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Saturated fat consumption linked to poor fertility treatment outcomes

Category: Infertitlity Hormone Testing

Diets high in saturated fat may interfere with intravenous fertilization treatments, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health. The findings may provide valuable advice to women who have recently received FSH test results indicating low levels of fertility.

For the study, the researchers surveyed 147 women undergoing fertility treatments about their diets. The team then tracked the results of the participants' fertility treatments.

Results showed that women who had the highest levels of saturated fat consumption tended to have very low levels of mature oocytes available for use in fertility treatments. This typically led to poor outcomes. Oocytes are the primary cells used to develop embryos.

"Thus, having fewer mature oocytes can mean fewer embryos to choose from for fresh transfer or future transfer following cryopreservation, particularly among women who respond poorly to ovarian stimulation," said lead researcher Jorge Chavarro.

On the other hand, women who had high levels of polyunsaturated fat consumption tended to have more favorable fertility treatments. This indicates that women who receive FSH tests indicating low levels of fertility may want to limit their saturated fat intake.