Nutraceuticals and Infertility

Infertility is a growing disease that affects up to 15–20% of pairs at some moment in their lives worldwide. Infertility not only is a medical problem which implies hormonal and morphology alterations, and related to the lifestyle (obesity, alcohol, stress and smoking), but also it affects other aspects of the life such as the mental health. Current evidence has been shown that adherence to the Mediterranean diet, as low-caloric, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory diet, improves fertility in both male and female, the sperm quality in men, and achieves success in assisted reproductive technics. However, more studies focused on obtaining better pregnancy outcomes are required to support its clinical application. In contrast, diets considered unhealthy based on high density foods, increased consumption of red meat, high-fat processed foods and sweetened beverages and refined carbohydrates adversely affect fertility. To deal with the infertility some specifics nutrients are also proposed, specially, monounsaturated and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins (vitamin A, C and E) and minerals (selenium and zinc), and reducing red and processed foods consumption.