{"id":1499,"date":"2020-02-14T15:29:38","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T15:29:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.theduff.co.uk\/?p=1499"},"modified":"2020-03-30T13:22:28","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T13:22:28","slug":"fertility-diet-ivf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/fertility-diet-ivf\/","title":{"rendered":"<strong>Fertility diets:<\/strong> do they work?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>IF YOU'VE MANAGED TO AVOID READING ANY FERTILITY DIET ADVICE UNTIL NOW, I APPLAUD YOUR RESTRAINT (OR YOUR ADORBS LACK OF GOOGLING SKILLS).<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a LOT of information about how to eat when you\u2019re trying to conceive, but is there evidence that any of it works for people who\u2019ve been diagnosed with fertility problems? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s delve and discover.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-189190b1{padding:0% 36% 8% 22%;}.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-6b407887 > 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10% 14%;}.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-6b407887 > .elementor-element-populated{margin:0% 10% 0% 0%;--e-column-margin-right:10%;--e-column-margin-left:0%;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;}}@media(max-width:767px){.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-189190b1{margin-top:16%;margin-bottom:18%;padding:0% 0% 0% 0%;}.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-6b407887 > .elementor-element-populated{margin:0% 0% 0% 0%;--e-column-margin-right:0%;--e-column-margin-left:0%;padding:0% 0% 0% 0%;}.elementor-572 .elementor-element.elementor-element-65191d58 > .elementor-widget-container{margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;}}\/* Start custom CSS for table-of-contents, class: .elementor-element-65191d58 *\/.elementor-toc__header-title {\n    color: #333333;\n}\n\n.elementor-toc__list-wrapper {\n    margin: 0em 2em 2em 0em;\n}\n\n.elementor-toc__list-items--collapsible li:not(:last-of-type) {\n    margin: 1.5em 0em;\n    padding-bottom: 1.5em;\n    border-bottom: 0.5px solid #007595;\n}\n\n\/* --- For Mobile --- *\/\n@media only screen and (max-width: 400px) {\n    .elementor-toc__list-wrapper {\n    margin: -1em 0em 0em 0em;\n}\n\n.elementor-toc__list-items--collapsible li:not(:last-of-type) {\n    margin: 1.2em 0em;\n    padding-bottom: 1.2em;\n    border-bottom: 0.5px solid #007595;\n}\n}\/* End custom CSS *\/<\/style>\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"572\" class=\"elementor elementor-572\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-189190b1 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"189190b1\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6b407887\" data-id=\"6b407887\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65191d58 elementor-toc--minimized-on-none elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"65191d58\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;collapse_subitems&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;vh&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:48,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;],&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;none&quot;,&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;bullets&quot;,&quot;icon&quot;:{&quot;value&quot;:&quot;fas fa-circle&quot;,&quot;library&quot;:&quot;fa-solid&quot;},&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tContents\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__65191d58\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-down\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__65191d58\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-up\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__65191d58\" class=\"elementor-toc__body elementor-toc__list-items--collapsible\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<i class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quick intro: the four main types of fertility problems<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We can&nbsp;roughly divide female fertility problems into four different categories: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Ovulatory infertility\/dysfunction <\/li><li>Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)<\/li><li>Poor egg quality <\/li><li>Low egg count (i.e. a small number of eggs)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Each type of fertility problem comes with different implications for how it should be treated. Can  a &#8220;fertility diet&#8221; be used as part of the treatment for any of them? Read on to find out&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fertility diet for ovulatory infertility\/dysfunction <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ovulatory dysfunction is one of the main causes of infertility, and it describes women who don\u2019t ever ovulate, or who ovulate infrequently\/irregularly. The main causes are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Being overweight or underweight<\/li><li>Extreme stress<\/li><li>Eating disorders<\/li><li>Thyroid issues <\/li><li>Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Can a fertility diet help with ovulatory dysfunction? The answer is <em>maybe. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>If ovulatory dysfunction is caused by your weight&#8230; <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Women who are severely underweight or overweight often experience hormonal changes that lead to ovulatory infertility. If you find yourself in this category and prioritise becoming a healthier weight, all the evidence indicates that your fertility will improve too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(To cite just one study, The American Society for Reproductive Medicine states that \u201cmore than 70% of women who are infertile as the result of body weight disorders will conceive spontaneously if their weight disorder is corrected\u201d. Admittedly, I can\u2019t find the direct link to the study, but plenty of reputable sources quote the same sentence.