Evaluation of the relationships between adherence to the mediterranean diet in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and quality of life, food supplement intake, and functional food consumption

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that affects women of reproductive age, impacting them both metabolically and psychologically. Many studies are being conducted on lifestyle interventions and dietary approaches for the management of PCOS. This study examines the relationship between PCOS women's adherence to a Mediterranean diet and their dietary supplementation and functional food consumption. 387 women aged 18-40 with PCOS participated in the study from March to September 2021. They were surveyed online regarding their health status, supplement and functional food consumption, and their adherence to the Mediterranean Diet was assessed using the MEDAS. IBM SPSS 25.0 program was used for data evaluation. The analysis revealed that the participants had a mean MEDAS score of 5.58+1.54, indicating a lack of adherence to the Mediterranean diet as the average score was below 7. Significant associations were found between MEDAS scores, BMI groups, and PCOS symptoms (p<0.05). It is known that adherence to the Mediterranean diet has numerous health benefits, and this study suggests that it may have positive effects on PCOS symptoms and BMI.