Infertility and Diet

The positive effect of low-carbohydrate eating on infertility

Recent research confirms what common sense should tell us. Too much sugar or carbohydrate is not good for our health overall, so it’s no surprise it’s no good for our fertility either.

The study from the recent conference of the American Congress of Obsetricians and Gynecologists showed that a low-carbohydrate diet improved pregnancy and birth rates with women undergoing IVF.

The 36 and 37-year-old women in the study had their diets analysed, and were divided into two groups: those whose diet was more than 25% protein, and less than 25% protein. By definition, these diets are lower-carbohydrate and higher-carbohydrate respectively.

The higher protein (lower carbohydrate) women had double the pregnancy rates and five times the live birth rates. It was found that this was due to better development of the blastocyst (the early stage of development in pregnancy).

Previous studies had a similar finding in women with and without polycystic ovarian syndrome. The lower-carbohydrate diet was more beneficial, despite the fact that the women did not have diabetes.

This tells us a lot: not just about how to increase chances of pregnancy in infertility, but about what kind of diet is related to good health and development from the earliest age.

For help with establishing a healthy lower carbohydrate, higher protein diet, contact us at Equilibria.

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