ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Clinical Nutrition
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1683556
The Effects of Trace Element Supplementation on glycolipid metabolism in PCOS: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
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Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder. This meta-analysis evaluates the effects of supplementation with four trace elements—calcium, chromium, selenium, and magnesium—on glycolipid metabolism and clinical outcomes in women with PCOS. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library up to May 2025 identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the impact of these supplements on metabolic, oxidative, inflammatory, and hormonal parameters in PCOS. Data were pooled using random-effects models, with heterogeneity assessed by the I² statistic. Results: Twenty-five RCTs comprising 1,600 patients were included. Chromium supplementation significantly improved glucose metabolism (reduced fasting glucose and insulin resistance, HOMA-IR) and lipid profiles (lowered triglycerides and VLDL), while also reducing oxidative stress (elevated TAC, reduced MDA and hs-CRP). Selenium supplementation enhanced insulin sensitivity (increased QUICKI) and total antioxidant capacity. Calcium reduced oxidative stress markers (MDA and NO), whereas magnesium showed no significant benefits across most outcomes. None of the supplements significantly affected sex hormone levels or anthropometric measures. Conclusion: Chromium and selenium demonstrate beneficial effects on metabolic and oxidative parameters in PCOS patients. Chromium is particularly effective for improving glycolipid metabolism and reducing oxidative stress, while selenium enhances antioxidant capacity and insulin sensitivity. Further high-quality RCTs are warranted to confirm the efficacy of calcium and magnesium.
Keywords: Meta-analysis, Glucose and lipid metabolism, Trace Elements, and polycystic ovarian syndrome, sex hormones
Received: 11 Aug 2025; Accepted: 01 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yang, Gao, Zhao, Qi, Duo and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Huixia Wang, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
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