolic parameters in women with PCOS, 60 women between 21 and 34 years old with PCOS and vitamin D deficiency were recruited for a 12-week RCT.

Participants were divided into two groups. The vitamin D group took vitamin D supplementation (2000 IU/day) and received basic treatment, which included a proper diet and a 30-minute aerobic exercise outdoors at least three times per week. The control group received only basic treatment.

The serum 25(OH)D concentrations, which indicates vitamin D supply to the body, were significantly higher than that of the control group at different time points after vitamin D supplementation.

“The BMI, WHR, insulin concentrations, HOMA-IR, TG, TC and LDL-C concentrations in women of Vitamin D group after 12 weeks of treatment were significantly lower than that in women of control group. The serum insulin concentrations and HOMA-IR at different time points of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), serum TG, TC and LDL-C concentrations in women of vitamin D group (obesity) were significantly lower compared with control group (obesity),”​ said the researchers.

“The BMI, WHR, TG, TC and LDL-C concentration in women of vitamin D group (IR) were significantly lower compared with control group (IR). No significant difference was observed in metabolic parameters between vitamin D group (non-obesity) and control group (non-obesity), and these differences of metabolic parameters were also not observed between vitamin D group (non-IR) and control group (non-IR).”

Therefore, the study showed that vitamin D supplementation improved health markers in PCOS women who were obese or IR but had no significant effect in non-obese and non-IR PCOS women.

“This study provides evidence that vitamin D supplementation significantly increased serum vitamin D concentration in PCOS women with vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency. Furthermore, this RCT study supports beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation on metabolic parameters in PCOS women, including significant improvements in BMI, WHR, serum insulin concentrations and HOMA-IR, lipid metabolism parameters, especially in women with obesity or IR,” ​concluded the researchers.

However, the effects of different doses of vitamin D supplementation on metabolic parameters in women with PCOS are not observed in this study.

“Therefore, future studies are required to confirm the effectiveness of vitamin D on metabolic parameters of PCOS women, and the specific regulation mechanism need to be further explored,”​ said the researchers.

Source: Journal of Ovarian Research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13048-024-01473-6​  

“Effects of vitamin D supplementation on metabolic parameters in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial”

Authors: Xinling Wen, Li Wang et al.

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