People who eat a diet rich in fish, fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil and whole grains — also known as the Mediterranean diet — have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and related ailments. And the benefits of the diet may extend to fertility treatment, a study shows.
Adhering to the diet increases the chances of a successful pregnancy and birth among women who undergo in vitro fertilization, or IVF, according to researchers from Harokopido University of Athens.
In a study that included 244 women attempting pregnancy via IVF, the team found those who stayed on the diet for six months before treatment were 65 to 68 percent more likely to have a successful pregnancy and birth. The results were published in the journal Human Reproduction.
Dietary information was gleaned from a questionnaire the women filled out before undergoing services at a fertility treatment center. All of the women received a score from 0 to 55 based on how closely they followed the Mediterranean diet. The women, ages 22 to 41, were separated into groups based on their score: 18 to 30 for the first group, 31 to 35 for the second, and 36 to 47 for the third.
Women with the highest scores had a 50 percent pregnancy rate and a 48.8 percent rate of live birth. Women with the lowest scores had successful pregnancies and births at rates of 29 percent and 26.6 percent, respectively.
Also, women under age 35 in the high-scoring group saw the most benefits. For every five-point increase in their diet scores, they were 2.7 times more likely to have a successful pregnancy and live birth, the study found.
The benefits of a healthy diet, is seems, can be realized even before you are born.