Millions of women have successfully used in vitro fertilisation (IVF) as a reproductive treatment for more than 20 years. Women with endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, blocked or nonexistent fallopian tubes, or any other issue affecting fertility are advised by doctors to think about IVF if all other methods of pregnancy have failed. To start the IVF process, doctors inject hormones that promote the development of many eggs rather than just one. When many eggs are discovered, they are gathered and combined with sperm in a laboratory dish. When an embryo reaches the mature blastocyst stage, it is transferred to a woman’s uterus, and this is when a normal pregnancy is expected to start.
There are many strategies and tactics available for attempting to conceive that guarantee to increase the likelihood of conception.
However, women undergoing IVF should follow a Mediterranean diet to increase their chances of becoming pregnant rather than using supplements, according to a study published in The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology published a study titled “Mediterranean Diet May Help Women Receiving IVF Achieve Successful Pregnancies.” The researchers discovered that women who followed a Mediterranean diet for six months before undergoing IVF had a “significantly better chance” of becoming pregnant and giving birth than women who did not eat foods associated with the diet. According to the study’s findings, women who ate less or no red meat and more fruit, vegetables, seafood, whole grains, legumes, and vegetable oils had a 65–68% higher chance of becoming pregnant and giving birth than women who followed the Mediterranean diet to the “lowest degree.”
First and foremost, ovarian reserve, or the quantity and quality of eggs in your ovaries, ovarian stimulation, fertilisation, embryo growth, and implantation are just a few of the numerous variables that affect the effectiveness of IVF treatment. A successful full-term pregnancy necessitates the optimisation of multiple intricate steps. Moreover, the majority of IVF patients already struggle with infertility, which may make it even more difficult to predict if the process will be effective.
What are the Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet for a Successful IVF Procedure?
The Mediterranean diet places a strong emphasis on plant-based foods such as nuts, legumes, whole grains, low-fat dairy, fruits, and vegetables. It also emphasises lean protein sources like fish and chicken as well as olive oil, which is a healthy form of fat. A strictly Mediterranean diet typically excludes red meat and salt. Mediterranean diet dishes are flavoured with spices and herbs rather than high-calorie, high-fat condiments.
Antioxidants and the Outcome of IVF
Chemicals known as antioxidants stop other molecules from oxidising and self-destructing. Such compounds are abundant in the Mediterranean diet. Eating foods rich in antioxidants protects the body’s cells from free radicals, which are other chemicals that harm healthy molecules and cells. Free radicals are molecules that cause damage to cells. An overabundance of free radicals can damage the cells that comprise a woman’s eggs, reproductive hormone glands, and reproductive organs. Eating items from the Mediterranean diet can help keep glands and organs functioning at their peak and significantly lessen the damage caused by free radicals while a woman is undergoing in vitro fertilisation.
Omega-6 Fat Acids and the Outcome of IVF
A key component of a Mediterranean diet is the use of healthy vegetable oils. Vegetable oils, which are high in omega-6 fatty acids, give the body the precursors it needs to produce prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are a unique kind of hormone that are not secreted by glands; rather, the body produces them on demand. Prostaglandins are involved in the regulation of a woman’s reproductive system; they also regulate ovulation and initiate labour by inducing contractions of the uterine muscles.
A simple nutritional approach to assist IVF conception would be to follow a Mediterranean diet; also, taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements would be advantageous. All women who are attempting to conceive should take folic acid or folate tablets.
Many people consider the Mediterranean diet to be a healthy eating pattern since it is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats like olive oil and almonds.
A Mediterranean diet may help increase fertility because, as some evidence suggests, it may positively affect factors including inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormone balance. Nevertheless, much research has to be done in this area, and many studies have yielded conflicting results. Furthermore, neither obese women—a group that was not included in the study—nor all women attempting to conceive can be broadly attributed to these results.
“It is important to remember that fertility is a complex issue that is influenced by a wide range of variables, including age, genetics, lifestyle decisions, and underlying medical conditions. There is no one diet that will work better than another for fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF), even though a good diet is generally advised for overall wellbeing.
The author is the Medical Director, Gynecologist and IVF Expert from Mother’s Lap IVF Centre in New Delhi and Vrindavan.