LIFESTYLE & DIET FOR
FERTILITY & PREGNANCY
AGE & FERTILITY
AGE & FERTILITY
• IDEAL BMI 20-25KG/M2
• HYPOPITUITARISM-HYPOGONADISM BMI <18.5
• HIGH BMI
• INCREASED AROMATIZATION OF ANDROGENS TO
ESTROGEN IN ADIPOCYTES
WEIGHT & • INCREASED IGF-1 INCREASED INSULIN
FERTILITY HYPERANDROGENISM
• AFFECTING BOTH MALE AND FEMALE
• OLIGO-OVULATION
• ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
• SPERM QUALITY
• EVEN IN OVULATING WOMEN, CHANCE OF
CONCEPTION IS LOWERED IN HIGHER BMI
WOMEN
• 10% REDUCTION IN SUCCESS RATES OF IVF IN
OVERWEIGHT WOMEN
• RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY IN STANFORD
UNI. MED. CENTRE
BENEFIT OF • MEAN BMI 33
WEIGHT LOSS • DIETARY AND LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION INC.
METFORMIN FOR DYSGLYCAEMIA
IN FERTILITY • >10% WEIGHT LOSS
• HIGHER CONCEPTION (88% VS. 54%)
• HIGHER LIVE BIRTH RATES (71% CS. 37%)
• 2X INFERTILITY RATES IN MEN & WOMEN
• MISCARRIAGE OR 1.4 (95% CI 1.0-2.1) 10
SMOKING CIGARETTES/DAY
• AFFECT SEMEN PARAMETERS
• MEN
• MODERATE DRINKING OF NO MORE THAN 30ML
STANDARD DRINK/DAY HAS NOT BEEN SHOWN TO
AFFECT FERTILITY
• ABOVE THAT LEVEL SEMEN QUALITY AFFECTED
• WOMEN
ALCOHOL • LOW OR MODERATE DRINKING OF UP TO 5
SERVINGS/WEEK HAS NOT BEEN SHOWN TO AFFECT
FERTILITY
• MOST HEALTH AGENCIES ADVISE NOT TO DRINK AT
ALL WHEN TRYING TO CONCEIVE AS DURING EARLY
STAGES OF PREGNANCY, BABIES MAY BE
VULNERABLE TO THE ADVERSE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL
• IMPROVES PHYSICAL & MENTAL HEALTH
• MAINTAIN OR LOSE WEIGHT
• ALLEVIATING STRESS
• SHOWN TO IMPROVE SEMEN PARAMETERS
• EXCESSIVE EXERCISE E.G. HIGH INTENSITY
COMPETITIVE SPORTS TRAINING MAY CAUSE
MODERATE HYPOPITUITARISM-HYPOGONADISM
EXERCISE • MEN SHOULD NOT USE ANDROGENS
• MAY CAUSE AZOOSPERMIA
• WHO
• 150 MINS OF MODERATE-INTENSITY OR 75 MINS OF
VIGOROUS-INTENSITY AEROBIC PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE WEEK
• DURING PREGNANCY, 150 MINS OF MODERATE-
INTENSITY EXERCISE IMPROVES THE HEALTH OF MUM
& BABY
• NO CONSISTENT PATTERNS
• MOST RESEARCH FOUND NO ASSOCIATION
CAFFEINE • A FEW STUDIES SUGGESTED LINEAR EFFECT OF
CAFFEINE INTAKE TO MALE INFERTILITY
• PERHAPS LIMIT THE AMOUNT TO 200MG/DAY,
EQUIVALENT TO 2 MUGS OF INSTANT COFFEE
• SHORT TERM STRESS LEADS TO POORER EGG
QUALITY AND IVF OUTCOME
• WOMEN REPORTED HIGHER STRESS LEVEL
SHOWN TO HAVE LOWER SUCCESS RATES IN
FERTILITY TREATMENT
STRESS AND • UNCERTAIN ROLES OF LONGER TERM STRESS,
SUPPORT OUR BODY MAY COPE
• SUPPORT
• CLOSE FAMILY AND FRIENDS
• SUPPORT GROUPS
• RELAXATION ACTIVITIES
DIET- WHAT TO FOCUS ON?
Vitamin D
Antioxidants
Good fats vs. bad fats
Folic acid
Soy
• Maybe good for women
• Is it bad for men
Dairy
• Is full fat better?
• “WESTERN DIET” HIGH IN CARBOHYDRATES,
RED MEATS, PROCESSED MEATS, POTATOES,
SWEETS, AND SWEETENED DRINKS RESULTS IN
LOWER QUALITY SEMEN PARAMETERS &
DIET- WHAT FERTILIZATION RATES
TO FOCUS • FOODS SUCH AS FISH, SEAFOOD INCLUDING
ON? SHELLFISH, POULTRY, CEREALS, VEGETABLES,
FRUITS, HAS A +VE EFFECT ON THE QUALITY OF
SPERM PARAMETERS
• FEMALES WITH THE HIGHEST MED DIET SCORE HAVE
66% LOWER CHANCE OF OVULATORY DISORDERS &
27% OF OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING THEIR FERTILITY
THE • WOMEN WITH HIGHER MED DIET SCORE HAVE
MEDITERRAN BETTER CHANCE
• CLINICAL PREGNANCY (29.1% VS. 50%)
EAN DIET- IS • LIVE BIRTH (26.6% VS. 48.8%)
IT THE • MEN WITH MED DIET SCORE 37 OR MORE HAS THE
ANSWER? BEST SEMEN QUALITY IN ALL PARAMETERS
• UP TO 30% MEN WITH THE LOWEST MED DIET SCORE
HAS AT LEAST ONE SUBOPTIMAL SEMEN
PARAMETERS
ENJOY THE RECIPE!!!!!!!!!
