What is the best diet for IVF?

Most fertility doctors lean toward a Mediterranean-style diet for IVF rather than anything extreme. Lots of protein, vegetables, healthy fats, eggs, fish, nuts, berries, whole foods, and less processed food seems to come up repeatedly.

I also noticed clinics usually focus more on consistency and overall health than “miracle fertility foods.” A lot of women stress themselves out trying to eat perfectly during IVF when the bigger factors are usually egg quality, embryo quality, age, and overall health.

An IVF diet that is balanced and nutritious, can have a significant impact on not only your general health, but also on your fertility.

Given how emotionally and financially draining IVF treatment can be, making some small adjustments to your diet in advance could really be worthwhile for you.

How does diet help IVF success?

Research has established that eating healthy can boost our fertility and chances of having a healthy and safe pregnancy.

The benefits to adopting a healthy IVF diet prior to and during your treatment include:

1. Providing vitamins and minerals needed for optimum health of the egg and sperm
2. Providing antioxidants which can protect the egg and sperm from damage induced by free radicals
3. Providing essential fats which enable the proper production and function of reproductive hormones. This ensures optimal hormone balance in the body and can be particularly beneficial in cases of hormone imbalance, such as infertility in PCOS patients.
4. Ensures optimal general health by providing anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing effects
5. Ensures the body is healthy and strong in preparation for the early stages of pregnancy

When should I start my IVF diet?

The usual recommendation is to start the IVF diet about 2-3 months before treatment.

This is to ensure that your body is of optimal health and strength and there is time to stabilize any hormonal imbalances, which may affect the success of your treatment.

What foods help with IVF success?

You need a healthy balance of macro and micro-nutrients.

Healthy fats – Fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, and tuna are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which play an important role in maintaining egg health. Vegetarians can consider having more nuts, Avocado, Olive oil, etc.

Protein – Eggs, lean meats, sea food, cottage cheese, tofu, beans, yogurt, lentils, full-fat milk are all good sources of protein.

A diet that is low in protein can lead to fewer mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cells) but a diet that is overly high in protein can also cause infertility by disrupting a female’s hormonal balance. So you need to just have the adequate amount of protein in your diet.

Additionally, women with high consumption of red meat and poultry have been found to have an increased risk of anovulation, leading to infertility. Replacing these with plan protein reduced the incidence of infertility in these women.

Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates are important but lowering their quantity in your daily diet can have a beneficial effect on your fertility.

A diet with a high glycemic load causes a risk of anovulation and infertility, whereas a keto diet has been shown to improve fertility in many women.

Vitamins and minerals – The micronutrients play and important part in your fertility and healthy menstrual cycles and they are not produced by your body. You must ensure to include the below food items to have a healthy balance of the required vitamins and minerals for your fertility.

Vitamins for fertility

1. Vitamin B-9 or Folate/Folic acid – It is important in early pregnancy, cellular health and growth, and formation of red blood cells. Folate can be found in spinach, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, fortified grains and cereals, asparagus, beans, peanuts, legumes, sunflower seeds, fruits and juices, etc.
2. Vitamin B6 and B12 – Researchers found that regular supplementation of folic acid, along with vitamins B6 and B12, helps reduce the incidence of recurrent pregnancy loss in women who had multiple miscarriages. Both of these vitamins are important for our cells to survive and grow and they can be found in meat, fish, poultry, soya, legumes, tofu, bananas.
3. Vitamin C – Vitamin C is a strong anti-oxidant that can help fight free radicals and it can help improve gamete quality in both men and women. Citrus fruits, bell peppers, berries, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts are all good sources of Vitamin C.
4. Vitamin D – It is important for normal hormonal function, production of AMH, improving egg quality, and helping in easier conception. It is found in fatty fish, cod liver oil, egg yolks, cheese, mushrooms.
5. Vitamin E – Also, a strong anti-oxidant, it helps improve the endometrial environment and egg quality in women and boost sperm count and motility in men. Foods that are rich in Vitamin E include spinach, red sweet peppers, almonds, wheat germ oil, avocado, peanuts, sunflower seeds, cabbage, milk, kale, etc.

Minerals for fertility

1. Calcium – Found in milk, yogurt, cheese, green vegetables, salmon, etc. It is important for formation of gametes and development of the embryo and fetus. It is also important for spermatogenesis in men.
2. Iron – Adequate iron levels are important for endometrial health and to improve ovulation in women. Iron can be found in spinach, beets, peas, broccoli, string beans, kale, etc.
3. Magnesium – Magnesium helps with glucose metabolism and especially helpful in women with PCOS. Spinach, almonds, peanuts, legumes, chocolate, black beans, seeds, etc all are good sources of Magnesium.
4. Iodine – It is important for the proper thyroid function and the growth and development of the fetus. Iodine is found in Iodized salt, seafood, and milk.
5. Selenium – Selenium helps by reducing the oxidative stress on cells and helps in the growth and maturation of female eggs. It is found in lean meats, eggs, beans, peas, nuts, seeds, and soy products.
6. Zinc – A deficiency of Zinc results in poor quality, immature eggs. In men, Zinc helps with increasing testosterone levels and improving sperm count, quality, and motility. Oysters are a richest source of Zinc, and for vegetarians, it can be found in nuts, cereals, whole grains, dairy, chickpeas.