Navigation
Dietary nutrient intake and nutritional status in women with infertility: a cross-sectional study
The global health issue of infertility, affecting 17.5% of couples of reproductive age, presents a multifaceted challenge. Nutritional factors, though modifiable, are not fully understood in clinical infertility settings. This investigation examined the link between dietary nutrients and the physical and hormonal profiles of women undergoing fertility treatment. The study involved 97 infertile women, aged 18 to 40, at Marina Salud Hospital, Spain. Conducted between 2022 and 2024, it utilized a cross-sectional approach to analyze dietary intake, body composition, and hormonal levels.
Data collection included a 137-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) for body metrics. Blood samples from the follicular phase provided hormone profiles, with statistical analysis involving Spearman correlations and linear regressions adjusted for factors like energy intake and BMI, with significance set at p < 0.05.
Participants exhibited a mean BMI of 25.5 ± 5.6 kg/m2, with notable portions being overweight (23.7%) or obese (17.5%). Percentages of body fat (35.9 ± 9.3%) and visceral fat (5.5 ± 2.3%) were higher than recommended levels. Notable findings included the positive correlation of riboflavin (β = 0.665, p = 0.042) and calcium (β = 0.004, p = 0.012) intake with muscle mass increase. Furthermore, vitamin E intake negatively correlated with hip circumference (β = −0.773, p = 0.004) and exhibited an inverse relationship with prolactin levels post-adjustment (β = −0.501, p = 0.008). Other nutrient-hormone associations were not significant post-adjustment.
The outcomes suggest that nutrients like riboflavin and vitamin E may enhance body composition and hormone regulation for women with infertility. However, the cross-sectional nature of the study constrains causal deductions, necessitating future longitudinal research to verify these preliminary insights. [NPID: infertility, riboflavin, calcium, vitamin E, muscle mass, prolactin]
Year: 2026
