Saturday 29 November 2014

Female dietary antioxidant intake from supplements and time to pregnancy in unexplained infertility

Female dietary antioxidant intake from supplements and time to pregnancy in unexplained infertility

About 10 percent of women in the USA between the ages of 15-44 have difficulty conceiving and or miscarrying, but infertility is not always a woman's problem. Both women and men can have problems that cause infertility. About one-third of infertility cases are caused by women's problems. Another one third of fertility problems are due to the man. The other cases are caused by a mixture of male and female problems or by unknown problems(1).

It is therefore important to address both partners and information and possible treatment of male fertility problem is discussed in my last blog - Male Fertility may be improved by dietary supplements.

A study (secondary data analysis of a randomized controlled trial) examined the role of antioxidant intake from dietary supplements and time to pregnancy(TTP) was undertaken. This study found that supplements of B-carotene, Vitamin C and Vitamin E independently and in combination improved time to pregnancy.

The authors concluded that  a shorter time to pregnancy was observed among women with BMI <25 kg/m2 with increasing vitamin C, women with BMI ≥25 kg/m2 with increasing β-carotene, women <35 y with increasing β-carotene and vitamin C, and women ≥35 y with increasing vitamin E. (2)

These data add to the positive effects of dietary antioxidants in the maintenance of good health and fertility.

1.      Infertility fact sheet, Office on Woman’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

2.      Ruder EH1, Hartman TJ et al. Female dietary antioxidant intake and time to pregnancy among couples treated for unexplained infertility Fertil Steril. 2013 Dec 16. pii: S0015-0282(13)03261-5. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.11.008. [Epub ahead of print]

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