Fiber intake may be connected with improved fertility. Researchers are learning that the probiotics in a woman’s gut microbiome may be associated with her ability to conceive.
In a pilot study published by the Journal of Chemical Biochemistry Nutrition, Japanese researchers analyzed the gut microbiomes of 18 fertile and 18 infertile women. They found that the infertile women had different gut microbiome compositions compared with fertile women, indicating the gut microbiome may play a role in fertility.
To examine the impact of prebiotic fiber on fertility, researchers in this pilot study had 12 of the infertile women consume 10 grams of prebiotic PHGG (Tomorrow’s Nutrition Sunfiber) while attempting to conceive through in vitro fertilization. Tomorrow’s Nutrition Sunfiber is a powerful prebiotic known to nourish Bifidobacterium.
Comparing the gut microbiota of women with successful pregnancies and those with unsuccessful IVF treatments, pregnant women had a higher percentage of Bifidobacterium along with a lower abundance of Paraprevotella and Blautia, before and after PHGG consumption.
These are encouraging but very preliminary results, and more research is needed to confirm the findings.
