Whole grains for fertility

Is there a diet you should follow to promote fertility? A pro-fertility diet consisting of higher intake of supplemental folic acid, vitamin B12, Vitamin D, low pesticide residue produce (pre-washing fruits and vegetables in one part vinegar, 8 part water), whole grains, low fat dairy and seafood rather than other meats was associated with an increased probability of live birth in women having IVF.

The following foods and ingredients were considered whole grains: whole wheat and whole wheat flour, whole oats and whole oat flour, pasta, whole corn meal flour, whole rye and whole rye flour, whole grain barley, quinoa, buckwheat or kuttu atta, brown rice, pearl sago or sabudana,  broken wheat or dalia,  popcorn, amaranth, and jowar etc. Whole grain foods and its components have physiologic properties that support a link between whole grain intake and fertility. Whole grains helps in reducing coronary artery disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity are good for anyone’s diet but they’re even more important for women doing in vitro fertilization(IVF).

According to The study, “Maternal whole grain intake and outcomes of in vitro fertilization, Women who ate the most whole grains had a 53% live birth rate, compared to 35% for women with the lowest whole grain intake. The best whole grain to consume was bran and the main difference that was observed was in the thickness of the uterine lining (endometrium) during IVF. It seems that whole grains, and mainly the bran part, has phytoestrogen (natural estrogen) activity. The other mechanisms by which whole grains might increase IVF success is as anti-oxidants and by regulating insulin.

Whatever the mechanism, increasing whole grains is a good idea before and during IVF treatment. We encourage all of our patients to lead a healthy lifestyle in order to have the best possible chance of conceiving, and we are very proud of our outstanding pregnancy rates.