Changes in Hormonal Profile and Body Mass Index in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome After Probiotic Intake: A 12-Week Placebo-Controlled and Randomized Clinical Study
Open accessAbstract
Introduction: The beneficial effect of probiotics on the improvement of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, as well as body mass index (BMI), has been demonstrated in various patient groups. We aimed to investigate the effect of a multi-strain probiotic on the hormonal balance of women with PCOS. Ethical approval was obtained from the Bioethical Committee. Methods: The study was designed as a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. The probiotic SanProbi® Barrier capsules, which contain a unique composition of nine probiotic bacteria strains (Lactobacillus and Biffidobacterium), were used in the study. The mean age of the study participants was a mean of 28.42 ± 5.62 years. A total of 50 women with PCOS, diagnosed based on Rotterdam ESHRE criteria, were included in the study. Among them, 25 women were randomized to a placebo group, and 25 to a probiotic group. Results: A comparison of changes in individual hormone levels between groups confirmed statistically significant differences for TSH, androstenedione, SHBG, and BMI. In the case of LH, the statistical significance of the difference in delta change in the probiotic group was demonstrated with the use of a one-tailed test. Conclusions: Probiotic supplementation may serve as an alternative supporting treatment, especially in the phenotype of women with a high FAI index. Probiotic therapy is also effective in reducing BMI in overweight women with PCOS
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Women with PCOS exhibit a higher prevalence of central obesity and an increased risk of metabolic disturbances.
“Women diagnosed with PCOS exhibit a higher prevalence of central obesity and an increased risk of metabolic disturbances [27,28].”
From Visceral and Dysfunctional Adiposity Indices as Predictors of Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study (2025) · cites this paper as [28]
The Introduction (page not provided) links PCOS with overweight, obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic dysfunction, supporting the metabolic-risk portion of the claim. It does not state that women with PCOS have a higher prevalence of central obesity specifically; the study reports BMI rather than a measure of central obesity. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Estrogen–gut microbiome axis: Physiological and clinical implications
Baker, J. M., Al‐Nakkash, L., & Herbst‐Kralovetz, M. M. (2017) · Maturitas · doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.06.025 · Cited by 1,024 · see citing works
Teede, H. J., Tay, C. T., Laven, J. J. E., Dokras, A., Moran, L. J., Piltonen, T. T., Costello, M. F., Boivin, J., Redman, L. M., Boyle, J. A., et al. (2023) · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1210/clinem/dgad463 · Cited by 946 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Excessive androgen levels, ovarian ultrasound image, and anovulation are included in the criteria of disease [3].”
Lim, S. S., Davies, M. J., Norman, R. J., & Moran, L. J. (2012) · Human Reproduction Update · doi:10.1093/humupd/dms030 · Cited by 939 · see citing works
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Etiology, Current Management, and Future Therapeutics
Singh, S., Pal, N., Shubham, S., Sarma, D. K., Verma, V., Marotta, F., & Kumar, M. (2023) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm12041454 · Cited by 521 · see citing works
Thyroid-Gut-Axis: How Does the Microbiota Influence Thyroid Function?
