Can diet and lifestyle improve IVF success? Exploring the link between gluten sensitivity and fertility

Preparing for IVF or any assisted reproductive journey often brings up one big question: What else can I do to support my chances of success? While fertility treatment can offer incredible tools and technology, the health of the body receiving that support still matters deeply. Factors like inflammation, nutrient status, gut health, blood sugar balance, sleep, and stress can all influence the environment where conception and implantation take place.

I often remind clients that while we cannot control every outcome, we can absolutely nourish the foundation. Small, consistent choices in the months leading up to treatment may help support hormone levels, egg and sperm quality, and overall resilience during what can be an emotional process.

In this article, we’ll explore emerging research on gluten sensitivity, fertility, and IVF outcomes, along with practical diet and lifestyle strategies to help support your body before and during ART.

Understanding Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)

The road to parenthood looks different for everyone, and for many, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) becomes part of that story. While science and technology continue to improve ART success rates, there’s growing recognition that a woman’s internal environment, her hormones, metabolism, inflammation, and nutrient status may be just as important as the lab conditions.

In my experience, many women entering IVF feel like everything is suddenly out of their control. Reframing the process around what can be supported like nutrition, sleep, stress resilience, and nutrient status, often helps them feel more empowered.

A healthy body creates a more receptive environment for conception and implantation. But what does that actually mean? It means optimizing your gut health, immune system, blood sugar, and stress resilience long before an embryo transfer.

What the research says about gluten and fertility

A 2025 Nutrients review, “Reproductive Health and Assisted Conception in Celiac Disease and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity,” explored the connection between gluten-related disorders and ART outcomes. Researchers found emerging evidence that gluten exposure may negatively influence fertility in some women, especially those with undiagnosed celiac disease (CD) or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS).

In these conditions, gluten can drive immune activation, disrupt nutrient absorption, and interfere with hormone levels, all of which can make conception and implantation more difficult.

Key insights from the review:

• Women with untreated CD often experience delayed menarche, amenorrhea, and recurrent miscarriage.
  
  
• Some studies show improved fertility outcomes once a gluten-free diet (GFD) is adopted.
  
  
• Even women without confirmed CD but with suspected NCGS may benefit from gluten elimination before ART.
  
  
• Evidence remains limited and mostly observational, meaning it’s too early to generalize.

In working with clients with unexplained infertility, I’ve seen that investigating food sensitivities, celiac screening, and gut health can sometimes uncover important missing pieces. Although gluten is not the root issue for everyone, for some individuals it can be an overlooked contributor to inflammation, digestive symptoms, or immune stress.

Mechanisms: How gluten might affect fertility

Gluten doesn’t just affect digestion, for sensitive individuals, it can set off systemic inflammation that reaches the reproductive system. Scientists propose several mechanisms:

• Autoimmunity: Gluten triggers antibodies that may cross-react with reproductive tissues, affecting ovarian and uterine function.
  
  
• Inflammation: Chronic cytokine activation interferes with ovulation and implantation.
  
  
• Leaky Gut: Increased intestinal permeability allows inflammatory molecules to circulate, impacting hormone signaling.
  
  
• Nutrient malabsorption: Deficiencies in iron, folate, B12, and vitamin D which are critical for egg quality and early pregnancy, and are common in untreated CD.

An important reminder is the body tends to prioritize survival before reproduction. When inflammation or deficiency is present, fertility can become a lower priority biologically.

Who might benefit from gluten reduction

Not everyone needs to go gluten-free, but certain individuals might notice measurable benefits, particularly if they have:

• Diagnosed Celiac Disease (CD)
  
  
• Unexplained infertility or multiple failed IVF cycles
  
  
• Autoimmune disorders (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes, lupus)
  
  
• Digestive or systemic symptoms after eating gluten: bloating, fatigue, brain fog, rashes, joint pain
  
  

For some women, gluten is a hidden barrier to fertility. A targeted, medically supervised elimination, ideally paired with lab testing, can help clarify whether it plays a role. In working with clients, I prefer a structured and time-limited elimination with a thoughtful reintroduction rather than an indefinite restrictive diet.

Beyond gluten: The “fertility-boosting” diet

Even if gluten isn’t the culprit, diet has a profound effect on reproductive health. Nutrition fuels hormone production, supports egg and sperm quality, and influences how the body handles inflammation and oxidative stress.

Key fertility-promoting diet principles:

• Mediterranean-style pattern: High in vegetables, olive oil, nuts, legumes, and fish are linked to higher ART success rates.
  
  
• Protein balance: 25–30g per meal from sources like poultry, fish, organic tofu, lentils, or collagen.
  
  
• Healthy fats: Omega-3s (salmon, sardines, chia, flax) enhance embryo quality.
  
  
• Antioxidant-rich foods: Berries, leafy greens, green tea combat oxidative stress.
  
  
• Stable blood sugar: Balanced meals prevent insulin spikes that disrupt ovulation.

