Sachi Health The PCOS Brief
Each week, one peer-reviewed PCOS lifestyle study. What was studied, what it found, what's actually actionable. By two women co-founders.
Can strength training help you sleep better with PCOS? A randomized trial of 24 women found 4 weeks of bodyweight exercises improved sleep scores
A randomized controlled trial of 24 women with PCOS and poor sleep: strengthening exercises three times a week for four weeks improved the global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score from 12.9 to 9.5 versus control.
Does inositol actually lower testosterone in PCOS? A review of 26 trials and 1,691 women found it did — and matched metformin with fewer side effects
A 2023 review pooling 26 randomized trials of 1,691 women found inositol lowered total and free testosterone versus placebo, raised SHBG, and was non-inferior to metformin with far fewer side effects (7% vs 53%).
Can a low-starch, low-dairy diet lower insulin and testosterone in PCOS? What a study of 24 women found
In a study of 24 women with PCOS, eight weeks of a low-starch, low-dairy diet, with no calorie counting and no medication, was linked to about a 50% drop in fasting insulin and lower testosterone and hirsutism scores.
Does the Mediterranean diet lower testosterone in PCOS? What a study of 224 women found
Women who closely followed the Mediterranean diet, eating more olive oil, fish, legumes, and nuts, had lower testosterone, even after accounting for body weight, in a study of 224 women with PCOS.
Exercise improved testosterone, insulin resistance, and cholesterol in women with PCOS, without any weight loss: a randomized controlled trial of combined strength and cardio training
A randomized controlled trial of 30 women with PCOS: 8 weeks of combined strength and cardio training significantly lowered testosterone, insulin resistance, and cholesterol — without weight loss.
Yoga vs. conventional exercise for anxiety in PCOS: a randomized trial in adolescent girls shows yoga significantly better for trait anxiety over 12 weeks
A 12-week randomized trial of 90 adolescent girls with PCOS: both yoga and matched conventional exercise reduced anxiety, but yoga was significantly better for trait anxiety — the kind that lingers.
Omega-3 supplementation, testosterone, and menstrual regularity in PCOS: a double-blind randomized trial of 78 overweight women shows real hormonal change in 8 weeks
A double-blind randomized trial of 78 overweight women with PCOS: 8 weeks of omega-3 (3 g/day) lowered testosterone vs. placebo, and twice as many women had regular cycles by the end (47% vs. 23%).
PCOS is now PMOS. Here's what's changing, what's not, and why we're not done.
PCOS was officially renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) this week in a landmark Lancet consensus. What's actually changing, what's not, and where Sachi fits.
Aerobic exercise, quality of life, and PCOS: a 16-week randomized trial where nobody dropped out
A 16-week randomized controlled trial of overweight women with PCOS had zero dropouts in the exercise group — and improved quality of life, fitness, BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation.
Does spearmint tea lower testosterone in PCOS? What a 30-day randomized trial found
A 30-day randomized controlled trial of 42 women with PCOS found two cups of spearmint tea a day significantly lowered free and total testosterone vs. placebo — though visible hair change takes longer than 30 days.
Sleep timing, weight-neutral counseling, and emerging PCOS in adolescents: a cohort study of 43 girls at Michigan Medicine
A weight-neutral approach plus a focus on sleep timing produced significant weight loss in 43 adolescents with emerging PCOS at Michigan Medicine. What the study found, what it means, and what's actually actionable.