Nutrients

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Nutrition and Gynecology: Preventing and Managing Female Disorders

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Dear Colleagues,

Women’s gynecological health is influenced by a dynamic interplay of nutritional, hormonal, metabolic, and environmental factors. Recent research has increasingly highlighted the role of nutrition and dietary supplements in the prevention and management of gynecological disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, menstrual irregularities, infertility, pregnancy complications, and menopause-related conditions. Micronutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, fatty acids, and other bioactive compounds play key roles in regulating hormonal balance, oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular metabolism, which are critical for reproductive tissues and overall gynecological health. Nutritional deficiencies and poor dietary patterns have been linked to adverse reproductive outcomes and disease progression.

This Special Issue aims to compile the latest research on nutrition-based strategies to prevent and manage female disorders. We welcome contributions, including original research, reviews, clinical studies, and mechanistic investigations on the impact of nutrients or dietary supplements, nutritional interventions to enhance fertility, molecular mechanisms connecting diet and reproductive health, and dietary strategies across life stages from adolescence to menopause. By integrating clinical and molecular insights, this Special Issue seeks to advance women’s health through nutrition-focused prevention and management.

Dr. Stefania Greco
Guest Editor

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20 pages, 1486 KB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of the Dietary Habits of Women with Fertility Disorders Preparing for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Development of Nutritional Protocol for Women Undergoing IVF

by Małgorzata Szulińska, Shahla Wunderlich and Danuta Gajewska

Nutrients 2026, 18(13), 2161; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18132161 - 3 Jul 2026

Viewed by 161

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Infertility is a multifactorial condition influenced by both medical factors and lifestyle-related determinants, including diet quality and nutritional supplementation. However, it is unclear which dietary patterns are optimal for women requiring assisted reproductive technology (ART). This study had two main objectives: (1) to assess dietary habits and the prevalence of nutritional supplementation among women with fertility disorders preparing for in vitro fertilization (IVF); (2) to develop, based primarily on a review of the scientific literature, a nutritional protocol to support women undergoing assisted reproductive procedures. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 61 women undergoing IVF treatment. Diet quality was assessed using the original ProFertiMed score (food-based score). Data regarding supplementation practices, anthropometric characteristics, and the number of IVF attempts were collected using a structured questionnaire. Statistical analyses (Chi-square test) were performed to evaluate associations between diet quality, supplementation practices, and clinical outcomes. Results: Only 8% of the respondents demonstrated a high level of dietary adherence according to the ProFertiMed score, suggesting that nutritional intervention should be implemented in the remaining 92% of women. Dietary supplement use was highly prevalent (95%), with participants taking a mean of 7 ± 4 supplements (range: 1–17). No statistically significant association was observed between diet quality assessed using the ProFertiMed score and the number of IVF attempts (Chi-square test, p = 0.85). Conclusions: The ProFertiMed score appears to be a promising tool for assessing diet-related factors in the context of assisted reproduction and may be particularly valuable when applied at the time of female infertility diagnosis, allowing for the early identification and modification of dietary factors that may affect reproductive outcomes. The proposed protocol, which is primarily based on the scientific literature, outlines key aspects of supportive nutritional management that may contribute to preconception preparation; however, its potential impact on IVF outcomes has not yet been empirically confirmed and should be evaluated in future studies. Therefore, further refinement and validation are required before its implementation in clinical practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Gynecology: Preventing and Managing Female Disorders)

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