Vitamin E intake linked to a key fertility hormone in women trying to conceive

Everyday nutrient intake may be linked to hormonal and body composition markers in women seeking fertility care, but researchers caution that the role of diet in reproductive health still needs stronger clinical evidence.

Study: Dietary nutrient intake and nutritional status in women with infertility: a cross-sectional study. Image Credit: Taras Grebinets / Shutterstock

In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, a group of researchers examined how dietary nutrient intake relates to body composition and reproductive hormone levels in women with infertility.

Nutrition and Reproductive Health in Infertility

What if everyday food choices could affect fertility? One in six couples globally faces infertility, causing them both emotional and financial stress. Beyond medical treatments, lifestyle factors, especially nutrition, are gaining attention as modifiable influences on reproductive health.

Hormonal balance, ovulation, and overall fertility potential may be influenced by women’s body composition and their micronutrient intake; however, most evidence comes from general populations rather than from women actively seeking fertility care. Understanding how diet interacts with hormonal and physical markers in this group could help inform practical nutritional strategies in fertility care.

Further research is needed to clarify these relationships in clinical settings.

Dietary Nutrient and Hormone Study Design

This cross-sectional study involved 97 women (ages 18–40) who met the clinical criteria for infertility and were attending a fertility clinic in Spain between 2022 and 2024. To be eligible, participants generally had failed to conceive after at least 12 months of unprotected intercourse, or after six months if they were over 35 years of age.

Participants with certain disorders (for example, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, or endocrine diseases requiring treatment) were excluded from the study to eliminate any confounding effects of these disorders.

Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) that captured realistic consumption over the previous year. Nutrient intake was calculated using standardized food composition databases.

Anthropometric measurements, including body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body fat percentage (BFP), and muscle mass percentage (MMP), were obtained using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) under controlled conditions.

In the early follicular phase, researchers measured anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), estradiol, calcidiol, and prolactin from fasting blood samples.

After measuring hormone levels, they performed statistical analyses using correlation tests and multiple linear regression models, adjusting for caloric intake, physical activity, BMI, and smoking status.

Researchers defined statistical significance at the p< 0.05 level and applied Bonferroni correction where appropriate to account for multiple comparisons.

Nutrient Intake, Body Composition, and Hormone Findings

The study population had a mean age of approximately 33 years, with most participants being employed and having higher education.

From a clinical perspective, the average BMI fell within the overweight range, highlighting a common metabolic concern among women with infertility. Notably, BFP exceeded recommended levels, while MMP was slightly below optimal thresholds, suggesting an imbalance in body composition that may influence reproductive health.

The analysis showed significant associations between nutrient intake and body composition. Consumption of riboflavin (vitamin B2) showed a significant positive correlation with MMP, suggesting an association between higher riboflavin intake and greater muscle mass percentage, although the authors described this relationship more cautiously as nominal after stringent multiple-testing adjustment.

Calcium intake was also positively associated with muscle mass, further implying its role in metabolic homeostasis beyond bone health.

Vitamin E intake was inversely associated with hip circumference, with higher antioxidant intake correlating with lower hip circumference; thus, raising the possibility that vitamin E intake may be linked to regional fat distribution, although this finding requires cautious interpretation and confirmation in future studies.

Higher vitamin E intake was also associated with lower prolactin levels, and higher prolactin levels can disrupt normal ovulation and the menstrual cycle, making this clinically relevant. As this association persisted even after adjusting for confounding factors, it suggests that vitamin E intake may be linked to prolactin regulation, although causality and mechanism remain unproven.

Other nutrients initially showed association with AMH and TSH, but these did not remain significant after adjustment. This shows that nutrition affects reproduction in complex ways and that only specific nutrients have consistent, measurable associations in this cohort.

Dietary Implications for Fertility Care

This study shows that specific dietary nutrients are associated with key markers of reproductive health in women with infertility. Higher intake of vitamin E was linked to lower prolactin levels and reduced hip circumference, while riboflavin and calcium were associated with higher muscle mass percentage. This suggests a potential for targeted nutritional approaches to support more favorable hormonal and body composition profiles.

Causality cannot be established due to the cross-sectional design; however, the findings suggest that diet may be a modifiable factor to consider alongside fertility care.

Long-term prospective studies are needed to validate and establish these connections, and potentially help guide the implementation of personalized nutrition.