Cut
back on the caffeine and saturated fats. It's not new advice. But
there's a bit more research now that arrives at the conclusion that
too much of these dietary no-no's can get in the way of IVF success.
I
know my patients at Houston Fertility Center sometimes feel “up to
here!” with the restrictions that they already find infertility and
its treatment have put on them. So information like this is not
always welcome – but remember, the more data we have on which to
base our treatment decisions and techniques, the less likely it is
that patients will be required to go through numerous treatment
cycles to get pregnant.
In
two different presentations, researchers at this year's meeting of
the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology informed
us of these findings:
- Drinking more than 5 cups of coffee per day can reduce your chance of pregnancy from IVF by 50 percent, but the reasons are not clear.
- The type and amount of dietary fats consumed by a woman seems to impact IVF success. Specifically, chances of IVF pregnancy were lessened in women who had higher intakes of saturated fats because they produced fewer mature egg cells.
The
dietary fats study is especially small, and the researchers call for
more follow-up. The caffeine-related study, too, should be expanded,
but for now, authors of this Danish study of nearly 4,000 IVF
patients are suggesting that adverse effects of coffee are comparable
to the detrimental effects of smoking on IVF.
The
researchers in both of these studies clearly state that there's no
need to make drastic changes based only on their findings.
Overall, our patients are admirable in how they heed the warnings of research about lifestyle-based effects on fertility treatment. Whether a woman is experiencing infertility or not, going through a little dietary “clean up” during preconception is a great idea with benefits for mom and baby.
Overall, our patients are admirable in how they heed the warnings of research about lifestyle-based effects on fertility treatment. Whether a woman is experiencing infertility or not, going through a little dietary “clean up” during preconception is a great idea with benefits for mom and baby.
