Nutrition and fertility – the role of the nutritionist in supporting couples undergoing assisted reproductive treatments

Infertility is a major public health issue, with a significant impact on the quality of life of affected couples. Although assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are becoming increasingly accessible, the success rates remain modest. Scientific literature highlights the fundamental role of nutrition in supporting both female and male fertility by influencing hormonal function, oocyte and sperm quality, as well as embryo implantation. This article discusses essential micronutrients involved in reproductive health, including folic acid, vitamin D, zinc and coenzyme Q10. This review aims to analyze the impact of precision nutrition on male and female fertility and to present evidence supporting the positive influence of the Mediterranean diet and targeted nutritional interventions on assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. The article also emphasizes the importance of integrating a fertility-specialized dietitian as a core member of the multidisciplinary team involved in managing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. A narrative literature review was conducted using international scientific databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. The search strategy included keywords such as: "fertility", "nutrition", "infertility", "IVF", "micronutrients", "dietary patterns", "oxidative stress", and "dietitian". Articles were selected based on the following inclusion criteria: publication date between 2005 and 2024, clinical studies, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews, published in English. The exclusion criteria included studies on animals, non-indexed articles, or those not directly related to human fertility.