Does what I eat affect my chances?
The short answer
Eating in a Mediterranean style was linked to better IVF results in one study of younger women. It observed existing habits, so it can't show that changing your diet causes the improvement.
What to know
- The finding was in women under 35 going through a first IVF cycle.
- Diet quality travels with income, education and other health habits, any of which could explain the link.
- There is no risk here — it's an eating pattern, not a drug.
- The evidence that this way of eating helps your heart and metabolism is much stronger than the fertility evidence.
Read the full explanation
What it looks like
Plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans and lentils, nuts and olive oil; fish and poultry more often than red meat; little processed meat or added sugar. It's a pattern, not a diet to follow perfectly.
Food safety while trying and pregnant
- Skip unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses such as queso fresco, refrigerated pâté and smoked fish, and raw sprouts.
- Heat deli meats and hot dogs until steaming (165°F).
- Cook poultry to 165°F, ground meat and egg dishes to 160°F, and whole cuts and fish to 145°F. Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm.
- Choose low-mercury fish — the fish list is here.
What the evidence is based on
All of it is observational. In IVF, women in Greece who followed the pattern most closely had more live births (49% vs 27%), but only if they were under 35. For women trying naturally, large studies in the US and Spain link similar eating patterns to fewer ovulation problems, and one international study linked more inflammatory diets to taking longer to conceive. No trial has assigned the diet and measured births. It's worth doing for your health either way.
What the research shows
Is a Mediterranean-style eating pattern associated with better IVF outcomes?
The research points toward a benefit.
Who was studied. Women under 35 undergoing their first IVF cycle in a single-centre prospective study.
Outcome measured. Clinical pregnancy
What was found. Greater adherence to a Mediterranean-style pattern was associated with higher clinical pregnancy rates in this group.
Main limitation. Observational, single-centre, and found in one subgroup — women under 35 in a first cycle.
Why this rating?
Observational, single-centre, and the finding was in a specific subgroup - women under 35 in a first cycle. Diet quality also travels with income, education and other health behaviours. Rated low for the fertility claim specifically.
Questions for your doctor
Edit any of these before you add it — they're yours. Your list stays in this browser, and you can print a one-page sheet from it.
- Is there anything about my metabolic health — blood sugar, thyroid, weight — we should look at?
- Would seeing a dietitian be useful in my case?
Sources
- Karayiannis et al., Mediterranean diet adherence and IVF success, Human Reproduction 2018
- Chavarro et al., Diet and lifestyle in the prevention of ovulatory infertility, Obstetrics & Gynecology 2007
- Willis et al., Dietary patterns and fecundability in two preconception cohorts, 2022
- CDC, Preventing listeria
- FoodSafety.gov, Safe minimum internal temperatures
- FDA and EPA, Advice about eating fish