A new study published in Frontiers in Nutrition has uncovered a surprising link between gut-friendly diets and female infertility. Researchers explored how a novel dietary scoring system—the Dietary Index for Gut Microbiota (DI-GM)—relates to infertility risk among women, revealing a complex and non-linear association.
Key Findings
The study evaluated data from 3,053 women aged 18–45, sourced from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2013 and 2018. Among them, 12.12% (370 women) were identified as infertile. Researchers used detailed 24-hour dietary recall questionnaires to calculate each participant’s DI-GM score—a measure of gut microbiota-friendly dietary habits based on the consumption of 14 specific food components.
What is the DI-GM?
The DI-GM is a dietary score designed to reflect how diet influences gut microbiota—a key player in overall and reproductive health. Developed by Kase et al., the index includes 14 dietary components:
- 10 Gut-Friendly Foods: avocado, broccoli, chickpeas, coffee, cranberries, fermented dairy, fiber, green tea, soy, and whole grains
- 4 Risk-Associated Foods: red meat, processed meat, refined grains, and high-fat diets
Participants’ scores were calculated based on two 24-hour dietary recalls, ranging from 0 (poor gut diet) to 13 (highly gut-friendly diet).
Study Overview
Researchers assessed infertility using two questions from the Reproductive Health Questionnaire (RHQ074 & RHQ076), and considered additional factors like age, BMI, smoking habits, and medical history.
Key demographics linked with higher infertility rates included:
- Older age
- Higher BMI
- Smoking
- Marital status
- Presence of pelvic or metabolic diseases
The Surprising Twist: More Isn’t Always Better
Initial findings revealed that women with lower DI-GM scores were more likely to be infertile. However, deeper analysis uncovered a non-linear association. Specifically, the risk of infertility decreased with increasing DI-GM scores—but only up to a score of 8. Beyond this threshold, higher DI-GM scores were paradoxically linked to an increased risk of infertility, suggesting that more is not always better when it comes to gut-targeted diets.
Why It Matters
Infertility, defined as the inability to achieve a clinical pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected intercourse, affects 12.5% of couples globally and is now ranked as the third biggest public health concern after cardiovascular disease and cancer. While common causes include ovulatory dysfunction, PCOS, and endometriosis, with lifestyle and environmental factors playing a significant role.
This study suggests that gut health and balanced nutrition play critical roles in reproductive health. But importantly, balance is key overdoing even healthy foods may not yield added benefits and could be counterproductive.
This groundbreaking research underscores the importance of personalized and balanced diets in reproductive health. The DI-GM may serve as a valuable tool for future dietary interventions aimed at reducing infertility risks, but more isn’t always better. Moderation and individualization are likely essential.
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Source: News Medical
