COGI update - Nutrition and fertility
The role of nutrition on fertility
During the COGI conference in Paris, a whole session was dedicated to nutrition, and Dr Chavarrow gave a very positive message, encouraging fertility specialists to talk to their patients more about beneficial effects of nutrition. In particular for women with ovulation? disorders, the data is particularly encouraging.
He highlighted that modern foods have a negative effect on fertility and time trying to conceive.
The consumption of high levels of transfat, found in processed food, increase the risks by 2.31 fold of being infertile. A high glycemic load (white bread, white rice...) increase the risks by 1.92 fold. The consumption of more than 10% of calorie intake as animal proteins has also been associated with an increased risk of 1.39 fold of being infertile.
Interestingly low fat dairy doesn’t have a positive effect on fertility and whole milk should be recommended. This was the basis for quite a few articles which made the scientific community smile: “eat ice cream to be more fertile”. It is probably more related to the fact that people eating whole milk are more likely to eat whole food and a generally healthy diet.
In Dr Chavarrow’s opinion, any fat eaten has an effect on infertility and the high glycemic load has a link with insulin resistance and a risk of diabetes, and should therefore be avoided.
Folic acid on the other hand has been shown to increase fertility by 41%. This is found in all good preconception supplements. The intake of non-heme iron was also associated with a reduced risk of infertility by 73%.
