Female Infertility and the Mediterranean Diet

Abstract

The World Health Organization defines infertility, which affects 80 million women worldwide, as the absence of clinical pregnancy after a year of unprotected and frequent sexual activity. Other variables that affect female infertility include environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and diseases that affect the pathophysiology of the reproductive organs. The impact of alternative therapies is growing in order to support environmental and lifestyle impacts and improve the likelihood of clinical pregnancy in infertile couples. Among alternative treatments, lifestyle modifications including exercise and dietary changes are most prominent. There is currently no essential nutrient or diet for optimizing reproductive health. One of the most extensively studied topics in infertility as well as in many other health issues is the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is known for its high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, oilseeds, and olives as well as its moderate consumption of milk, dairy products, and fish. Olive oil is preferred as the main source of dietary fat in the diet. The diet allows for modest wine consumption as well as less red meat and poultry. The Mediterranean diet's potential impacts on female reproductive health are discussed in this review due to its great nutritional diversity, which includes bioactive ingredients, fiber, and poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids.

Keywords

• Mediterranean Diet
• Reproductive Health
• Female Infertility

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