For some time now, we have been hearing about the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Studies have found that it reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. Now new research has shown that it’s also one of the best diets for procreation.
The Mediterranean diet, followed in countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain, is rich in fruit and vegetables, fish and healthy fats such as olive oil.
A study conducted by the Harokopio University of Athens found that women who ate lots of plant-based foods including wholegrains and legumes with fish and poultry flavoured with herbs and spices had a better chance of conception and delivering a healthy baby through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) than others. Women under 35 “had a 65-68 per cent greater likelihood of achieving a successful pregnancy and birth compared to women with the lowsest adherence to the Mediterranean-style diet”, the co-author of the study, Nikos Yiannakouris, was quoted saying in the journal Human Reproduction.
The research looked at 244 women enrolled for IVF in Athens. Though the study establishes a connection between the Mediterranean diet and better IVF outcomes, researchers said they cannot conclude that the diet caused the better outcomes. However, the main takeaway from the study is that diet and lifestyle affect fertility and women trying to get pregnant should follow a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean.
