I came across this article today, and thought I'd share. .


"Fertility Diet" May Improve Fertility Outcomes in Women


November 12, 2007 — Higher intake of monounsaturated fats; vegetable protein; and high-fiber, low-glycemic carbohydrates improved fertility outcomes in women with ovulatory disorder infertility, according to the results of a cohort study reported in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

"Although treatment options for infertility are available, their large cost and frequency of adverse events have motivated the identification of potentially modifiable risk factors," write Jorge E. Chavarro, MD, ScD, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues. "We have previously found that body weight, physical activity, and dietary factors, such as intakes of specific fatty acids, protein, dairy foods, iron, and multivitamins, are related to infertility due to ovulation disorders. These findings suggest that an overall dietary and lifestyle pattern aimed at increasing the intake of certain micronutrients and improving insulin sensitivity through the modification of diet composition, weight control, and increased physical activity may help prevent ovulatory disorder infertility."

As part of the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II), the investigators observed a cohort of 17,544 women with no history of infertility as these women tried to become pregnant or became pregnant during an 8-year period. Based on factors previously related to lower incidence of ovulatory disorder infertility, a dietary score was calculated, with a higher score reflecting greater consumption of monounsaturated rather than trans fats, vegetable rather than animal protein sources, low glycemic carbohydrates, high-fat dairy products, multivitamins, and iron from plants and supplements. The dietary score and other lifestyle factors were prospectively related to the incidence of infertility.

Women who followed the "fertility diet" pattern more closely had a lower risk for ovulatory disorder infertility. For women in the highest quintile of the "fertility diet" pattern score vs women in the lowest quintile, the multivariable-adjusted relative risk for ovulatory disorder infertility was 0.34 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23 - 0.48; P for trend < .001).

Subgroups based on women's age, parity, and body weight exhibited a similar inverse relationship. Women who had a combination of 5 or more low-risk lifestyle factors, including diet, weight control, and physical activity, had a 69% lower risk for ovulatory disorder infertility and an estimated population-attributable risk for 66% (95% CI, 29% - 86%).

"Following a 'fertility diet' pattern may favorably influence fertility in otherwise healthy women," the study authors write. "Further, the majority of infertility cases due to ovulation disorders may be preventable through modifications of diet and lifestyle."

Limitations of the study include the cohort not known to be planning to become pregnant; inability to determine the effects of individual components of the "fertility diet" score; imperfect measurement of diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle factors; observational study with possible confounding factors; and use of multiple statistical comparisons that could overestimate the statistical significance of some results.

"Our results suggest that a 'fertility diet' pattern may have favorable effects on the fertility of otherwise healthy women and that combining this dietary strategy with body weight control and increased physical activity may help prevent the majority of infertility cases due to problems with ovulation," the study authors conclude. "Because data on the potential role of specific dietary patterns on fertility are scarce, it is important that these findings are reproduced, preferably in large randomized trials. In the meantime, women trying to become pregnant could consider following these lifestyle practices because they are consistent with an overall healthy lifestyle and may also help them become pregnant."

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Where did I come from?" the baby asked its mother. She answered, half-crying, half-laughing, and clasping the baby to her breast: "You were hidden in my heart as its desire, my darling. You were in the dolls of all my childhood games. In all my hopes and my loves, in my life, in the life of my mother, and in her mother before her, you have lived."
--Rabindranath Tagore

Thanks Jacqueline. A good reminder that I should get back to healthier eating habits and exercise. The last few months have been so crazy with work and moving to a new house that I've fallen off the wagon.

I had read somewhere that drinking whole milk rather than skim milk and eating higher fat dairy products was associated with better fertility. This article seems to support that (along with all the other healthy eating constraints). Interesting.

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Tina (42)
DH (43)
DS (3)

TTC#2

Whole milk is good for fertility???

WOW
I knew there was a good argument somewhere to support the fact that i have always used whole milk.

to all the dr's who kept telling me to get rid of milk fat.

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This diet is pretty much the exact diet I followed before getting pregnant and while pregnant.

There was also an article in Dec. 10ths Newsweek if anyone is interested. It's entitled "Fertility & Diet. How what you eat affects your odds of getting pregnant".

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Where did I come from?" the baby asked its mother. She answered, half-crying, half-laughing, and clasping the baby to her breast: "You were hidden in my heart as its desire, my darling. You were in the dolls of all my childhood games. In all my hopes and my loves, in my life, in the life of my mother, and in her mother before her, you have lived."
--Rabindranath Tagore