Infertility – the failure to get pregnant after 12 months of unprotected sex – is common and affects up to 15% of couples.
It is increasingly recognized that nutrition plays an important role in fertility. Several studies have linked the improvement of fertility with specific nutrients and foods.
However, it is difficult to translate these findings into dietary advice for couples, as we do not consume foods and nutrients in isolation. Limited research has investigated the effect of overall diet quality on fertility, particularly in couples trying to conceive naturally.
Now, new study results suggest that eating a high-quality overall diet may improve your chances of getting pregnant.
The latest research
The study, published in the November issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, examined the effect of four healthy dietary patterns: the Mediterranean diet, the 2010 US Healthy Eating Index, the Dietary Guidelines Index danes and the dietary inflammation index (DII). in time to conceive among women who were not using fertility treatment.
The participants, 9,232 in total, were enrolled in one of two ongoing pregnancy studies, one conducted in Denmark and the other in North America. Upon entry into their respective studies, each participant completed a detailed dietary questionnaire that was used to calculate adherence to each dietary pattern.
Overall, greater adherence to all dietary patterns was associated with a greater likelihood of becoming pregnant.
The diet pattern, however, with the most consistent and strongest effect on improving time to conception was IBD, a dietary pattern designed to minimize inflammation in the body.
In both studies, women who ate a more anti-inflammatory diet were more likely to get pregnant. compared to those who ate a less anti-inflammatory diet. The results were even stronger in women with obesity and in women aged 35 and over.
Inflammation has been shown to play an important role in the development of insulin resistance, a condition that can influence hormone function and interfere with ovulation.
Note that these findings may not apply to the general population, as study participants tended to eat a healthier diet, were less likely to smoke, and had higher levels of education and income.
What is the DII Dietary Pattern?
The DII is a scoring system based on 45 pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory food components. Major anti-inflammatory contributors to the DII score include fiber, magnesium, beta-carotene, vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, and polyunsaturated fat, the type of fat found in foods like fatty fish, flax, and chia seeds . walnuts, sunflower oil and grape seed oil.
Although the other dietary patterns studied also have anti-inflammatory components, DII is unique in that it focuses on how strongly each component affects inflammatory proteins in the bloodstream.
The DII is also the only dietary scoring system that includes specific vitamins and minerals. Although these micronutrients were included in the IDI for their anti-inflammatory potential, they can also improve fertility in other important ways.
The “fertility diet”
Eating a healthy diet has also been shown to increase the likelihood of a successful pregnancy among women undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
A study published in 2019 in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that women who strictly followed a “profertility” diet before fertility treatment had a significantly higher chance of getting pregnant and giving birth compared to others dietary patterns.
The fertility-friendly diet, developed by researchers at Harvard University, is based on foods and nutrients linked to positive ART results in previous studies. It is characterized by a higher intake of folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin D, as well as low-pesticide fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish and shellfish, dairy and soy foods.
It is believed that the fertility-friendly eating pattern can promote fertility by improving the body’s ability to synthesize and repair DNA, protect cells from free radical damage, reduce inflammation, and regulate sugar levels and insulin in blood
Growing evidence suggests that optimizing nutrition and diet is important for increasing fertility potential among women trying to conceive naturally and among those using ART. (Eating a healthy diet is also linked to improved male fertility.)
In addition to promoting fertility, a nutritious diet is essential to strengthen the woman’s nutrient reserves and provide the basic elements needed for the baby’s development during pregnancy.
Leslie Beck, a dietitian in private practice based in Toronto, is director of food and nutrition at Medcan. Follow her on Twitter @LeslieBeckRD
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