Fertility Series, Part 2 of 3: Nutrition
Knowing what to eat during IVF can feel surprisingly complicated. Between advice about supplements, foods to avoid and supposed implantation superfoods, it is not always clear which changes are useful. This guide brings the research together with practical ideas for meals, treatment days and everyday life in Dubai.
Quick Answer
During IVF, a practical starting point is a varied diet built around vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, suitable fish, nuts and olive oil. Research suggests possible benefits from Mediterranean-style eating, but it has not established that adopting a particular diet increases IVF live birth rates. Avoid alcohol during your cycle and keep caffeine to no more than 200 milligrams a day. Take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily before conception and through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, unless your clinician prescribes a different dose. Discuss vitamin D and other supplements with your clinic.
These recommendations bring together research on dietary patterns and fertility, pregnancy preparation and pregnancy food safety. Your clinic’s individual instructions take priority.
Why Food Advice Can Become Confusing During IVF
Some nutrition advice draws on genuine research, but the conclusions often go further than the studies support. A finding about vitamin levels becomes a supplement recommendation for everyone. An association with a dietary pattern becomes a promise about pregnancy. An ordinary food becomes something you are told to eat on a particular day.
You can make useful changes without following all those rules. The aim is to understand what deserves attention and build meals that remain manageable around appointments, treatment and changes in appetite.
About this series. At Fit with Rozzie, we approach everyday support before and during IVF through three connected areas: movement, nutrition and recovery. Part 1 covers exercise during IVF. This article focuses on food, while Part 3 explores stress, sleep and coping during IVF.
What Research Says About Diet and IVF
Mediterranean-style eating is a reasonable foundation for everyday meals. Several studies report encouraging associations with fertility treatment outcomes, although the findings are mixed and do not establish that changing your diet improves your chance of having a baby.
The Mediterranean pattern
A 2025 systematic review examined eight studies on Mediterranean-style eating and assisted reproduction. Four reported significant positive associations with at least some outcomes, including embryo measures, clinical pregnancy or live birth. The authors described the overall evidence as limited.
A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis also found encouraging results. However, the positive pooled result for Mediterranean-style eating after excluding studies with a high risk of bias rested on just two studies. That limits how confidently the findings can guide an individual patient.
One often-cited example is a Greek study of 244 women with a BMI below 30 undergoing their first IVF cycle. Greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with higher clinical pregnancy and live birth rates among women under 35. The same association was not detected in older participants. This was a finding within that particular study, rather than a general rule about who benefits from eating well.
What this means on a plate
You do not need to change your cooking style completely. The general pattern includes:
- Vegetables and fruit across the day.
- Lentils, chickpeas, beans and other legumes regularly.
- Whole grains such as oats, wholegrain bread and brown rice.
- Fish, following pregnancy guidance on suitable types and amounts.
- Olive oil, nuts and seeds.
- Less processed meat, fewer sugary drinks and less frequent fast food.
These ingredients can fit Arabic, South Asian, East African and European meals. A lentil stew with vegetables and rice fits the approach just as comfortably as a Mediterranean salad.
How to interpret these findings
The eight studies in the 2025 review were observational. People who eat differently may also differ in smoking, activity, income, health conditions and other habits. Researchers can account for some of these differences, but they cannot completely separate them.
The findings support further research and offer a sensible direction for everyday eating. They do not show that adopting the pattern before your next cycle will cause a better IVF outcome.
Foods to Avoid During IVF and What to Limit
Alcohol, caffeine and convenience food deserve different advice. Knowing those differences makes it easier to decide what to change and what can remain part of your routine.
Alcohol
Avoiding alcohol throughout the cycle is the simplest approach, including the two-week wait when pregnancy may already have begun. NHS guidance advises avoiding alcohol when pregnant or planning pregnancy.
A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis reviewed 14 studies on alcohol, with nine contributing to the pooled analysis. Its dose-response findings linked higher alcohol intake in women with lower pregnancy odds, and higher intake in men with lower odds of their partner having a live birth.
These were observational findings. They do not establish a safe drinking threshold during IVF or prove how much an individual’s outcome would change after stopping. Your partner’s alcohol intake is also worth discussing with the clinic.
