Does Inflammation Contribute to Infertility?

Anti-inflammatory diets or lifestyles are often suggested for individuals with infertility, but do they help?

Infertility affects up to one in five in the US who are trying to conceive, and 186 million individuals worldwide. A thorough medical evaluation can spot key contributing issues in many cases — whether in a woman, a man, or both partners — that might respond to treatment, or call for assisted reproductive tools like in vitro fertilization (IVF).

But in a substantial number of cases, no cause is found for infertility. Could inflammation be to blame for some of those cases, as recent research suggests? Does anti-inflammatory diet boost fertility?

The Risk of Inflammation and Infertility

Research has observed that women following a prescribed fertility diet ovulated more regularly and were more likely to get pregnant. A recent review of multiple studies in Nutrients suggests that following an anti-inflammatory diet holds promise for people experiencing infertility. The research was done years apart, but the diets in these two studies share many elements.

The 2022 review found that an anti-inflammatory diet may help:

• improve pregnancy rates (though exactly how is uncertain)
• increase success rates of assisted reproductive measures, such as IVF
• improve sperm quality in men

Will adopting an anti-inflammatory lifestyle improve fertility?

Although the association between inflammation and infertility is far from overwhelmingly clear, some evidence supports a connection:

• The risk of infertility is higher in conditions marked by inflammation, including infection, endometriosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome.
• Body wide (systemic) inflammation may affect the uterus, cervix, and placenta, thus impairing fertility.
• Women with infertility who had IVF and followed an anti-inflammatory diet tended to have higher rates of successful pregnancy than women who did not follow the diet.

A plant-based diet such as the Mediterranean diet, and other measures considered part of an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, improve heart health and have many other benefits.

It is possible that inflammation plays an important and underappreciated role in infertility and that an anti-inflammatory diet or lifestyle could help. However, more evidence is needed to confirm this. Until we know more, taking measures to improve your overall health and possibly reduce chronic inflammation makes sense.

To learn more about these topics and speak to one of our physicians about fertility treatment, you can request a consultation here.