Impact of female daily coffee consumption on successful fertility treatment: a Danish cohort study

The association of men's beverage intake with semen quality and assisted reproduction outcomes in patients undergoing fertility treatment

BACKGROUND

Although some studies have investigated the relationships between beverage intake and reproductive health these have generated conflicting results.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the associations between men's beverage intake and semen quality parameters and couple outcomes of medically assisted reproduction.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The relationship between preconception beverage intake and semen quality was evaluated in 896 semen samples from 343 men. The relation between beverage intake and medically assisted reproduction outcomes (fertilization, implantation, clinical pregnancy, total/clinical pregnancy loss, and live birth) was evaluated in 296 men and their female partners who underwent 714 medically assisted reproduction cycles: 306 intrauterine insemination cycles and 408 in vitro fertilization. Intake of caffeinated, alcoholic, sugar-sweetened, and artificially sweetened beverages and sub-groups were considered as exposures.

RESULTS

Caffeinated, alcoholic, sugar-sweetened, and artificially sweetened beverage intake was not associated with semen quality parameters or with fertilization, implantation, clinical pregnancy, or live birth in couples undergoing medically assisted reproduction. When specific types of beverages were explored, there was an inverse association between a greater intake of coffee/tea with caffeine and lower live birth probabilities in couples undergoing in vitro fertilization cycles. The adjusted probabilities (95% confidence interval) of live birth in the lowest and highest tertiles of intake were 0.49 (0.38, 0.61) and 0.33 (0.24, 0.43) for coffee with caffeine, and 0.49 (0.33, 0.51) and 0.31 (0.22, 0.41) for tea with caffeine. A similar trend was detected with liquor intake and live birth probabilities: 0.45 (0.37, 0.53) and 0.32 (0.25, 0.41). We also found an association between a greater beer intake and higher live birth probabilities. The adjusted probabilities (95% confidence interval) in the lowest and highest quartile of intake were 0.32 (0.23, 0.42) and 0.51 (0.39, 0.62).

CONCLUSION

Male preconception intakes of coffee, tea, and liquor were inversely associated, whereas beer intake was positively associated with the probability of live birth during infertility treatment.

Association between fatty acids and female infertility: dual evidence from a cross-sectional study and Mendelian randomization analysis

Background: Infertility poses a considerable threat to female reproductive health on a global scale. Dietary pattern, as a modifiable lifestyle factor, is frequently recommended as an important intervention for infertility-related diseases. Fatty acids play a crucial role in maintaining the health of the female reproductive system. However, the available evidence on the specific relationship between various types of fatty acids and infertility remains insufficient and controversial. Methods: Initially, a cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database to collect data from women aged 18-45 years who met the inclusion criteria across the 2013-2020 cycles. Infertility was defined based on information gleaned from reproductive questionnaires. Fatty acid intake was determined by analyzing two 24 hour dietary recall interviews. Weighted logistic regression and weighted restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses, incorporating covariate adjustments, were employed to preliminarily delineate the association between various types of fatty acids and proportions of fatty acid intake and female infertility risk. Model performance evaluation was carried out through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, complemented by the utilization of a nomogram diagram to gauge the infertility risk attributed to covariates. Genetic instrumental variables pertinent to diverse fatty acid profiles and female infertility were sourced from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Mendelian randomization (MR), multivariable MR (MVMR) and reverse MR analyses were subsequently used to ascertain causality and reverse causality between distinct fatty acids and infertility, concurrently assessing for heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. Results: In our NHANES analysis, a total of 3159 women were enrolled in the study, with a self-reported infertility prevalence of 11.49%. Infertile women exhibited significantly elevated intake of total omega-6 and omega-6/total fatty acids (TFA) compared to the controls. Weighted logistic regression models confirmed positive correlations between total omega-6 (continuous) and omega-6/TFA (categorical) and infertility risk, while omega-3 (continuous) intake demonstrated a negative correlation. Model 2, post rigorous multivariate covariate adjustment, showed improved predictive performance according to ROC curve analysis. Subgroup analysis suggested that the positive correlation between omega-6/TFA (continuous) and female infertility risk was not affected by stratification. Total omega-6 (continuous) emerged as a risk factor for infertile women aged 18-34 years. However, total saturated fatty acids (TSFAs, continuous), total omega-3 (continuous) and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs, categorical) were protective factors only in the infertile women with a BMI ≥ 25 kg m-2. The positive associations between total omega-6 (Q4) and omega-6/TFA (continuous and Q3-Q4) and infertility risk were consistent across all BMI subgroups. MR analysis employing inverse variance weighted (IVW) as the primary method and Bonferroni correction revealed that genetically predicted TSFAs, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), omega-6 and MUFA/TFA were positively associated with female infertility risk, whereas PUFA/TFA showed a negative association. Importantly, the positive associations between MUFAs and omega-6 and infertility risk remained robust even after adjusting for potential confounders using MVMR analyses. Reverse MR analysis did not provide any evidence for reverse causality. The MR-Egger regression intercept and Cochran's Q test did not detect any heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy. Conclusions: This study presents compelling evidence to substantiate the link between diverse fatty acids, particularly omega-6 PUFAs, and the risk of female infertility. However, to fully comprehend the potential mechanisms and impact of distinct fatty acids and their compositional ratios on female infertility, extensive future research spanning fundamental and large-scale clinical inquiries is imperative.

