Adjusting Habits Increases Fertility

Forget psychics, pills, and pricey in vitro fertilization—for some women, wwwcombating infertility may be as easy as adjusting eating and exercising habits, according to a study released Wednesday by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

In one of the first studies of its kind, researchers found that specific dietary patterns, vigorous physical activity, and maintaining a healthy body mass index can lead to a substantial decrease in the rate of infertility due to ovulatory disorders.

According to Jorge E. Chavarro, co-author of the report and research fellow at HSPH, the specific dietary patterns include taking multivitamins containing folic acid and iron, avoiding trans fats, and choosing fish, eggs, and whole grains over chicken, red meat, and white bread.

The researchers conducted the study by surveying a group of 18,000 women struggling with infertility on their lifestyle and diets.

Chavarro said that there are many causes of infertility in women, including blocked fallopian tubes, which cannot be treated by strictly dietary and physical means. However, the most common contributor to female infertility—problems with ovulation—can often be abetted by these means, according to the study.

Currently one in six couples struggle with infertility, and ovulatory problems have been diagnosed in 18 to 30 percent of those cases, according to the press release for the study. Until now, most reports on infertility have focused on how it can be influenced by medicine and surgery.

“This is the first big long-term study in the world that’s taken a look at diet and exercise and its affects on fertility,” said Patrick Skerrett, author of the book, “The Fertility Diet: Groundbreaking Research Reveals Natural Ways to Boost Ovulation and Improve Your Chances of Getting Pregnant.” The book is based on the report and will be published this coming December, he said.

Chavarro and co-author Walter C. Willett, director of the department of nutrition at HSPH, chose to track body weight, level of physical activity, multivitamin supplements, and certain dietary adjustments on the basis of past studies that correlated these factors with diabetes in women. The authors believed that these correlations were important because they speculated that sensitivity to insulin is also related to ovulatory function in women.

Currently, Harvard University Dining Services works closely with HSPS and Willett to design meal plans.

Not only are our dining halls free of trans fats, they also provide other fertility-friendly options daily, according to HUDS spokeswoman Crista Martin.

These foods include low glycemic carbohydrates like whole grain pasta and bread and protein from healthy sources like soy beans and chickpeas.