Eating this diet can hugely increase chances of IVF success, study shows

A study has found a link between this type of food and IVF success.

Sticking to a Mediterranean diet in the lead up to undergoing IVF treatment can result in a much higher chance of success, according to research. The study done in the Harokopio University in Athens found that women under the age of 35 who followed a Mediterranean diet in the six months before IVF treatment had a significantly higher chance of getting pregnant. The study examined the diets of over 240 women in the months before starting treatment, with participants answering questionnaires about the foods they were consuming and how often. It found that those who consumed more fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, fish and olive oil, and less red meat, had a better chance of getting pregnant. The information was used to compile a ‘MedDiet Score’ which was a scale based on the amount of Mediterranean food the women were eating. The women fell into three categories with the lowest scoring group having a 29 percent chance of pregnancy as opposed to those in the highest scoring group who had a 50 percent chance.

“The important message from our study is that women attempting fertility should be encouraged to eat a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet,” said the lead author on the study, Professor Nikos Yiannakouris. “Because greater adherence to this healthy dietary pattern may help increase the chances of successful pregnancy and delivering a live baby.”

However, it’s not just women who can increase their chances of having a baby by sticking to this diet.

“Previous work from our research group among the male partners of our study has suggested that adherence to the Mediterranean diet may also help improve semen quality.”