Health & Medicine

Good Breakfast Boosts Fertility In Women

Nupur Jha
First Posted: Oct 04, 2013 09:37 AM EDT

A recent study claims that having a healthy breakfast can boost fertility by improving ovulation and reducing problems like menstrual irregularities, diabetes and PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).

The Hebrew University and University of Tel Aviv conducted a study to find the impact of meal times on the bodily processes and symptoms associated with PCOS.

A 12-week long study was conducted on 60 women suffering from PCOS, belonging to the age group of 25 to 39. They were thin and had body mass index below 23.

The women were grouped into two, each group was allowed to consume 1,800 calories each day. One of the groups was given a heavy breakfast, consisting of about 980 calories. The other group was given a heavy dinner. The researchers wanted to study the impact of the meals on the levels of male sex hormone androgen and insulin in these women.

The researchers observed an increase in the ovulation in women having the high calorie breakfast compared to the other group of women. A hearty breakfast boosts the fertility level in these women.

Women suffering from PCOS turn resistant to insulin production leading to diabetes, they produce high levels of androgen. They experience hair loss and hair growth on the body. It also leads to acne, menstrual irregularities and gives rise fertility issues.  

 About six to 10 percent of women in the U.S. are facing difficulties in conceiving because of PCOS, according to Womanshealth.gov.

"The research clearly demonstrates that indeed the amount of calories we consume daily is very important, but the timing as to when we consume them is even more important," Professor Oren Froy, lead author of the study and director of the Nutrigenomics and Functional Foods Research Center, said in a news release.

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