Caffeine
You can generally keep coffee in moderation. The same meta-analysis found no statistically significant association between caffeine intake and IVF pregnancy or live birth outcomes, although that does not establish that unlimited caffeine is harmless.
A practical approach is to use the pregnancy limit of no more than 200 milligrams daily from the start of treatment. Include caffeine from tea, cola, energy drinks, chocolate and supplements. Café drinks vary considerably, so check the amount rather than judging by cup size.
Fast food, sugary drinks and trans fats
Aim to make balanced meals your usual choice while leaving room for convenience and preferences. The 2023 review reported associations between dietary patterns lower in trans fats, saturated fat, fast food and sugary drinks and better fertility outcomes in some studies. It does not prove that changing one food changes the result of a cycle.
Useful adjustments might include replacing some sweet drinks with water, adding vegetables to a familiar meal or keeping a few balanced delivery orders ready for appointment days. Cooking every meal from scratch is not necessary.
Supplements: What to Take and What to Discuss
Supplements serve different purposes. Preventing a deficiency, supporting early pregnancy and trying to improve IVF outcomes are separate questions, even when the products are sold together.
Folic acid: start before pregnancy
NHS guidance recommends 400 micrograms of folic acid daily before conception and through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. This recommendation concerns the baby’s development rather than a proven increase in IVF success.
Some people need a higher prescription dose because of individual risk factors or the clinical guidance their team follows. Recommendations differ between countries and conditions, so follow your clinician’s prescribed dose. If you have not started yet, ask your clinic or pharmacist what to take.
Vitamin D: make the advice personal
Ask your clinic what vitamin D supplementation is appropriate and whether there is a reason to test your level. Low levels have been documented in studies of women living in the UAE, but living here does not establish that you personally have a deficiency.
A 2018 review found an association between sufficient vitamin D levels and higher live birth rates after assisted reproduction. However, an association between blood levels and outcomes does not show that supplements produce the same benefit.
A large randomised trial published in 2026 helps clarify that distinction. Among women with PCOS undergoing IVF, supplementation increased vitamin D levels but did not significantly improve live birth rates after the first embryo transfer compared with placebo. Treating a diagnosed deficiency can still be important for health; an IVF success benefit should not be promised.
Testing is not automatically necessary for everyone. The Endocrine Society’s 2024 guidance advises against routine screening during pregnancy without an established indication.
Other supplements
Discuss other supplements with your clinic before starting them. CoQ10, myo-inositol, DHEA, omega-3 and antioxidant blends have different evidence and should not be treated as interchangeable.
For example, a 2024 CoQ10 meta-analysis reported encouraging results, including higher clinical pregnancy rates, in women with diminished ovarian reserve. That does not establish a benefit for every IVF patient. The international PCOS guideline considers inositol experimental as a fertility treatment because its benefits and risks remain uncertain.
Once pregnancy is possible, avoid cod liver oil and supplements containing vitamin A as retinol, in line with NHS pregnancy supplement guidance. Check existing products before adding another one.
Weight and Planning Ahead for IVF
If weight management is relevant to your care, discuss it with your clinic before setting a target or delaying treatment. Your health, age and treatment timing all belong in that conversation.
If you would like to check your BMI before pregnancy, our free BMI calculator works it out from your height and weight. The result can be a starting point for a conversation with your clinic, but it cannot predict your IVF outcome or tell you whether you should lose weight before treatment.
What the evidence shows
A 2019 meta-analysis of 21 studies found that women with a BMI of 30 or above had a lower probability of live birth after IVF than women in the normal BMI range. The relative difference was around 15 percent, not 15 percentage points. This describes an average association across study populations, not an individual prediction.
The finding does not mean that losing weight before IVF necessarily reverses the difference. A 2024 meta-analysis of six randomised trials involving 1,627 women found no statistically significant improvement in live birth rates after weight-loss interventions. Intervention groups lost an average of about 4.6 kilograms more than comparison groups.
A larger 2025 analysis of 12 randomised trials found more pregnancies overall, particularly pregnancies without assisted conception. However, the effects on IVF-related pregnancy and live birth remained uncertain.
Making a decision for your situation
For women with overweight or obesity, a supported weight-management programme before planned IVF may improve the chance of conceiving without treatment. A reliable improvement in IVF live birth rates has not been established.
