Diet a factor for 40% of IVF patients

As research shows high cholesterol levels can reduce a couple’s chance of conceiving a baby, a leading Irish fertility expert has said up to 40% of his new patients may have fertility problems due to their poor lifestyle.

Research in the US has shown that when one or both people in a couple have high cholesterol it takes significantly longer for the woman to conceive. However, a woman’s cholesterol level is more important, as a man with high cholesterol does not significantly delay pregnancy if the woman’s cholesterol reading is within the normal range, according to the study conducted by the National Institutes of Health, the University at Buffalo and Emory University in Atlanta.

High cholesterol levels are often caused by poor diet. Cholesterol helps to produce hormones, such as oestrogen and testosterone, required in conception, but too much or too little of the hormones can hinder the conception process and so a delicate balance must be struck.