Fertility Dietitian UK

13/04/2025

Iron and fertility 💪🏼

Wow I got into a very deep iron rabbit hole creating this post 😂, but I’m out the other end and hopefully have shared something useful for to broaden your understanding of the role of iron in fertility.

Iron has previously more so been linked with preconception health and outcomes for mother and baby, but more evidence is emerging regarding its role in fertility, especially in cases of low levels.

Hope it’s useful!

Speak soon!

30/12/2022

Green tea and PCOS

Green tea contains polyphenols which have the potential to support our blood sugar levels.

When we have PCOS, disrupted hormone levels and disruptions in our blood sugar control are just some of the reasons why we can have difficulties conceiving.

This study aimed to assess the effect of tea supplements in people with PCOS.

They found that in particular green tea could significantly support weight loss in people with PCOS. It also reduced blood sugar and insulin levels and improved reproductive hormone levels such as FSH.

Green tea could be a beneficial addition to your diet if you suffer from PCOS, just be mindful that it does contain caffeine.

PROSPERO https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=212755, identifier CRD42021249196.

23/12/2022

Coenzyme Q10 and PCOS

This study aimed to assess the effect of coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of PCOS. PCOS is characterised by altered reproductive hormone levels, altered blood glucose control and increased testosterone levels all of which can impact the ability to conceive.

The paper found that coenzyme Q10 supplementation could improve insulin resistance, improve blood glucose levels as well as improve levels of s*x hormones such as FSH and testosterone.

It could therefore be a good option to consider to improve PCOS

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of coenzyme Q10 supplementation in the treatment of polycystic o***y syndrome (PCOS). We first searched PubMed, Wanfang Data, CNKI, Embase, ClinicalTrial.gov, and other databases. The retrieval time from the establishment of the database t...

16/12/2022

Vitamin B12 and risk of pregnancy loss

We know that in some cases, nutrition can be one of the many elements that can play a role in early pregnancy loss. This study aimed to assess the effects of folic acid, vitamin B12 and homocysteine (an amino acid) levels on risk of early pregnancy loss.

They found that independently having low levels of vitamin B12 or high levels of homocysteine were risk factors for early pregnancy loss. When low levels of vitamin b12 and high levels of homocysteine were found together there was a higher risk of early pregnancy loss.

The good news is that consuming adequate amounts of vitamin B12 in your diet, or supplementing with adequate amounts if you don’t eat animal products, can normalise your vitamin b12 levels.

Additionally eating lots of folate rich foods, such as fruit and vegetables can also help to lower homocysteine levels.

Do you consume enough vitamin B12?

One-carbon metabolism is crucial for the maintenance of healthy pregnancy and alterations in this pathway have been associated with various pregnancy-related complications. Therefore, the present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that the altered folic acid, vitamin B12 and homocysteine lev...

09/12/2022

Iodine and time to conception

Iodine is an important fertility supporting nutrient which has been linked to unexplained infertility. This study aimed to assess whether iodine intake was associated with it taking more than 12 months to get pregnant. They also assessed its effects in pregnancy.

In people planning to get pregnant, a lower iodine intake than 100mcg/day was associated with it taking more than 12 months to get pregnant. Longer term iodine supplementation (before pregnancy) was associated with reduced risk of preeclampsia and increased foetal growth.

This suggests that adequate iodine intake is crucial for supporting time to pregnancy and that initiating iodine supplementation prior to pregnancy may be the best option.

Do you consume iodine containing foods and does your prenatal supplement contain iodine?

This study shows that a low iodine intake was associated with restricted foetal growth and a higher prevalence of preeclampsia in these mild-to-moderately iodine-deficient women. Results also indicated increased risk of subfecundity and preterm delivery. Initiating iodine supplement use in pregnancy...

02/12/2022

Myoinositol and ovarian response to stimulation!

Having a poor response to ovarian stimulation is one of the common challenges faced when undergoing IVF.

This study aimed to assess whether supplementing with myoinositol prior to ICSI made a difference to response to ovarian stimulation drugs in people who were previously poor responders.

They found that supplementing with myoinositol significantly improved the outcomes of IVF.

The number of oocytes (eggs) retrieved was higher, the number of MII oocytes (high quality eggs) was higher, the number of embryos transferred was higher and the number of clinical pregnancies was higher in the group who received the supplement, although not significantly.

The supplement did significantly improve ovarian response as well as fertilisation rates suggesting it could be a beneficial option for people who respond poorly to ovarian stimulation.

Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT20180515039668N1 , retrospectively registered since 2020-03-16.

