This InStyle Article on "The Diet That Cured" Infertility Sounds Like an Ad, But Is It the Real Deal?

By Salma Abdelnour Gilman

Spoiler alert: We don't know if the infertility diet promised in the headline above is the real deal. But we're linking to today's InStyle article anyway, because the writer's story about her journey from hormonal issues and infertility to a healthy pregnancy at age 37 is potentially useful for anyone struggling with the same symptoms.

At age 20, Alisa Vitti, author of the InStyle piece, suddenly put on more than 50 pounds and started getting her period only twice a year. Doctors couldn't figure out what was going on, but Vitti, a medical-school hopeful, researched her symptoms on her own and found out she had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).  

"As I aged, I could expect to gain more weight, get diabetes, and develop heart disease and cancer," Vitti's doctor told her. '"And I would likely never be able to have children naturally—even with IVF."

VItti decided to attack the issue with dietary and lifestyle changes, and at age 37 she got pregnant after only trying for a few months. So, what were those diet and lifestyle changes? The InStyle article doesn't tell us, despite the tantalizing headline. But a link embedded in the article takes us to this piece on Vitti's website, about the diet tips she followed: "Eating an avocado a day when you're trying to conceive," making royal jelly smoothies, and taking in turmeric, cinnamon, leafy greens and egg yolks on a daily basis. 

InStyle also tells us at the top of the piece that Vitti is "the founder of the period-tracking app MyFLO and author of the women's hormone health book WomanCode."

We clicked on that MyFLO link, and sure enough, it took us right to Vitti's line of sleekly packaged dietary supplements. Do they work? Should you order them? 

No clue, but Vitti's story doesn't ring false, which is why we figured it's worth mentioning here. Her techniques might help; who knows. In the meantime, we'll give InStyle the benefit of the doubt that Vitti's article isn't a sneaky, paid piece of "native advertising" masquerading as an essay.

At the very least, we do like her last sentence: "If you’re a woman in her mid-to-late 30s or early 40s who wants to become pregnant but is facing a grim prediction from your doctor, you don’t have to take it sitting down." We'll co-sign that.

Photo by Thought Catalog via Unsplash.