Follow seven evidence-based principles rather than a restrictive diet: good fats instead of trans fats, some plant protein, low-glycemic carbohydrates, whole-fat dairy, iron from plant sources, a daily multivitamin and coffee in moderation. In the most solid research on the subject, women with this set of habits had a 66% lower risk of ovulatory infertility, the most common type.
The most solid research on nutrition and fertility comes from the Nurses' Health Study II, a Harvard longitudinal study that followed more than 18,000 women trying to conceive over 8 years. Women who followed a specific set of eating habits had a 66% lower risk of ovulatory infertility.
It's not a fad diet, and it doesn't involve cutting out food groups. It is a set of evidence-based principles that works for most healthy TTC women. Before you believe any “fertility diet” from the internet, this is what decades of research actually support.
| Principle | What the research found | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Good fats, not low-fat | Trans fats: 73% higher risk of ovulatory infertility. Monounsaturated fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts) are protective | Change the type of fat, not the amount: cut processed foods high in trans fat |
| 2. Plant protein replacing part of the animal protein | Swapping 5% of calories from animal to plant protein: 50% lower risk | Add beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas, soy or nuts to a few meals a week |
| 3. Low-glycemic carbohydrates | Insulin spikes directly affect ovulation | Swap white bread, white rice, sugar and soda for brown rice, oats, sweet potato, quinoa, whole fruit |
| 4. Whole-fat dairy, not skim | Whole-fat dairy: lower risk of infertility than skim | 1 serving a day |
| 5. Iron from plant sources | Iron supplements and iron-rich plant foods lower the risk; too much red meat has the opposite effect | Dark leafy greens, beans, lentils; red meat no more than 3 to 4 times a week |
| 6. A daily multivitamin | 41% lower risk of ovulatory infertility, mainly from folic acid | Start at least 3 months ahead |
| 7. Coffee in moderation | Up to 200 mg of caffeine a day doesn't affect fertility; above 500 mg it does | Up to about 2 shots of espresso a day |
Cut out trans fats completely: hard margarines, filled cookies, chips, fast-food fried foods. Of everything in this chapter, it is the only absolute recommendation. Everything else is about swaps and moderation.
The counterintuitive one is dairy. The theory is that skim dairy contains more residual androgens that can affect ovulation. And none of this asks you to give things up entirely: you don't have to become a vegetarian, and you don't have to cut out coffee.
Spanish and Greek studies published between 2017 and 2022 showed that women following a Mediterranean pattern (fish, olive oil, vegetables, whole grains; the wine is for everyone except TTC women, of course) had spontaneous and IVF pregnancy rates up to 65% higher than controls.
It is essentially what the seven principles describe. That is why the Mediterranean pattern is the best summary of fertility nutrition: you don't need a restrictive diet, you need the right swaps, kept up over time.
Nutrition is Chapter 21 of Map to the Positive, which opens Station III (Optimization). The chapter also gives the list of foods with specific evidence, the foods to cut back, and an inverted pyramid of how often to eat each group. The rest of Station III covers advanced supplementation, sleep and stress, exercise, his fertility and a 90-day integrated plan.
Take 30 days. If it does not give you more clarity than everything you have read for free so far, ask for a refund and you get every cent back. We cannot promise you a pregnancy. We can promise you will not be guessing.
References: Chavarro JE et al. Diet and lifestyle in the prevention of ovulatory disorder infertility. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2007. · Gaskins AJ, Chavarro JE. Diet and fertility: a review. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2018. · Karayiannis D et al. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and IVF success rate. Human Reproduction, 2018.