25/11/2022

Folate and fertility

We know that supplementing with 400mcg is recommended for all women trying to conceive, not only to reduce the risk of neural tube defects but supplementing with folic acid is associated with improved fertility. But what about the folate we get from our diet too?

This study aimed to assess the effects on dietary folate intake on chances of conception.

They found that increased dietary intake of folate plus supplementation was associated with higher chance of pregnancy compared with lower folate intake from diet plus supplementation.

Do you consume folate containing foods alongside your folic acid supplement?

N/A.

18/11/2022

Selenium and female fertility

Selenium is an important micronutrient and it plays many roles in the body, including in thyroid health. It also plays a role in fertility in part due to its antioxidant properties.

This paper aimed to look at all the research to date to evaluate the role of selenium in female fertility.

They found that adequate amounts of this nutrient are important for fertility and supplementing is promising in women with a deficiency in selenium.

Adequate selenium levels can help increase the number of eggs and follicles after IVF stimulation and can support egg quality by reducing damage caused by oxidative stress in the follicular fluid.

Normal levels of selenium in pregnancy might also reduce risk of preeclampsia and preterm birth.

Are you consuming adequate selenium?

Selenium supplementation is promising in women with this micronutrient deficiency to promote improvement of the reproductive efficiency and prevent damage to the pregnancy. Further studies on this theme are still required.

11/11/2022

Caffeine on Male Infertility

The link between caffeine and male fertility is not entirely clear. Some studies have found that caffeine intake may hurt a man's ability to have children, possibly because it damages the DNA of s***m. However many other studies have not found that drinking coffee, tea, or cocoa drinks with caffeine negatively affected s***m parameters.

Some research has suggested that soft drinks such as cola that contain caffeine can negatively affect s***m volume, s***m count, and s***m concentration. It is not clear whether this association is due to the caffeine or because drinking more soft drinks is indicative of a more unhealthy overall lifestyle, such as increased sugar intake, which can impact s***m quality.

Due to the inconclusive nature men should consider their caffeine intake when trying to conceive and limit intake to 300mg per day.

Caffeine is a natural psychoactive chemical found in beverages made from coffee. In addition, it is added by the manufacturers of a large number of sodas and energy drinks. It does this by stimulating both the brain and the central nervous system, enabling you to avoid being sleepy while still keepi...

07/11/2022

VIRTUAL CLINIC FEEDBACK: “Knowledge is power”

Once again, more amazing feedback from our virtual nutrition clinic, run by the wonderful Claire!

If you want us to deep dive with you to answer all of your questions and really get down to the science-based nitty gritty, we are here to help!

We will be taking a break from the clinic from December until the end of January so if you would like some support now or would like to get all the info you need for when you’re ready to make changes, the link to book an appointment is in my bio.

We offer free 15 minute discovery calls for anyone who would like one too - the link for this is also in my bio.

💙💙💙

04/11/2022

Vitamin E and PCOS

Having PCOS is associated with difficulty in controlling our blood sugar levels which can impact our hormone levels, leading to the common symptoms such as acne and irregular periods as well as difficulty conceiving.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant nutrient. This paper looked at the effects of supplementing with vitamin E in women with PCOS.

They found that Vitamin E supplementation improved blood sugar levels, blood sugar control, improved insulin resistance and reduced testosterone levels.

If you suffer with PCOS it could be worth checking if your prenatal supplement contains vitamin E.

Vitamin E supplementation improves glucose, lipid, and androgenic-related biomarkers in women with PCOS.

28/10/2022

Diet and Endometriosis

This paper aimed to review all of the existing literature to help understand the recommendations for women suffering with endometriosis.

The paper concluded that all patients should be recommended to consider a Mediterranean style to improve endometriosis associated symptoms

They suggested that a supplement containing a range of antioxidants and vitamin D could also be beneficial. There was also evidence supporting the inclusion of omega 3 in the diet as well.
In some cases a subgroup of people suffering with endometriosis could benefit from a gluten free or low FODMAP diet. These types of diets should only be undertaken under the supervision of a Registered Dietitian.

Having endometriosis doesn't mean that you can't get pregnant but it can make it more difficult due to scarring from surgery and the pain associated with endometriosis. Making changes to your diet can support your symptoms and fertility.

A patients' increasing interest in dietary modifications as a possible complementary or alternative treatment of endometriosis is observed. Unfortunately, the therapeutic potential of dietary interventions is unclear and to date no guidelines to assist physicians on this topic exist. The aim of this...