02.07.12

The heart-healthy Mediterranean diet has been getting a whole lot of press lately due to some pretty significant research into its benefits. It has been shown to lower the incidence of asthma and allergies in children, lower the risk of metabolic syndrome, possibly eliminate diabetes medication for Type II diabetics, and may lessen the risk of cancer and depression.

Just last month research came out of the Netherlands on the Mediterranean diet and fertility. While the study didn’t actually prove that the diet alone boosts fertility, but found that two common diet patterns emerged: women who adhered to the Mediterranean-style diet had a higher pregnancy rate following in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). In fact, the women who were consistent with the tenets of the diet were 40 percent more likely to get pregnant than those women whose diets were farthest from the Mediterranean Diet.