Infuse Infuse 1 September 2017 | Page 36

Carbohydrates
and Fertility
Update on the Latest Research
by Melanie McGrice,
Practising Dietitian and Director, Nutrition Plus Enterprises
O
ne in six Australian
couples struggle
to conceive i . The
psychological, physical and
emotional impacts of infertility can
be overwhelming. As one woman
struggling with fertility recently
wrote on her Instagram feed, “I
am angry. Angry at my friends
and family who managed to have
children easily, angry at the doctor
who told me that I had nothing to
worry about, and mostly, angry at
myself for all of the croissants that
I’ve eaten over the years.”
© Dietitian Connection
Pre-conception weight is one of the major
risk factors for fertility outcomes, and it is well
accepted that weight loss improves fertility in
overweight and obese women ii . In fact, research
suggests that women who have a body mass
index (BMI) greater than 30kg/m2 often have
natural menstrual cycle disruptions at a rate
of almost three times higher than women of a
healthy weight ii .
Although research shows that low-carbohydrate
diets are no better for long-term weight loss
than other energy-restricted diets (and in fact,
may be worse, as they are often more difficult to
ensure nutritional integrity, and are often more
difficult to maintain), low-carbohydrate diets are
a popular choice for rapid weight loss iii .
Considering the urgent weight-loss
requirements for many women (particularly in
their late 30’s and 40’s) wanting to conceive,
we wanted to investigate the impact of low-
carbohydrate diets for conception.
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Infuse | September 2017