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you still have ovulatory infertility after the required weight gain\/loss, you\u2019ll benefit from increased odds of getting pregnant via fertility treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"370\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/03-BMI-chart-700px-b-e1584636440124.png\" alt=\"Skinny person and overweight person cartoon\" class=\"wp-image-754\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>But does it matter&nbsp;<em>what&nbsp;<\/em>you eat to reach your healthy weight? If you\u2019re overweight, will a diet of Diet Coke and sugar-free Haribo get you ovulating once you reach the required BMI? If you\u2019re underweight, can you gorge on chocolate and cheesecake?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, errr\u2026&nbsp;, hate to admit this, but yes, kind of. You don\u2019t want to give yourself a bunch of nutritional deficiencies in your quest to gain or lose weight in the least healthy way possible, but there\u2019s no need to buy up the contents of a \u201cfertility diet\u201d blog post, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More important than maca and flax seeds is that the rest of your lifestyle is ovulation-friendly. For example, we know that stress, smoking, excessive exercise and being old can also bring about ovulatory infertility. But if you\u2019re nicotine-free, don\u2019t run daily marathons, are young, and so relaxed that your friends call you \u201cChilled Jill\u201d (or similar), simply becoming a healthy weight could be all you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What about the studies that show a correlation between a \u201chigh-quality carb\u201d diet and increased ovulatory fertility, or a \u201cgood fats\u201d diet and increased ovulatory fertility, or a \u201chigh plant-based protein\u201d diet and increased ovulatory fertility? They\u2019ve been criticised for a number of reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Small sample size<\/li><li>Not controlling for the weights of the participants, or the amount of weight they lost<\/li><li>Not controlling for any other lifestyle changes among the participants<\/li><li>Lots of different diets seem to lead to increased ovulatory fertility\u2026 which gives the impression that&nbsp;it\u2019s the weight loss\/gain that matters \u2013 not the food you eat (or don\u2019t eat) to lose it<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>If ovulatory dysfunction is due to stress, thyroid issues, or any reason other than PCOS&#8230;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Addressing these underlying issues may help to bring ovulation back. For example, if you start taking medication for an underactive thyroid, you may well find that your absent or sporadic periods return with impressive regularity. Special diets or foods can\u2019t help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What's proven to help women with ovulatory infertility?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you're relatively young and you've addressed all the suggestions above (such as getting your weight to a normal level and dealing with any underlying health problems), you've already made it much more likely that you'll get pregnant naturally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you still can't conceive, fertility treatment (IVF, ICSI, Ovulation Induction, etc.) is a potential solution. Fertility treatment takes over your body's natural tendencies and pretty much forces ovulation to occur. While you still aren't guaranteed to get pregnant, you have a very good chance of ovulating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(<strong>Important point<\/strong>: if you're thinking of skipping the weight loss\/stress\/thyroid\/etc. steps and moving straight on to fertility treatment, don't. Fertility treatment is far more likely to be successful if you're a healthy weight and have tackled any underlying health conditions first. It's for that reason many clinics won't treat you unless you have a certain BMI.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interested in how fertility treatment works? <a href=\"\/ivf-process-start-to-finish\/\">Read this article on the IVF process from start to finish<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Group-1285@2x.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-492\" width=\"229\" height=\"105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Group-1285@2x.png 443w, https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Group-1285@2x-300x137.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 229px) 100vw, 229px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.elementor-291 .elementor-element.elementor-element-4c84a175{margin-top:2%;margin-bottom:12%;padding:1% 4% 1% 4%;z-index:2;}.elementor-291 .elementor-element.elementor-element-554afbfb > 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data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4c84a175 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4c84a175\" data-element_type=\"section\" id=\"Mailing-list-sign-up-box\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-554afbfb\" data-id=\"554afbfb\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-21014cc2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"21014cc2\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-7c412ba7\" data-id=\"7c412ba7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-144e6175 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"144e6175\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-sm\" role=\"button\" id=\"fdg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">FREE DOWNLOAD<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ed2b9df elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1ed2b9df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Questions to ask your doctor at every stage of IVF treatment: free downloadable guide<\/p>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39ffc0a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"39ffc0a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>IVF isn\u2019t just overwhelming<\/strong>; it can also be a mind-boggling and sometimes terrifying experience because there\u2019s so much to learn and so many rules to follow.