Insights & Discussion
Women receiving IVF perceived that acupuncture or sham acupuncture gave them a psychological advantage through increased relaxation, reduced psychological stress, and enhanced well-being and self-efficacy.
In this qualitative study, participants reported that compassionate care and an opportunity to rest during IVF, and especially following embryo transfer, had an emotionally important effect. All women in the trial underwent the same procedural practices which involved bed rest during needling, among other comforts. Some women described benefitting purely from this opportunity to rest quietly in a supportive environment amidst the maelstrom of IVF. There was also recognition that this ‘oasis’, albeit brief, was an important time for allowing the meaning of having an embryo transferred to ‘soak in’, and presented an oppportunity to ‘be in the moment’.
Discover Related Insights
Regular consumption of nuts improves sperm parameters such as motility, vitality, and morphology, potentially promoting successful reproductive outcomes in healthy males.
2024 Advances in Nutrition Nut Consumption and Fertility: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Cardoso BR, Fratezzi I, Kellow NJ
Systematic Review Female Fertility Male Fertility Nut
The researchers in this study carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis, exploring the impact of nut intake on fertility outcomes. They sourced data from four databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus, from their inception until June 2023. The inclusion criteria for articles were humans of reproductive age who had consumed nuts for a minimum of three months, with any consequent fertility-related outcomes reported. The researchers undertook a random-effects meta-analysis to produce a collective estimate of the effect of nut consumption on four specific sperm characteristics: total motility, vitality, morphology, and concentration.
In this review and meta-analysis, the researchers involved four studies, evaluating a total of 875 participants, composed of 646 males and 229 females. For males, two randomized control trials involving 223 individuals revealed that a daily consumption of at least 60g of nuts led to an improvement in sperm motility, vitality, and morphology, compared to those consuming fewer nuts, though it did not affect sperm concentration. Conversely, the non-randomized studies could not discern an association between nut consumption and traditional sperm parameters in males, nor could they establish a link between nut intake and embryo implantation, clinical pregnancy or live birth in males and females undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).
The Mediterranean diet and reduced intake of trans fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, and discretionary foods like fast food and sugar-sweetened beverages may improve fertility rates.
2023 Human Reproduction Update Assessing the influence of preconception diet on female fertility: a systematic scoping review of observational studies Alesi S, Habibi N, Silva TR, Cheung N, Torkel S, Tay CT, et al.
Review Article Female Fertility Mediterranean Diet Saturated Fats
This title represents a systematic scoping review of four electronic databases, namely Medline and EMBASE via Ovid Processing, CAB Direct, and CINAHL via EBSCO. The researchers included observational works, consisting of prospective and retrospective cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies, up to September 27, 2021. The criteria for study inclusion were women of reproductive age in the preconception stage who were examined for the connection between preconception diet and fertility outcomes.
From the total of 36 studies that were found eligible for review, the one diet that stood out with the most significant and consistent association with increased clinical pregnancy rates was the Mediterranean diet. Dietary factors such as reducing trans fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, and discretionary food intake, which includes fast food and sugar-rich drinks, were found to lead to an improvement in live birth, clinical pregnancy rates, and associated ART outcomes. However, this study also found that elements like seafood, dairy, and soy showed varying findings across a few studies. Despite the mixed results, it was noted that following some of these dietary regulations, notably Mediterranean diet, shows consistency with healthy eating guidelines, implying potential benefits in fertility.
Increased intake of omega-3 can enhance the quality of oocyte and embryo, thereby potentially improving the success rate of assisted reproductive techniques.
2022 European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology Omega-3 fatty acids dietary intake for oocyte quality in women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques: A systematic review Abodi M, De Cosmi V, Parazzini F, Agostoni C
Systematic Review Embryo Quality Female Fertility Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The systematic review was conducted adhering to the PRISMA 2020 statement and the procedure was registered with PROSPERO. Women who were undergoing assisted reproductive techniques such as in vitro fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and whose diets were evaluated for omega-3 intake, were the focal point. The analysis looked at women who had an increased omega-3 intake compared to women undergoing the same procedures without an increased omega-3 intake prior to the cycle. A wide range of literature was reviewed, selecting five relevant studies which consisted a large number of records.
The results of these five studies show a beneficial effect of omega-3 fats on the success rate of assisted reproductive outcomes. This is primarily illustrated by an increase in the quality of both the oocyte and the embryo, recognised through enhanced morphological and morphokinetic parameters. While the studies viewed varied in specifics, all pointed to the optimistic impact of increasing omega-3 intake in women seeking pregnancy through assisted methods.
The intake of date palm enhances the sexual function in infertile couples.
2022 BMC Research Notes The effect of date palm on sexual function in infertile couples: a double-blind controlled clinical trial Jahromi AR, Mosallanezhad Z, Hosini FS, Jamali S, Sharifi N
Randomised Controlled Trial Date Fruit Erectile Dysfunction Female Fertility
The research employed a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial approach involving infertile couples who frequented infertility clinics in Iran in 2019. The intervention group was administered with a capsule of date palm, while the control group was given a placebo. The data on the sexual function of the subjects was gathered using the female sexual function index and the International Index of Erectile function.
All areas of sexual function in both males and females, which include erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction, arousal, lubrication, and pain during intercourse, showed a significant enhancement in the group that consumed date palm in contrast to the control group. This study continued for a month and it demonstrated that date palm indeed has a favorable effect on the sexual functioning of infertile couples.
Acupuncture therapy on patients with recurrent implantation failure can improve the pregnancy outcome of patients. It is a relatively effective treatment with satisfactory safety and suitable for clinical application.
2021 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine The Effects of Acupuncture on Pregnancy Outcomes of Recurrent Implantation Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Li, M., Liu, Y., Wang, H., et al.
Systematic Review Female Fertility
The aim of this analysis was to identify the efficacy and safety of acupoint stimulation therapy for RIF patients. The results of meta-analysis show that for the outcome measurements including clinical pregnancy rate, biochemical pregnancy rate, embryo implantation rate, and endometrial thickness, the use of acupuncture in the treatment group is higher than the sham or nonacupuncture group, in which the difference is statistically significant. These results are believable and reliable. The included studies are highly homogeneous and there is no obvious publication bias. However, large heterogeneity appears in the statistical analysis of the endometrial thickness. Moreover, there was no statistical significance in the number of embryo transfers and the type of endometrium.
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