If you have months before treatment and your clinic recommends weight management, there may be time for gradual changes. If stimulation is about to begin, agree on a realistic plan rather than setting an urgent weight-loss target. Decisions about delaying IVF also need to account for age and individual circumstances, as ASRM guidance on obesity and reproduction explains.
If you have PCOS
Nutrition advice may need to account for insulin resistance, other health conditions and your treatment plan. The international PCOS guideline supports sustainable healthy eating but does not identify one dietary composition as superior for reproductive outcomes.
A PCOS diagnosis does not automatically mean you need to eliminate carbohydrates. Individual advice from your clinic or dietitian can build on the varied eating pattern described here.
Eating Through the Phases of a Cycle
Your usual eating pattern can remain broadly similar through treatment. The main adjustments concern comfort, procedure instructions and pregnancy food safety.
Before your cycle
Use the time before treatment to establish meals you enjoy and can prepare without much effort. Many studies assess eating habits before IVF, although that does not establish this as the only phase when nutrition matters.
A few familiar options can make appointment weeks easier:
| Meal | An everyday option |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Oats with pasteurised milk or a fortified soya drink, berries and nuts |
| Lunch | Lentil soup, wholegrain bread and vegetables |
| Dinner | Well-cooked chicken or tofu, rice and roasted vegetables |
| Another dinner option | Baked salmon, potatoes and green vegetables |
| Snack | Pasteurised yoghurt with fruit, or toast with nut butter |
These are meal ideas, not a prescribed fertility diet. Adjust them for allergies, preferences and advice from your care team.
If friends or family offer help, you might ask for a grocery run or a meal you can refrigerate or freeze for a busy day.
During stimulation
Mild bloating can occur during stimulation. Smaller, more frequent meals may feel more comfortable than large portions. Include a protein source in your meals, drink regularly and avoid starting a restrictive diet or detox. Discuss any plans to fast with your clinic beforehand.
If you develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, or OHSS, follow your clinic’s individual instructions. RCOG advises regular fluids according to thirst for mild OHSS, rather than forcing large quantities of water.
Around retrieval
Follow your clinic’s fasting instructions for sedation exactly. Timing can differ between services, so use the instructions provided for your procedure. Afterwards, resume food and drinks when your care team says it is safe, starting with what you can comfortably tolerate.
The egg-collection guidance from Guy’s and St Thomas’ explains why fasting matters. If nausea or constipation becomes troublesome after retrieval, ask your team about suitable management.
After transfer and the two-week wait
Follow pregnancy food safety guidance once pregnancy is possible. This includes thoroughly cooking meat and eggs, avoiding unpasteurised milk and unsafe soft cheeses, and choosing suitable fish while avoiding high-mercury varieties. Some mould-ripened cheeses need thorough cooking even when made with pasteurised milk. Continue avoiding alcohol and keep caffeine within the daily limit.
There is no proven need for a special implantation menu. Eating pineapple has not been shown to improve implantation, as fertility specialists at CCRM explain. Enjoy it if you like it. You do not need to eat the core or take bromelain supplements for this purpose.
After the test
If the result is positive, continue pregnancy nutrition guidance and follow your clinic’s follow-up plan. NHS healthy eating guidance advises that you do not need to “eat for two”.
If the result is negative, give yourself time to recover and discuss any changes with your clinic. An unsuccessful cycle does not establish that you ate the wrong foods. There is no reliable evidence that missing a supposed implantation food explains a failed transfer.
Eating Well in Dubai During IVF
Planning around appointments and daily routines can make the advice easier to follow.
Make delivery work for you. Keep two or three dependable orders ready for busy treatment days. A grilled chicken or fish plate with vegetables and rice, a lentil dish or a balanced mezze selection can save you having to decide from scratch.
Keep simple food at home. Oats, beans, lentils, frozen vegetables, rice, nuts and pasteurised yoghurt give you several meal options without a complicated shopping list. Pack a snack for long appointment days and follow storage instructions, particularly in the heat.
Leave room for eating out. Choose a meal with a protein source, vegetables and a starchy food you enjoy. Wholegrain options can add fibre, but every restaurant meal does not need to follow an exact formula.
Plan for heat and appointments. Carry drinking water when you are out, unless you are following fasting instructions for a procedure. Follow any individual fluid plan provided by your clinic.
