IVF, which stands for In Vitro Fertilisation, is a costly procedure. That is why it is important to be aware of all its facets to ensure its success. One crucial aspect of this endeavour is a balanced diet, which not only ensures IVF success but is generally crucial for fertility and overall health. In this balanced diet, one component that often gets compromised is protein.
Talking to the OnlyMyHealth team, Dr Vaishali Chaudhary, Director, IVF & Fertility, Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospitals, Pune, shared the importance of a balanced diet and most importantly of protein to have a successful pregnancy through IVF.
Protein For IVF Success
Considering the numerous diet fads trending in today’s time, the importance of a balanced timely diet is losing its essence. Stressing the importance of protein, which often gets looked over while following these fad diets, Dr Chaudhary said, “To ensure IVF success, we recommend patients of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and those who are obese or overweight to swap out their carbohydrate intake by protein, because we want them to lose weight before starting IVF.”
A study led by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology called IVF a stressful ordeal due to the economic burden it poses on those who avail of it, and the mental and physical stress that accompany failed IVF cycles. The study found that excess weight catapults the chances of poor IVF outcomes.
Explaining the reason for this, Dr Chaudhary said, “Proteins are the basic building blocks of our body, and our crucial for making healthy eggs and sperms. That is why protein is essential as new cells keep getting made in our body on an everyday basis.” Dr Chaudhary shared that on average, we need 0.8 grams of protein per kg of our body weight.
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Do Not Skip Vegetarian Protein
When we think of protein, our mind instantly goes to eggs and chicken. However, “it is just as important that you eat vegetarian sources of protein, not just while preparing for IVF, but in daily life,” said Dr Chaudhary. She recommended that at least 50% of your daily protein intake should come from vegetarian sources, and listed the following sources:
- Pulses
- Millets
- Sprouts
- Leafy vegetables like broccoli
- Tofu
- Mushroom
- Soya beans
A study published in MDPI’s journal ‘Nutrients’ found that adequate protein is more of a characteristic of plant-based diets. For those who are worried that plant-based proteins can result in insufficient protein intake, the study confirmed that there's no worry about getting enough of all the essential amino acids, like lysine, from vegetarian diets, and adults on vegetarian diets don't seem to have any negative health effects from slightly lower protein intake.
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Dr Chaudhary concluded that lack of protein in diet may not create adverse outcomes for young people who are donating their reproductive cells, acting as surrogates, or undergoing IVF. However, this risk increases to an unignorable point as people cross their 30s. Being low in protein will result in weaker eggs and sperm, and a hostile environment for the growing fetus if fertilisation has occurred.