PCOS Supplement Stack Builder
Check the symptoms that apply to you and pick your phenotype. Get an evidence-based stack with specific doses, timings, and what to leave out (the honest part most articles skip).
Based on the 2023 International PCOS Guideline
How this stack is built
Three inputs map to a personalised stack: your symptoms (multi-select), your PCOS phenotype, and whether you are already on metformin. The logic below runs locally in your browser; nothing leaves your device.
Foundational tier (always included)
Two supplements show up in almost every PCOS stack because the evidence and the deficiency rate justify it for the whole population:
- Vitamin D3: 67-85 percent of women with PCOS have a 25(OH)D below the optimal threshold. The 2023 International PCOS Guideline recommends checking and supplementing if low.
- Omega-3 EPA + DHA: Reduces inflammation, androgens, and improves insulin sensitivity in PCOS RCTs (Mohammadi 2012, Phelan 2011).
Targeted tier (added by symptom)
- Inositol (myo + DCI 40:1): Triggered by insulin or cycle symptoms. The most-studied PCOS supplement (Carlomagno 2014, Genazzani 2008, Nordio 2019). Lean phenotypes get the half-dose default.
- Berberine: Triggered by insulin symptoms only when you are NOT on metformin and NOT lean (berberine and metformin share the AMPK pathway; lean phenotypes can drop blood sugar too low).
- NAC: Triggered by cycle or TTC symptoms. Thakker 2015 meta-analysis showed ovulation improvement in PCOS.
- Spearmint tea + Zinc: Triggered by androgen symptoms (hirsutism, hormonal acne). Best-evidenced non-pharma anti-androgens.
- Magnesium glycinate: Triggered by mood or sleep symptoms. Best-tolerated form; supports sleep, anxiety, insulin sensitivity.
- Ashwagandha: Triggered by sleep or cortisol-driven symptoms. Chandrasekhar 2012 documented ~28 percent cortisol reduction.
- B12 (methylcobalamin): Added automatically if you are on metformin. Metformin depletes B12 in roughly 30 percent of long-term users (Aroda 2016).
- Iron: Only suggested as "test ferritin first" for hair-loss symptoms. Never supplement iron blind; excess iron is pro-inflammatory.
What we deliberately do not stack
- Berberine + metformin: Same AMPK pathway. Diminishing returns + worse GI side effects.
- DCI without myo-inositol: High-dose DCI alone can impair ovulation (the "DCI paradox"). The 40:1 ratio matters.
- High-dose green tea extract (over 800 mg EGCG): Liver enzyme elevation risk. Spearmint tea covers the anti-androgen angle more safely.
- Iron without ferritin testing: Excess iron is pro-inflammatory. Always test first.
- Saw palmetto: Some women add it for hair loss. Evidence in PCOS specifically is weak; we leave it off.
This is not medical advice. Doses here are the most-studied starting points in published PCOS literature. Your endocrinologist or GP should sign off if you are pregnant, trying to conceive, on prescription medication, or have any liver, kidney, or thyroid condition. Quality matters: third-party-tested brands (USP, NSF, ConsumerLab) are worth the small price premium.