Mediterranean diet improves embryo yield in IVF: a prospective cohort study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• The Mediterranean diet is linked to various health benefits.
• Research on the Mediterranean diet's impact on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and clinical outcomes in infertile women undergoing IVF treatment.

Main Methods:

• An observational prospective cohort study included 590 infertile women undergoing IVF.
• Participants completed a questionnaire to assess Mediterranean diet adherence.
• Women were grouped into higher and lower adherence categories based on diet scores.

Main Results:

• Higher Mediterranean diet adherence was associated with a greater number of available embryos (8.40 vs 7.40, P=0.028).
• No significant differences were observed in clinical pregnancy or implantation rates between groups.
• Positive correlations were found between Mediterranean diet adherence and the number of fertilized oocytes and overall embryo yield.

Conclusions:

• Increased adherence to the Mediterranean diet pattern in infertile women may lead to a higher number of available embryos in IVF cycles.