Knežević, J., Starchl, C., Tmava‐Berisha, A., & Amrein, K. (2020) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu12061769 · Cited by 368 · see citing works
Zhang, J., Sun, Z., Jiang, S., Bai, X., Ma, C., Peng, Q., Chen, K., Chang, H., Fang, T., & Zhang, H. (2019) · mSystems · doi:10.1128/msystems.00017-19 · Cited by 287 · see citing works
Borgeraas, H., Johnson, L. K., Skattebu, J., Hertel, J. K., & Hjelmesæth, J. (2018) · Obesity Reviews · doi:10.1111/obr.12626 · Cited by 278 · see citing works
Nutrition Strategy and Life Style in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome—Narrative Review
Szczuko, M., Kikut, J., Szczuko, U., Szydłowska, I., Nawrocka-Rutkowska, J., Ziętek, M., Verbanac, D., & Saso, L. (2021) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu13072452 · Cited by 204 · see citing works
Self-citationSabico, S., Al-Mashharawi, A., Al‐Daghri, N. M., Wani, K., Amer, O. E., Hussain, D. S., Ansari, M. G. A., Masoud, M. S., Alokail, M. S., & McTernan, P. G. (2018) · Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2018.08.009 · Cited by 201 · see citing works
Characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome throughout life
Louwers, Y. V., & Laven, J. S. E. (2020) · Therapeutic Advances in Reproductive Health · doi:10.1177/2633494120911038 · Cited by 193 · see citing works
Szulińska, M., Łoniewski, I., van Hemert, S., Sobieska, M., & Bogdański, P. (2018) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu10060773 · Cited by 191 · see citing works
Malini, N. A., & George, K. R. (2017) · General and Comparative Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.12.007 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Shamasbi, S. G., Ghanbari‐Homayi, S., & Mirghafourvand, M. (2019) · European Journal of Nutrition · doi:10.1007/s00394-019-02033-1 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Dziedzic, A., Maciak, K., Bliźniewska-Kowalska, K. M., Gałecka, M., Kobierecka, W., & Saluk, J. (2024) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu16071054 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Mechanism of elevated LH/FSH ratio in lean PCOS revisited: a path analysis
Pratama, G., Wiweko, B., Asmarinah, A., Widyahening, I. S., Andraini, T., Bayuaji, H., & Hestiantoro, A. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-58064-0 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Dobbie, L. J., Pittam, B., Zhao, S. S., Alam, U., Hydes, T., Barber, T. M., & Cuthbertson, D. J. (2023) · Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/humrep/dead053 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Guevara, D. M., Vidal-Cañas, S., Palacios, I., Gómez, A., Estrada, M., Gallego, J., & Liscano, Y. (2024) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu16223916 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Zhang, N., Zhang, Y., Li, M., Wang, W., Liu, Z., Xi, C., Huang, X., Liu, J., Huang, J., Tian, D., et al. (2020) · Brain and Behavior · doi:10.1002/brb3.1699 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Cozzolino, M., Vitagliano, A., Pellegrini, L., Chiurazzi, M., Andriasani, A., Ambrosini, G., & Garrido, N. (2020) · European Journal of Nutrition · doi:10.1007/s00394-020-02233-0 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Probiotics and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Perspective for Management in Adolescents with Obesity
Calcaterra, V., Rossi, V., Massini, G., Casini, F., Zuccotti, G., & Fabiano, V. (2023) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu15143144 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Probiotics of Diverse Origin and Their Therapeutic Applications: A Review
Yadav, M., Mandeep, & Shukla, P. (2019) · Journal of the American College of Nutrition · doi:10.1080/07315724.2019.1691957 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Kaur, I., Suri, V., Sachdeva, N. K., Rana, S. V., Medhi, B., Sahni, N., Ahire, J. J., & Singh, A. (2022) · European Journal of Nutrition · doi:10.1007/s00394-022-02959-z · Cited by 47 · see citing works
The relationship between thyroid and human-associated microbiota: A systematic review of reviews
Virili, C., Stramazzo, I., Bagaglini, M. F., Carretti, A. L., Capriello, S., Romanelli, F., Trimboli, P., & Centanni, M. (2023) · Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders · doi:10.1007/s11154-023-09839-9 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Gut microbiota and its roles in the pathogenesis and therapy of endocrine system diseases
