Tag: pregnancy chances

Big Breakfast improves pregnancy chances

Last modified: February 11, 2018

A big breakfast in the morning improves pregnancy chances by helping women dealing with their reproductive health problems. Women struggling to conceive would be wise not to neglect eating their morning meal and have a big nutritional breakfast daily.

breakfast

Consuming more calories in the morning could assist women with fertility problems

This is what a study suggests, as it appears that consuming more calories in the morning could assist women with fertility problems get pregnant. Previous studies have shown that our body weight is not affected only by the amount of calories consumed but by the timing as to when we consume as well. The latest research of Professor Oren Froy (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Professor Daniela Jakubowicz and Dr Julio Wainstein (Wolfson Medical Center, Tel Aviv University) revealed that a big breakfast can enhance fertility in women with menstrual irregularities due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Polycystic ovary syndrome affects about 6%-10% of women of reproductive age, reducing their pregnancy chances. This syndrome causes insulin resistance, leading to high androgen levels and menstrual cycle irregularities, fertility problems and increased risk of diabetes.

60 women with PCOS took part in the study experiments carried out at the Wolfson Medical Center for 12 weeks. The women aged 25-29 and had a body mass index below 23. The volunteers were separated into two groups. Both groups were called to consume approximately 1.800 calories per day, differing only in the time of their highest calorie intake. The first group of women had their largest meal of the day -980 calories- in the morning while the second group in the evening. Women were also asked to record the specific foods consumed each time.

According to the study results, as published to ‘’Clinical Science’’, women who ate a big rich-calorie breakfast had their blood glucose levels as well as insulin resistance decreased by 8%. On the contrary, women who consumed a rich-calorie dinner showed no improvement. Moreover, in the breakfast group testosterone levels of women dropped by 50% while their ovulation rate appeared to be much higher compared to dinner group in which testosterone levels remained stable.

These results indicate that having a hearty breakfast can improve fertility and pregnancy chances for women with PCOS.

Concluding, as highlighted by Professor Froy, the amount of calories we consume per day is quite important but the time of consumption is much more critical.

Would you choose a hearty breakfast over a hearty dinner?

Time-lapse embryo imaging may increase IVF success

Last modified: December 4, 2021

Time-lapse embryo imaging in IVF labs may increase IVF success rates, according to British research, by selecting embryos with the highest implantation potential.

But what is time-lapsing imaging and what is the innovation of it that outbalances other methods for embryo selection?

Time-lapse embryo imaging

Time-lapse embryo imaging may increase IVF success rates up to 56%

Time-lapse embryo imaging refers to constant recording of embryos developing in the stable environment of an incubator up to the point of embryo transfer.  The embryo is monitored and surveyed in IVF clinics constantly under a temperature – controlled environment without removing it from it.

The innovation of the method lies in time-lapse photography, where a camera is set in the incubator, where the embryos are placed to grow, to record a number of images at regular intervals. With this method IVF specialists can be given the information needed for selecting the best quality embryos in terms of morphology and cell dividing rate for increasing chances of successful implantation. And the key point of the method is that this is possible to happen all the way through the embryos’ development, without them leaving the incubator until they are implanted in contrast to conventional methods; allowing roughly 5,000 embryo images to be taken.

According to the researchers in Reproductive BioMedicine Online journal, from Care fertility group, preliminary data concerning the methods efficiency are quite encouraging. The researchers in this study used the information provided from time-lapse embryo imaging to classify the embryos as high, medium or low chance of aneuploidy (chromosomal abnormalities). Such DNA abnormalities can increase the risk of failed implantation reducing pregnancy chances.

Researchers reported that time-lapse embryo imaging may increase IVF success rates up to 56%. In further detail, they found that from a total of 88 embryos imaged and implanted there was no live birth from the high risk group compared to 5 (19% success rate) and 11 babies (61% success rate) born from the medium and low risk groups respectively.

Some scientists argue that the small number of couples participated in this study is not enough for making the method a routine clinical tool. However, the concept of it along with preliminary data provided definitely make it a strong candidate for replacing previous standard IVF methods for embryo selection, where embryos have to be removed from the incubator once a day to be checked under a microscope, which is likely to negatively affect their healthy development.

Would you ask for time-lapse imaging to increase your

pregnancy chances through IVF?

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Green tea for increasing fertility?

Last modified: April 21, 2016

If you are trying for a baby, a cup of green tea could be a great option for increasing your fertility and boosting your pregnancy chances.

green tea

Green tea is an antioxidant-rich beverage with many health benefits.

Green tea is definitely a good, healthy coffee alternative decreasing your daily caffeine intake which in excess can harm fertility and negatively affect conception. So, limiting caffeine intake is more than enough reason to consume green tea instead. But, that is not all.

Green tea is an antioxidant-rich beverage with many health benefits, including the reproductive system. There is some research reporting that antioxidant ingredients of green tea may protect the reproductive organs from cellular damage. More specifically, polyphenols and hypoxanthine of tea may improve chances of having viable embryos as well as promote egg maturation.

Researchers from Stanford University used a supplement made of green tea extract, chaste berry, folic acid and minerals to decide its effects on pregnancy chances. 15 women received this nutritional supplement and other 15 women received a placebo. According to the study results, one third of the women receiving the green tea supplement got pregnant within five months while none of the placebo groups achieved pregnancy. Though the study sample is too small to prove positive effects of green extracts on increasing fertility it can surely suggest that a positive correlation exists.

But it is not only women who can benefit from green tea consumption. A study published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research demonstrated that small everyday nutritional habits like moderate green tea consumption may be improving sperm motility, thus increasing male fertility. According to the study, it was found that low doses of EGCG (the major catechin of green tea) increase cholesterol efflux in sperm cells; a procedure of great importance for their proper function and fertilizing ability.

So if you want to benefit from green tea health properties all you have to do is to add it in your diet. Just don’t overdo, bear in mind that in excess it can have the opposite results, harming both male and female fertility. So keep it safe and stick to 1-2 cups per day.

Would you give green tea a chance?