<\/p><p>Problem is, doctors are busy \u2013 and they often don\u2019t have the time to anticipate your concerns and provide all the information you might need.<\/p><p>This downloadable guide contains questions that will help you understand the process better, get the answers you deserve, and feel more in control of the situation (and your rights as a patient).<\/p><p><strong>Enter your email address to receive it right away.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68569f9a elementor-mobile-button-align-center elementor-tablet-button-align-stretch elementor-button-align-stretch elementor-widget elementor-widget-form\" data-id=\"68569f9a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" 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elementor-field-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"form-field-email\" class=\"elementor-field-label elementor-screen-only\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"email\" name=\"form_fields[email]\" id=\"form-field-email\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-lg  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"Your email address\" required=\"required\" aria-required=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-type-submit elementor-col-20 e-form__buttons elementor-md-25 elementor-sm-100\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-lg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\" elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Get the PDF<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e68b04a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e68b04a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>I won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fertility diet for PCOS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned above, PCOS is a type of ovulatory dysfunction, but it deserves a section of its own because it has a unique characteristic: insulin resistance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re overweight and have PCOS, weight loss can help to bring about regular ovulation and actually&nbsp;decrease all other symptoms of PCOS. Unfortunately, PCOS is linked with insulin resistance (see below), and \u2013 long story short \u2013 insulin resistance increases the body\u2019s insulin levels, which promotes fat storage and weight gain. It\u2019s therefore often harder for women with PCOS to lose weight \u2013 but if you have PCOS and you <em>are&nbsp;<\/em>able to lose weight, there\u2019s a chance that\u2019s all you need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for specific foods? There\u2019s little to no concrete evidence that any sort of&nbsp;diet or food aimed at PCOS sufferers will help: if you go on one of the many advertised PCOS diets and lose weight as a result, that\u2019s probably why your fertility has improved rather than the specific food you\u2019re eating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s one big \u201cBUT\u201d to all this\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned above, PCOS is related to insulin resistance. Low-carb diets have been shown to reduce insulin resistance \u2013 and therefore low-carb diets <em>may<\/em> improve all symptoms of PCOS, including fertility problems. This is the case even if you\u2019re not overweight to begin with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"429\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/04-Woman-throwing-sandwich-700px-e1584636507573.png\" alt=\"Woman throwing sandwich in the bin\" class=\"wp-image-755\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>But there\u2019s another \u201cBUT\u201d, I\u2019m afraid! PCOS sufferers also tend to&nbsp;have lower-quality eggs \u2013 so even if you improve your ovulatory infertility through weight loss and\/or a low-carb diet, you may still need fertility help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fertility diet for poor egg quality<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When an egg is poor quality, it's genetically abnormal \u2013 which means it often won't fertilise. If it <em>does&nbsp;<\/em>fertilise, it won\u2019t implant. If it <em>does&nbsp;<\/em>implant, it has a higher likelihood of being miscarried. And if it <em>does&nbsp;<\/em>survive to term, it\u2019s more likely that the baby will have a genetic disorder like Down Syndrome. <br> <br>There are a number of reasons why&nbsp;women can have poor-quality eggs, but the main one is \u201cadvanced maternal age\u201d. <a href=\"\/egg-quality-quantity-ovarian-reserve\/\">Read more about poor-quality eggs here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can any kind of &#8220;fertility diet&#8221; help with poor egg quality?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No. To explain why&#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two main causes of poor-quality (i.e. genetically abnormal) eggs: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Lack of energy<\/strong>. Each of your eggs contains mitochondria, which can be thought of as teeny tiny batteries. When an egg is fertilised, it\u2019s the mitochondria that give it the energy it needs to constantly divide and eventually become a foetus. As you age, these mitochondria produce less and less energy. The result? Even if you have a successfully fertilised egg on your hands, it may simply&nbsp;run out of steam before it\u2019s able to divide.