The DOI matches its Crossref record; 44 of the 45 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The Influence of Diet on Fertility and the Implications for Public Health Nutrition in the United States
Open accessAbstract
Despite growing evidence of the impact of diet on human fertility, few studies have examined the public health implications of this association in the United States (U.S.). This narrative review summarizes current scientific evidence on associations between dietary intake and fertility, discusses challenges in the public health landscape surrounding infertility, and proposes evidence-based recommendations to address these issues. Diets high in unsaturated fats, whole grains, vegetables, and fish have been associated with improved fertility in both women and men. While current evidence on the role of dairy, alcohol, and caffeine is inconsistent, saturated fats and sugar have been associated with poorer fertility outcomes in women and men. Furthermore, women and men with obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30kg/m2) have a higher risk of infertility. This risk is extended to women who are underweight (BMI <20 kg/m2). Diet and BMI influence outcomes during clinical treatment for infertility. Further, women in the U.S. who belong to an underrepresented minority group, have low income, or have low educational attainment, have significantly higher rates of infertility outcomes as compared to women who are non-Hispanic white, have high income, or have high educational attainment. Given this, it may be prudent to integrate nutrition counseling into both clinical guidelines for infertility as well as national dietary guidelines for individuals of reproductive age. Further studies on diet and reproductive health may enhance our ability to improve existing fertility programs across the U.S. and to deliver tailored care to women and men within at-risk groups.
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“It is well-established that obesity is related to menstrual disorders, infertility, miscarriage, obstetric complications, live birth rate and can affect the success of assisted reproductive technology.29–32”
From Real-world menstrual cycle characteristics of more than 600,000 menstrual cycles (2019) · cites this paper as [31]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Panth, N., Gavarkovs, A., Tamez, M., & Mattei, J.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Mattei, Josiemer
- Venue
- Frontiers in Public Health
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2018-07-31
- Volume
- 6
- Pages
- 211-211
- ISSN
- 2296-2565 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6079277
- OpenAlex
- W2883048904
- Cited by
- 113
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 7
- FWCI
- 1.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Frontiers in Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL120951)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Reproductive Health and Technologies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Ovarian function and disorders
- Keywords
- diet and fertility, infertility, public health nutrition, unsaturated fat, whole grains, fish consumption, saturated fat, sugar consumption, obesity, underweight, body mass index, socioeconomic disparities, underrepresented minorities, nutrition counseling, infertility treatment outcomes, dietary guidelines, reproductive health
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