Wu, Z., Tian, E., Chen, Y., Dong, Z., & Peng, Q. (2022) · Microbiological Research · doi:10.1016/j.micres.2022.127291 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Honda, S., Tominaga, Y., Espadaler, J., Huedo, P., Aguiló, M., Pérez, M., Ueda, T., & Sawashita, J. (2024) · Journal of Medicinal Food · doi:10.1089/jmf.2023.k.0320 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Angoorani, P., Ejtahed, H., Marvasti, F. E., Taghavi, M., Ahranjani, B. M., Hasani‐Ranjbar, S., & Larijani, B. A. (2023) · Frontiers in Medicine · doi:10.3389/fmed.2023.1141355 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Babu, A., Rajeswari, V. D., Ganesh, V., Das, S., Sivaraman, D., Rani, G. U., & Ramanathan, G. (2024) · Reproductive Sciences · doi:10.1007/s43032-023-01450-2 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Bai, Z., Wu, Y., Gao, D., Dong, Y., Pan, Y., & Gu, S. (2024) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms252010871 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Shu, Q., Kang, C., Li, J., Hou, Z., Xiong, M., Wang, X., & Peng, H. (2024) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0296733 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Talebi, S., Zeraattalab-Motlagh, S., Payandeh, N., Jalilpiran, Y., Ansari, S., Mohammadi, H., Djafarian, K., Ranjbar, M., Sadeghi, S., Taghizadeh, M., et al. (2023) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1178842 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Microbiota and Thyroid Disease: An Updated Systematic Review
Stramazzo, I., Capriello, S., Filardo, S., Centanni, M., & Virili, C. (2023) · Advances in experimental medicine and biology · doi:10.1007/5584_2023_770 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Szczuko, M., Zapałowska-Chwyć, M., Drozd, A., Maciejewska, D., Starczewski, A., Wysokiński, P., & Stachowska, E. (2018) · Ginekologia Polska · doi:10.5603/gp.a2018.0051 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Self-citationKalsekar, A. S., Abdelrahim, D. N., & Faris, M. E. (2024) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1362226 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
van Hemert, S., & Ormel, G. (2014) · Food and Nutrition Sciences · doi:10.4236/fns.2014.518187 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Nasreen, S., Ali, S., Andleeb, S., Summer, M., Hussain, T., Kaleem, I., Ara, C., & Tahir, H. M. (2024) · Folia Microbiologica · doi:10.1007/s12223-024-01155-2 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Hu, X., Wang, W., Su, X., Peng, H., Tan, Z., Li, Y.-Q., & Huang, Y. (2023) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.16410 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Effect of Probiotics Supplementation on Cortisol Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Jain, M., Anand, A., Sharma, N., Shamim, M. A., & Enioutina, E. Y. (2024) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu16203564 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Ma, J., Wang, J., Wang, G., Wan, Y., Li, N., Luo, L., Gou, H., & Gu, J. (2023) · Nutritional Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/1028415x.2023.2205742 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Pereira, M. M. C., Andretta, I., Franceschi, C. H., Kipper, M., Mariani, A. B., Stefanello, T. B., Carvalho, C. L., Vieira, J. C., Rocha, L. M., & Ribeiro, A. M. L. (2024) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani14060847 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Czajeczny, D., Kabzińska, K., & Wójciak, R. W. (2020) · Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity · doi:10.1007/s40519-020-00983-8 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Effect of Probiotics in Stress-Associated Constipation Model in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Larvae
Lee, A., Kim, S. Y., Kang, S., Kang, S. H., Kim, D., Choe, J. W., Hyun, J. J., Jung, S. W., Jung, Y. K., Koo, J. S., et al. (2024) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms25073669 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Zou, S., Xu, Y., Li, N., Wang, H., Gui, J., & Li, J. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0294436 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Kim, H., Jeong, J.-W., Kim, J.-Y., Shim, J.-J., & Lee, J. (2024) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu16223889 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Zafar, U., Zaidi, S. A., Jafri, H. S. M. O., Imran, S., Bhatty, A., & Abidi, F. (2021) · Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International · doi:10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i47a33013 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- [27]Weir C.B. Jan A. BMI Classification Percentile And Cut Off Points StatPearls [Internet] StatPearls Publishing Treasure Island, FL, USA 2024 Available online: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541070/ (accessed on 1 November 2024) 31082114
- [33]Szydłowska I. Marciniak A. Brodowska A. Loj B. Ciećwież S. Skonieczna-Żydecka K. Palma J. Łoniewski I. Stachowska E. Effects of probiotics supplementation on the hormone and body mass index in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women using the standardized diet. A 5-week double-blind, placebo-controlled, and randomized clinical study Eur. Rev. Med. Pharmacol. Sci. 2021 25 3859 3867 10.26355/eurrev_202105_25953 34109594 · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Keyif, B., & Yavuzcan, A. (2025) · Medicina · doi:10.3390/medicina61030424 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“Women diagnosed with PCOS exhibit a higher prevalence of central obesity and an increased risk of metabolic disturbances [27,28].”