<\/li><li><strong>The \u201cwrong\u201d number of chromosomes<\/strong>. An egg needs to have the correct number of chromosomes in order&nbsp;to develop into a healthy, genetic disorder-free baby. As you age, more and more of your eggs will contain the \u201cwrong\u201d number of chromosomes.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Once an egg becomes abnormal, it can\u2019t be made normal again through diet \u2013 or indeed&nbsp;anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can anything be done to prevent eggs from \u201cgoing bad\u201d in the first place? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, but not food or diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned earlier, the main reason eggs become abnormal (or poor quality) is \u201cadvanced maternal age\u201d. What\u2019s age got to do with it? Well, your body \u2013 and therefore your eggs \u2013 is exposed to infection, stress, toxins, free radicals and more that cause them harm. The older you are, the longer your body has been exposed to all this unpleasantness \u2013 and your eggs inevitably become exposed, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Younger people can also have poor-quality eggs&nbsp;because egg quality is&nbsp;<em>also&nbsp;<\/em>affected by&nbsp;the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Smoking<\/li><li>Drug use<\/li><li>Endometriosis<\/li><li>Ovarian cysts<\/li><li>Obesity<\/li><li>Some immunological disorders<\/li><li>Radiation therapy and chemotherapy<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever your age, avoiding all this stuff will help to preserve the quality of any good eggs you have remaining. (There\u2019s not much you can do about many on the list, but stopping smoking and recreational drug use is kind of a no-brainer.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I paid for a &#8220;no smoking&#8221; illustration for another article, let's use it again here. And let's make it huge:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Age-egg-quality-etc-02-e1583077707174.png\" alt=\"No smoking sign\" class=\"wp-image-770\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Fertility specialists also believe there\u2019s no harm in trying&nbsp;the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Get your hormones more balanced by de-stressing, sleeping well, and regulating your blood sugar.<\/li><li>Give your mitochondria more energy by taking <a href=\"\/ivf-food-pomegranate-pineapple-chips-coq10-dhea-acupuncture\/#coq10\">CoQ10<\/a> as well as vitamins A and E.<\/li><li>Have <a href=\"http:\/\/ivf-food-pomegranate-pineapple-chips-coq10-dhea-acupuncture\/#acupuncture\">acupuncture<\/a> to increase blood flow to the ovaries. A good blood flow enables more nutrients to reach the eggs and improve their overall health.<\/li><li>Start taking a B vitamin called Inositol, which is thought to improve egg quality by increasing insulin sensitivity of the ovaries.<\/li><li>Talk to your doctor about a hormone called <a href=\"\/ivf-food-pomegranate-pineapple-chips-coq10-dhea-acupuncture\/#dhea\">DHEA<\/a> (dehydroepiandrosterone): recent studies indicate that it may improve egg quality, but it\u2019s a pretty&nbsp;potent hormone and needs to be taken under supervision.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you\u2019re REALLY looking for something food-related, some fertility specialists recommend that you try to neutralise free radicals in your body (which speed up the ageing process of your eggs) with a diet rich in antioxidants: brightly coloured fruit and veg, green tea and \u2013 in moderation \u2013 red wine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So there you go: you now have permission to go wild on the pomegranate juice. (But any other fruit and veg will also do.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to know more about egg quality? <a href=\"egg-quality-quantity-ovarian-reserve\/\">Read this article about egg quality and quantity<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Group-1285@2x.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-492\" width=\"229\" height=\"105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Group-1285@2x.png 443w, https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Group-1285@2x-300x137.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 229px) 100vw, 229px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.elementor-291 .elementor-element.elementor-element-4c84a175{margin-top:2%;margin-bottom:12%;padding:1% 4% 1% 4%;z-index:2;}.elementor-291 .elementor-element.elementor-element-554afbfb > .elementor-element-populated{margin:0% 5% 0% 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elementor-element-7c412ba7\" data-id=\"7c412ba7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-144e6175 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"144e6175\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-sm\" role=\"button\" id=\"fdg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">FREE DOWNLOAD<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ed2b9df elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1ed2b9df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Questions to ask your doctor at every stage of IVF treatment: free downloadable guide<\/p>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39ffc0a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"39ffc0a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>IVF isn\u2019t just overwhelming<\/strong>; it can also be a mind-boggling and sometimes terrifying experience because there\u2019s so much to learn and so many rules to follow.