Discuss fasting early. If Ramadan or another fast overlaps with treatment, raise it before the cycle starts. Your clinic can consider medication timing, access to fluids, procedures and your individual response to treatment.
How Fit with Rozzie Supports You During IVF
During IVF, Fit with Rozzie can help you make everyday eating easier to manage: familiar meals for appointment days, a shopping list that suits your household and practical adjustments when your appetite or schedule changes.
Our nutrition coaching in Dubai works around advice from your fertility clinic or dietitian. It does not replace medical nutrition therapy, prescribe supplements or claim to increase pregnancy or live birth rates. The focus is practical support with routines you can maintain during treatment.
If you are also adapting your activity, our guide to exercise during IVF explains the considerations at each stage.
This article provides general information and does not replace individual medical or dietetic advice.
This Series: Supporting Yourself Through IVF
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a specific diet that improves IVF success?
No single diet has been proven to increase IVF live birth rates. Research most consistently links a Mediterranean-style pattern, built on vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, nuts and olive oil, with better outcomes, but the evidence is observational and strongest in women under 35. Treat it as a sensible way to eat, not a treatment.
Can I drink coffee during IVF?
Yes, in moderation. A large meta-analysis found no link between caffeine intake and IVF pregnancy or live birth rates. Once pregnant, NHS guidance is to stay under 200 milligrams of caffeine a day, and many women adopt that limit from the start of the cycle so nothing changes after a positive test.
Does pineapple help implantation?
No. There is no evidence that pineapple, pineapple core or bromelain affects implantation. Eat it if you enjoy it and skip it if you do not. Nothing you eat in the two-week wait makes an embryo implant or fail to implant.
Which supplements should I take during IVF?
Folic acid, 400 micrograms daily from before your cycle until week 12 of pregnancy, is the one everyone should take, and your clinic may prescribe a higher dose. Ask your clinic about vitamin D testing and correct a low level for your health, but a large 2026 trial found supplementation did not raise IVF live birth rates. Avoid cod liver oil and retinol-form vitamin A once pregnancy is possible, and discuss every other supplement with your clinic before taking it.
Should I lose weight before IVF?
Only with your clinic and only with time. Obesity is associated with lower live birth rates after IVF, and gradual weight loss can improve your chance of conceiving naturally, but randomised trials have not shown that weight loss before IVF improves the IVF cycle itself. Crash dieting in the weeks before or during a cycle has no evidence behind it.
Scientific Sources & Clinical References
- Martín-Manchado L et al. (2025). Associations between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and assisted reproductive techniques outcomes: a systematic review. European Journal of Public Health.
- Winter HG et al. (2023). Can Dietary Patterns Impact Fertility Outcomes? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients.
- Karayiannis D et al. (2018). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and IVF success rate among non-obese women attempting fertility. Human Reproduction.
- Rao W et al. (2022). The association between caffeine and alcohol consumption and IVF/ICSI outcomes: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica.
- Sermondade N et al. (2019). Female obesity is negatively associated with live birth rate following IVF: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Human Reproduction Update.
- Jeong HG et al. (2024). Effect of weight loss before in vitro fertilization in women with obesity or overweight and infertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports.
- Annals of Internal Medicine (2025). Systematic review and meta-analysis of weight-loss interventions before IVF.
- Chu J et al. (2018). Vitamin D and assisted reproductive treatment outcome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Human Reproduction.
- Hu KL et al. (2026). Vitamin D supplementation before in vitro fertilisation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: multicentre, double blind, placebo controlled, randomised clinical trial. BMJ.
- Annals of Medicine (2024). Clinical evidence of coenzyme Q10 pretreatment for women with diminished ovarian reserve undergoing IVF/ICSI: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- International PCOS Guideline (2023). Recommendations from the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine (2021). Obesity and reproduction: a committee opinion.
- Endocrine Society (2024). Vitamin D for the Prevention of Disease.
- Nutrients (2022). Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Associated Factors among Female Migrants in the United Arab Emirates.
- NHS. Planning your pregnancy; Vitamins and supplements in pregnancy; Foods to avoid in pregnancy; Healthy eating in pregnancy.
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
- NHS. IVF, including urgent and emergency symptoms.
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. IVF treatment: egg collection.
- CCRM Fertility (2021). The Truth About Pineapple and Fertility.
