Mediterranean diet is healthy and nutritious. It has a lot of health benefits. And the newer benefit added is that it boosts fertility. Is this a true statement?
Mediterranean diet and its health benefits
Mediterranean diet is the diet that is a staple of countries along the Mediterranean Sea. This includes Greece, Italy, Spain and France. The people of these nations are healthy and generally free of the various chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart ailments etc.
This diet promotes heart health. It lowers blood cholesterol and blood sugars and assists in weight control.
Mediterranean diet pyramid (Source: Medicine net)The diet can also boost brain health and cognition. Basically, the diet consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and seafoods. The latter are loaded with healthy fats.
And the newer health benefit added to this list is that the Mediterranean diet can boost fertility. How true is this?
Mediterranean foods boosts fertility
Nutritionists with the Loyola University Health System state that women on this diet have higher chances of getting pregnant. It boosts fertility and lowers risk of strokes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, excess weight, rheumatoid arthritis, and depression. Moreover, it has the potential to enhance sleep. The diet also favors pregnancy in women on IVF therapy.
Mediterranean diet can boost fertility (Source: Health shots)This diet is not restrictive but is a balanced and wholesome diet. The diet cuts down body fat and thus indirectly boosts fertility. In men, this diet increases sperm count production. The seafoods in this diet are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and protein. Both of these can enhance the chances of conception and pregnancy in women.
Several studies have revealed that the diet can increase the success rate of IVF treatment in women. And in those who conceive naturally, it reduces the time to conception. The success rate is 20% higher when women are on this diet. The study author Simon Alesi, a researcher from Monash University in Melbourne says:
“Our review demonstrates that the Mediterranean Diet may also increase fertility and provide benefits for couples who are trying to have children,”
The inflammatory component
Mediterranean diet lowers the incidence of body inflammation. Simon says:
“Inflammation is increasingly recognized as a factor that contributes to poor reproductive and fertility outcomes, often termed ‘inflammatory infertility’ in the evidence,”
“And the bionutrients in the Mediterranean diet such as monounsaturated fats, flavonoids, vitamins C and E, polyphenols, and the limited intake of processed meat, are likely to reduce inflammation in the body, thus improving fertility.”
Foods for fertility (Source: Motherly)Read here more: No evidence to show that a Mediterranean diet can reduce dementia risk!
The diet has a positive impact on menstrual cycle regularity and embryo quality. Chances of live birth rates is more and there is improvement in endometriosis-related issues. Dr. Alex Robles was not part of the study. But he agrees:
“I recommend that all patients trying to conceive consider incorporating some Mediterranean dietary elements into their lifestyle,”
“There is no significant downside risk to doing so, and the potential benefits could be substantial.”