<\/p><p>Problem is, doctors are busy \u2013 and they often don\u2019t have the time to anticipate your concerns and provide all the information you might need.<\/p><p>This downloadable guide contains questions that will help you understand the process better, get the answers you deserve, and feel more in control of the situation (and your rights as a patient).<\/p><p><strong>Enter your email address to receive it right away.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68569f9a elementor-mobile-button-align-center elementor-tablet-button-align-stretch elementor-button-align-stretch elementor-widget elementor-widget-form\" data-id=\"68569f9a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;button_width&quot;:&quot;20&quot;,&quot;button_width_mobile&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;button_width_tablet&quot;:&quot;25&quot;,&quot;step_next_label&quot;:&quot;Next&quot;,&quot;step_previous_label&quot;:&quot;Previous&quot;,&quot;step_type&quot;:&quot;number_text&quot;,&quot;step_icon_shape&quot;:&quot;circle&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"form.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<form class=\"elementor-form\" method=\"post\" name=\"New Form\">\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"post_id\" 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elementor-col-20 e-form__buttons elementor-md-25 elementor-sm-100\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-lg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\" elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Get the PDF<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e68b04a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e68b04a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>I won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fertility diet for low egg count<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a low egg count (that is, having a small number of eggs remaining in your ovaries) is different from ovulatory infertility. Women with ovulatory infertility may have a TON of eggs but just don't ovulate. This time we're talking about women who have a small repository of eggs (relatively speaking).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Who's at risk of having a low egg count?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Women over the age of 35 are most at risk of having a low egg count. Some younger women will also have a low egg count, but this is for a variety of niche reasons (such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia or a pituitary tumour) to be discussed with a doctor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why are older women likely to have a low egg count?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Women are born with all the eggs they'll ever have (about two million), and you lose loads of them every month. By the time you hit puberty, you\u2019re already down to your final 350,000 or so&nbsp;eggs \u2013 and then you\u2019ll lose about 1,000 eggs every month after puberty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rate of egg depletion increases as you age \u2013 and by the time you\u2019re 30, you\u2019ll have about 12% of your eggs left. When you get to 40, you\u2019ll be down to your final 3%. A few years later and they\u2019ll mostly be all gone. (Menopause is typically between the ages of 48 and 55.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/follicle-count-chart2.jpg\" alt=\"Follicle count chart\" class=\"wp-image-1511\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, not everyone starts with exactly the same number of eggs or loses them at exactly the same rate, but the variation between women isn\u2019t usually significant enough to warrant any feelings of egg-repository-related jealousy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to know more about egg count? <a href=\"egg-quality-quantity-ovarian-reserve\/\">Read this article about egg quality and quantity<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why should I worry about a low egg count? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Among young people, a low egg count usually isn't anything to worry about: there will still be enough eggs for ovulation to occur each month, and those eggs are likely to be good quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it's a bigger deal for women who are older, because those eggs are also likely to be lower quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It's also not ideal for women who have other fertility issues and require IVF or ICSI. With IVF\/ICSI, the idea is to collect many eggs from you in one go \u2013 so if you don't have many eggs hanging around in the first place&#8230; you see the problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"\/egg-quality-quantity-ovarian-reserve\/\">Read more about having a low egg count here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can a fertility diet help to improve my egg count?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No. Nothing can be done to increase the number of eggs you have. Food and diet can\u2019t help, but neither can anything else. If you want more eggs, you\u2019ll need to invent a time machine and become younger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"429\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/02-Young-woman-wearing-a-sash-700px-e1584636790967.png\" alt=\"Lady with &quot;21 today&quot; sash\" class=\"wp-image-752\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can certain foods or diets help to <\/strong><strong><em>retain <\/em><\/strong><strong>the number of eggs I have? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can <\/strong><strong><em>anything <\/em><\/strong><strong>help to retain the number of eggs I have? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Glad you asked! Yes: quitting smoking.