Examining the Role of Nutrition in Cancer Survivorship and Female Fertility: A Narrative Review

Female cancer survivors have a higher chance of experiencing infertility than females without a history of cancer diagnosis. This risk remains high despite advances in fertility treatments. There is a need to augment fertility treatments with cost-effective methods such as nutritional guidance to improve fertility chances. The aim of this review article is to connect the current literature on cancer survivorship nutrition and fertility nutrition, focusing on the importance of integrating nutritional guidance into fertility counseling, assessment, and treatment for female cancer survivors. Consuming a healthful diet comprising whole grains, soy, fruits, vegetables, seafood, and unsaturated fats has improved both female fertility and cancer survivorship. Similarly, maintaining a healthy body weight also improves female fertility and cancer survivorship. Therefore, dietary interventions to support female cancer survivors with fertility challenges are of immense importance. The period of follow-up fertility counseling and assessment after cancer treatment may provide a unique opportunity for implementing nutritional guidance for female cancer survivors. Dietary interventions are a promising strategy to improve pregnancy chances and overall quality of life among female cancer survivors; thus, researchers should investigate perceptions regarding fertility, barriers, and challenges to changing nutrition-related behaviors, and preferences for nutritional guidance to support fertility treatments in this population.

The association between caffeine and alcohol consumption and IVF/ICSI outcomes: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between caffeine and alcohol consumption and in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database on May 23, 2021 (registration number: CRD42021256649), and updated on August 4, 2022. Two researchers performed a literature search in the PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE databases for articles published before July 15, 2022 independently. Studies investigating the association between caffeine and alcohol consumption and IVF/ICSI outcomes were included, and studies reporting the consumption amount were analyzed using a one-stage robust error meta-regression-based method to explore potential dose-response relation. Funnel plot was used to assess publication bias if more than 10 studies were included.

RESULTS

Twelve studies on caffeine consumption and 14 studies on alcohol consumption were included in the systematic review, of which seven and nine were eligible for the meta-analysis. These studies included 26 922 women and/or their spouses who underwent IVF/ICSI treatment. Women's and men's caffeine consumption was not significantly associated with the pregnancy rate (odds ratio [OR] 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.85-1.12; OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.75-1.14; respectively) and the live birth rate (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.89-1.08; OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.86-1.12; respectively) of IVF/ICSI. Maternal alcohol consumption was negatively associated with pregnancy after IVF/ICSI treatment (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.69-1.01). Paternal alcohol consumption was negatively associated with partner's live birth after IVF/ICSI treatment (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.99). Compared with abstainers, the chance of achieving a pregnancy after IVF/ICSI treatment decreased by 7% for women who consumed 84 g alcohol per week (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.90-0.98), and the chance of partners achieving a live birth decreased by 9% for men who consumed 84 g alcohol per week (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.88-0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no association between caffeine consumption and pregnancy or live birth rate of IVF/ICSI. Women's alcohol consumption was associated with decreased pregnancy rate after IVF/ICSI treatment when weekly consumption was greater than 84 g. Men's alcohol consumption was associated with decreased live birth rate after IVF/ICSI treatment when weekly consumption was greater than 84 g.

Emerging Trends in Research on Food Compounds and Women’s Fertility: A Systematic Review

Pro-healthy behaviours, including the diet, are significant factors in maintaining women’s fertility health. However, to improve the patient’s nutrition management, it is important to seek food-derived bioactive compounds to support fertility treatment. This review analysed recent studies of food compounds related to fertility, using databases including PubMed, Web of Science and Science Direct as well as PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews) to ensure complete and transparent reporting of systematic reviews. This review lists foods associated with a higher birth rate, using original papers from the last five years (2015). The analysis included the impact of food compounds such as caffeine, fatty acids, folates and vitamin D, as well as the intake of fish, whole grains, dairy and soya. In addition, dietary patterns and total diet composition supporting women’s fertility were also analysed. The results will encourage further research on the relationship between food components and fertility.