Lifestyle and Fertility: What the Evidence Says About Diet, Weight, Stress and Smoking
Quick summary: Smoking and body weight at either extreme have the strongest evidence for affecting fertility. Diet matters, but no single "fertility diet" has been proven. Stress is often blamed, yet the research is less clear than popular advice suggests. Small, steady changes made before conception help most couples. Lifestyle changes support medical care and do not replace it. Couples trying to conceive hear a lot of advice about what to eat, how much to weigh and how to relax. Some of it is well supported, some is half true, and some is myth. This guide separates what the research shows from what remains uncertain, for both women and men. How much does lifestyle affect fertility? Fertility depends on age, ovarian reserve, sperm quality, hormones, and the health of the uterus and fallopian tubes. Lifestyle is one factor among many, and it is one of the few that people can change. Published reviews, including those summarised by ASRM and ESHRE, agree on a few points. Smok...