Dietary saturated fatty acid and protein intakes are inversely associated with hyperandrogenism risk among lean adult women: an analysis of NHANES 2013-2016

BACKGROUND: Hyperandrogenism (HA), a common endocrine disorder marked by excessive androgen secretion and substantial adverse effects on women's health. HA patients included both lean and obese individuals with distinct symptoms. HA was treated through diverse methods, with dietary control being a key element. However, research on diets for lean HA patients was limited. We aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary intake and the risk of HA in lean adult women. METHODS: This study conducted a secondary analysis of 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to investigate diet-HA associations in reproductive-aged Lean adult women (BMI < 25 kg/m2) using multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline modeling. RESULTS: The study cohort included 1,141 participants, with 10.95% identified as having at-risk HA. Significant differences in testosterone levels and free androgen index were observed between at-risk HA and non-risk HA groups. Intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and protein was significantly lower in the at-risk HA group compared to the non-risk HA group. Weighted regression analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between SFA/protein intakes and HA risk. Restricted cubic spline analysis further demonstrated a significant non-linear relationship between SFA intake and both at-risk HA and testosterone levels. CONCLUSION: Among lean adult women in the United States, dietary intake of SFA and protein was negatively correlated with the risk of HA. This finding may point to a potential role of SFA and protein intake in HA risk modulation among lean adult women.