In 2008, just under 40,000 women in the UK underwent IVF treatment, an 8% increase from the previous year.  From those 40,000 women there were 12,000 success stories.  Each year, fertility treatment improves and success rates steadily climb, but the statistics for IVF success can look and feel daunting.  IVF is also expensive, with the average privately funded round costing £5,000.  With these statistics and this financial burden, would you not want to do all you could to increase your chances of treatment working?  Undergoing any assisted reproduction technology (IVF/ICSI/IUI) can leave individuals or couples feeling pretty redundant while they rely on the expertise of the medical team supporting them.  However, there is plenty that can be done to maximise the chances of success.  Good nutrition is at the cornerstone of this, and there is a wealth of scientific evidence to back this up.

It takes around 3 months to develop a healthy sperm and a healthy egg.  The health of these two cells is reliant on the environment in which they are produced; hormonal signals stimulate their production and maturation; amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals make up their content and toxic influences such as nicotine damage them.  It is therefore unsurprising when it is demonstrated that selenium status influences sperm motility, or that men with higher vitamin C levels have better sperm count, quality and morphology.

If you are embarking on any form of assisted reproduction nutritional status and diet must be considered.  Apart from the fact that evidence shows how key diet and nutrition is to IVF success, it gives back a sense of empowerment to you in the process.  Not least, based on the growing body of evidence now emerging, it is also likely to positively influence your baby’s health as an adult.