In working with clients, I focus less on perfection and more on consistency: protein-forward meals, colorful produce, healthy fats, fiber, and enough total calories. I find that blood sugar balance is one of the most underestimated fertility levers and stable blood glucose often supports more consistent energy, better hormone signaling, and reduced cravings.

RELATED: What to know about the Mediterranean Diet for fertility—aka the fertility-boosting diet 

Lifestyle habits that enhance ART success

Fertility isn’t just about food, it’s the sum of your daily habits. Research shows lifestyle factors like sleep, stress, and physical activity can directly influence IVF success rates.

• Sleep: Aim for 7–9 hours per night. Sleep regulates cortisol, insulin, and reproductive hormones.
  
  
• Stress: Chronic stress increases cortisol and inflammatory cytokines, reducing ART success. Mind-body interventions like meditation, yoga, journaling, or acupuncture can help.
  
  
• Exercise: Moderate, consistent movement (walking, Pilates, resistance training) supports blood flow to reproductive organs and balances insulin.
  
  
• Toxins: Minimize alcohol, tobacco, plastics (BPA, phthalates), and personal care products with endocrine disruptors.
  
  
• Body Composition: Healthy body fat levels improve estrogen metabolism and reduce inflammation.

I often see that sleep is one of the first things to suffer during fertility treatment because of stress, scheduling, and anxiety, yet it is one of the most powerful recovery tools available. This goes hand-in-hand with stress management, which doesn’t mean eliminating all stress from your life. It means increasing your capacity to move through it and carving out time in your day to regulate your nervous system so you become more resilient when stressful situations enter your life.

Practical action plan before ART

A few months of preparation can transform your internal landscape by setting up the best possible foundation for conception and embryo implantation.

3–6 months before ART:

• Get screened for Celiac Disease and thyroid antibodies.
• Work with a functional dietitian to address nutrient deficiencies.
• Adopt a gut-healing protocol with fiber, probiotics, and polyphenol-rich foods.

1–3 months before ART:

• Transition to a whole-food, anti-inflammatory diet (Mediterranean or gluten-free if indicated).
• Reduce caffeine, alcohol, and refined sugar.
• Establish a consistent sleep and stress routine.

During ART:

• Continue prenatal nutrients, omega-3s, and antioxidant support.
• Prioritize hydration and gentle movement.
• Stay grounded as ART is both a physical and emotional journey.

In my experience, the couples who feel most grounded during IVF are often the ones who used the months before treatment to create routines, improve nutrition, and build emotional support systems.

A holistic approach to fertility

Integrative and functional medicine often looks beyond diagnosis to uncover the root causes of subfertility like inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune dysregulation. The goal isn’t to treat infertility per se, but to restore the body’s balance so conception can occur more naturally and ART can be more successful.

In practice, that might include:

• Reducing inflammation through diet and gut support
• Supporting optimal hormone levels via blood sugar regulation
• Addressing nutrient deficiencies
• Supporting mitochondrial health for egg and sperm quality

The relationship between gluten sensitivity and fertility is still unfolding, but the science points toward one key truth: your body’s internal environment profoundly impacts reproductive outcomes.

In practice I find that fertility challenges are rarely caused by one single issue. More often, I see several small imbalances layering together over time. By addressing diet, gut health, and lifestyle factors, you’re doing more than “optimizing”, you’re creating a fertile foundation for life to grow. Even small shifts like cleaner eating, better sleep, mindful stress management, can make a real difference in how your body responds to ART.

A note from WeNatal on supporting your body, beyond the basics

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in working with women and couples navigating fertility and ART, it’s this: the body responds to consistency, nourishment, and support over time. While there is no single nutrient, supplement, or protocol that guarantees an outcome, there are ways to create a more supported, resilient internal environment, and one that aligns with the demands of conception, implantation, and early pregnancy.

This is where I often encourage patients to think beyond the basics. Not just checking the box on a prenatal, but truly asking: Am I giving my body what it needs to do something incredibly complex?

In my clinical experience, foundational nutrients delivered in the right forms, and in meaningful amounts, can make a difference in how the body responds throughout the fertility journey. A comprehensive prenatal like WeNatal for Her is designed to support these deeper needs, helping to fill common gaps in key nutrients like methylated B vitamins, choline, and antioxidants that are essential for egg development and early fetal growth.

From there, layering in targeted support can be a thoughtful next step. Omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in WeNatal Omega DHA+, play an important role in reducing inflammation, supporting hormone signaling, and contributing to egg and embryo quality. And for those looking to further support mitochondrial health which is a critical component of egg quality,  WeNatal Egg Quality+ offers a blend of nutrients designed to support cellular energy and resilience at the ovarian level.

Of course, supplements are just one piece of the picture. They work best when layered alongside nourishing meals, restorative sleep, balanced movement, and emotional support. But when used intentionally, they can help bridge the gap between where the body is today and where it needs to be for this next chapter.

If you are preparing for ART or simply thinking about your fertility in the months ahead, consider this your reminder: you don’t have to do everything at once, and you don’t have to do it perfectly. But you can choose to support your body in a deeper, more intentional way, one small step at a time.