ALT Does dietary intake impact pregnancy outcomes in people using assisted reproductive technologies (e.g. IVF)?

ALT The nutritional status of men and women can have a significant impact on their fertility status. Up to 15% of all couples of reproductive age worldwide suffer from infertility, and many will use assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as IVF to improve their chances of conception. A recent systematic review by @monashnutrition researchers investigated the relationship between preconception dietary patterns and clinical pregnancy and/or live birth outcomes in men and women undergoing ART. Studies showed an increased likelihood of achieving a clinical pregnancy following ART was associated with maternal adherence to 3 dietary patterns: ⏩The Mediterranean diet ⏩The novel profertility diet ⏩The Dutch National dietary recommendations diet. Maternal adherence to 2 dietary patterns prior to undergoing ART were associated with an increased probability of live birth: ⏩The Mediterranean diet ⏩The novel profertility diet.

ALT So, what do these dietary patterns have in common? ⏩ All of these dietary patterns focus on minimally processed fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, fish and monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oils, while intakes of highly processed foods are limited. ⏩The diets are high in B-vitamins such as folate, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fibre and low in saturated fat, sugar and sodium.

ALT What do we still need to know? We still need to understand more about the impact of the male partner’s dietary pattern on ART outcomes. More research is also required to assess changes in dietary patterns over time and future studies should incorporate information about participant’s energy intake and nutritional supplement use.