Yin, T., Lai, L., Lin, X., Zhang, L. L., Huang, J., Huang, K., Wong, M., & Ming, K. (2026) · Journal of Ovarian Research · doi:10.1186/s13048-025-01959-x · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Gut microbiome dysbiosis in PCOS: from pathogenesis to microbiome-targeted therapies
Du, X., Su, H., Huang, Y., Liu, J., Li, Q., Yang, X., Tao, X., & Li, R. (2026) · Frontiers in Endocrinology · doi:10.3389/fendo.2026.1747766 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Karimi, M., Rabiei, R., Kazemi, K., Motlagh, R. B., & Asbaghi, O. (2025) · Thyroid Research · doi:10.1186/s13044-025-00257-4 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Research progress of gut microbiota and its metabolites in polycystic ovary syndrome
Qin, S., Guo, S., Tan, X., Li, K., & Huang, J. (2025) · Frontiers in Endocrinology · doi:10.3389/fendo.2025.1700191 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Yang, X., Luo, H., Li, Q., Zhu, W., Fu, L., Chen, L., Li, X., Su, H., Zhang, L., & Huang, Y. (2025) · The FASEB Journal · doi:10.1096/fj.202502661r · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Wang, H., Chen, W., Li, X., Lu, X., Liu, T., Liang, J., Wang, Y., Jia, M., Zhang, R., Gu, Y., et al. (2026) · iMetaMed · doi:10.1002/imm3.70047 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Thyroid Function Abnormalities in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)A Clinical Study
Akram, A., Anwar, A., Batool, R., & Baloch, N. S. (2025) · Developmental medico-life-sciences · doi:10.69750/dmls.02.011.0173
Intestinal dysbiosis-related infertility: Effectiveness of probiotics and synbiotics supplementation
Abdolmohammadi‐Vahid, S., Ebrahimi, V., Soltani‐Zangbar, M. S., Mansouri, A., & Maleki, L. A. (2026) · Journal of Reproductive Immunology · doi:10.1016/j.jri.2026.104862
Kumari, K., Chaitanya, M. V. N. L., Kalia, S., Patle, D., Singh, S., & Mazumder, A. (2026) · Reproductive Sciences · doi:10.1007/s43032-026-02061-3
Probiotic Modulation of the Gut–Ovary and Gut–Myometrium Axes: An In Vitro Study
Mulè, S., Parini, F., Galla, R., & Uberti, F. (2026) · Microorganisms · doi:10.3390/microorganisms14030661
Hasan, B., Bash, A. A., & Hamza, L. F. (2026) · PAIN JOINTS SPINE · doi:10.1922/pjs.16.3s.2026.569
The gut microbiome as a therapeutic potential for inborn errors of metabolism disorders
Parihar, S., Kumar, L., Dube, S., & Mohanty, S. S. (2026) · Discover Medicine · doi:10.1007/s44337-026-00640-6
Yang, Y., Dai, F., He, X., Zhao, P., & Chen, Q. (2026) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2026.1945464
Gorzko, A., Nawrocka-Rutkowska, J., Szczuko, M., Pawłowski, H., Starczewski, A., & Szydłowska, I. (2026) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu18183090
Self-citationDong, Q., Chen, H., Liu, N., Mia, W., & He, Y. (2026) · Reproductive Sciences · doi:10.1007/s43032-026-02205-5
- Authors
- Szydłowska, I., Nawrocka-Rutkowska, J., Gorzko, A., Pawłowski, H., Starczewski, A., & Szczuko, M.
- Affiliations
- Pomeranian Medical University (PL)
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Gorzko, Amalia
- ORCID
- Venue
- Nutrients
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2025-01-23
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 405
- ISSN
- 2072-6643 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC11820849
- OpenAlex
- W4406766045
- Cited by
- 16
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 5
- FWCI
- 14.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Nutrients (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Pomorski Uniwersytet Medyczny W Szczecinie
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Ovarian function and disorders
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Keywords
- polycystic ovary syndrome, probiotics, multi-strain probiotics, hormonal profile, body mass index, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, androstenedione, sex hormone-binding globulin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, free androgen index, overweight women
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Androstenedione, Double-Blind Method, Female, Hormones, Humans, Luteinizing Hormone, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin, Thyrotropin, Body Mass Index, Probiotics, Young Adult
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
