TABLE 2.

Characteristics of the Mediterranean and the Western-style diets, and their influence on female fertility¹

	Diet characteristics
	Source of fat or fat type	Meat and fish	Dairy	Grains and legumes	Fruits and vegetables	Other	Influence on fertility	References
Mediterranean diet	MUFAs and PUFAs from nuts and olive oil	Poultry, moderate fish consumption	High consumption	Whole grain cereals, high consumption of legumes	Mostly fresh vegetables and fruits, high intake of dietary fiber	Moderate consumption of red, dry wine, low consumption of sweets	Direct: Increases chances of fertilization, supports ART	(17–19, 28–32)
Western-style diet	SFAs and TFAs from processed foods, meat, and fast-food	Red meat, processed meat	Low consumption	Refined cereals, low consumption of legumes	Low intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, and dietary fiber	High consumption of sweets and sweetened beverages	Indirect: Increases the risk of IR, T2D, and PCOS; impairs ovulation	(5, 23, 24)

¹ART, assisted reproductive technology; IR, insulin resistance; PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome; T2D, type 2 diabetes; TFA, trans-fatty acid.