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Practically all scientific studies show that smoking accelerates the loss (and has an impact on the quality) of eggs \u2013 and as a result, it may also bring forward your menopause by several years too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, go on then&#8230;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Age-egg-quality-etc-02-e1583077707174.png\" alt=\"No smoking sign\" class=\"wp-image-770\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In summary&#8230;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>If you have ovulatory infertility\u2026 <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>If you\u2019re overweight or underweight, eat more or less to get your weight to a healthy level. What you eat doesn\u2019t really matter: being a healthy weight could be all you need to start ovulating naturally. (And even if you still don\u2019t start to&nbsp;ovulate naturally, fertility treatment is more likely to be successful once you\u2019re a healthy weight.)<\/li><li>If you have PCOS, you may benefit from a low-carb diet (regardless of whether you\u2019re overweight or underweight). But your PCOS also has an impact on egg quality, which means you may still need fertility treatment. <\/li><li>If you have ovulatory infertility for any other reason (such as extreme stress and thyroid issues), no special foods or diets will help. You need to address the underlying cause of your ovulatory infertility and\/or get fertility treatment. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When it comes to egg quality\u2026 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>There\u2019s nothing you can do about the eggs that have already \u201cgone bad\u201d. For the remaining eggs, you need to quit smoking\/recreational drug use. You can also try de-stressing, <a href=\"http:\/\/ivf-food-pomegranate-pineapple-chips-coq10-dhea-acupuncture\/#acupuncture\">acupuncture<\/a>, taking <a href=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/ivf-food-pomegranate-pineapple-chips-coq10-dhea-acupuncture\/#coq10\">CoQ10<\/a>, vitamins A and E, Inositol and <a href=\"https:\/\/theduff.co.uk\/ivf-food-pomegranate-pineapple-chips-coq10-dhea-acupuncture\/#dhea\">DHEA<\/a> (none of which have have been proven to work, but aren\u2019t considered harmful either). <\/li><li>If you\u2019re desperate to go down the \u201cfertility diet\u201d route to improve the quality of your eggs, some fertility specialists believe that you can try to neutralise free radicals in your body (which speed up the ageing process of your eggs) with a diet rich in antioxidants: brightly coloured fruit and veg, green tea and \u2013 in moderation \u2013 red wine. <\/li><li>Also: be young. That\u2019s the most important factor when it comes to egg quality. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>As for egg count\/quantity\u2026 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Quit smoking. <\/li><li>Be young (again). <\/li><li>No special diets can help with egg quantity. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>And in conclusion&#8230;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> Successful IVF treatment has very little to do with your diet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The annoying truth is that \u2013 aside from medical expertise \u2013 successful IVF treatment is mostly down to factors outside our control: age and luck. The factors we <em>can <\/em>control (and which&nbsp;<em>have<\/em>&nbsp;been proven to make a difference to IVF treatment) are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Get to a healthy weight<\/li><li>Quit smoking and recreational drugs <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2026 And that\u2019s about it. A healthy, well-balanced diet rich in antioxidants is probably a good idea <em>anyway<\/em>, but there\u2019s no need to stick to any sort of&nbsp;\u201cfertility diet\u201d unless you have PCOS.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-3a6436ac{padding:4% 22% 8% 22%;z-index:2;}.elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-17d4eb46:not(.elementor-motion-effects-element-type-background) > .elementor-widget-wrap, .elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-17d4eb46 > .elementor-widget-wrap > .elementor-motion-effects-container > .elementor-motion-effects-layer{background-color:#C0E4E5;}.elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-17d4eb46 > .elementor-element-populated{transition:background 0.3s, border 0.3s, border-radius 0.3s, box-shadow 0.3s;margin:0% 14% 0% 14%;--e-column-margin-right:14%;--e-column-margin-left:14%;padding:2% 1% 4% 1%;}.elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-17d4eb46 > .elementor-element-populated > 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.elementor-element.elementor-element-19a555d6{width:87.031%;}}@media(max-width:1024px) and (min-width:768px){.elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-ef00547{width:100%;}.elementor-536 .elementor-element.elementor-element-19a555d6{width:100%;}}<\/style>\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"536\" class=\"elementor elementor-536\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3a6436ac elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3a6436ac\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-17d4eb46\" 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There\u2019s a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1412,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Fertility diets: do they ACTUALLY work? (Plain English explanation)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Can a fertility diet help with IVF or fertility problems (low egg count, poor egg quality, etc.)? What&#039;s the truth about low carb? 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