{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T05:12:22Z","timestamp":1788498742596,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769472000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100007082","name":"Pharmavite","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100007082","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n Adequate nutrient intake is important for supporting reproductive health. Few studies have examined the role of nutrients for fertility among women, resulting in a critical evidence gap. The aim of this study was to explore the usual intake and prevalence of nutrient inadequacies from foods only and foods plus dietary supplements among women of child bearing age with and without infertility.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n This cross-sectional study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a national survey in the United States. Participants included women aged 18\u201344 years from 2013\u20132020 with or without infertility (difficulty trying to conceive for at least one-year). The mean usual intakes and prevalence of inadequacy (%\u2009<\u2009EAR\/AI) of key nutrients- vitamins A, B1, B2, niacin, B6, B12, C, D, E, K, lycopene, lutein\u2009+\u2009zeaxanthin, folate, choline, zinc, selenium, iron, calcium, magnesium, EPA and DHA were determined from 24-hr dietary recalls.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n Women aged 18\u201344 years who reported infertility had significantly lower intakes of vitamin A, E and K and lutein and zeaxanthin from foods and foods\u2009+\u2009supplements compared to women without infertility. Lower intakes of selenium (foods only, 96.6 ug\/d vs 100 ug\/d), vitamin C (foods only, 66.9 mg\/d vs. 74.2 mg\/d) and calcium (foods\u2009+\u2009dietary supplements, 941 mg\/d vs. 974 mg\/d) were also observed in women reporting infertility. Fewer women with infertility met nutrient requirements. For example, 21.5% of women with infertility were below the EAR for vitamin B6 versus 14.6% of women without infertility and over 50% of those with infertility were below the EAR\/AI for vitamins A, C, E, and magnesium and potassium. Differences in nutrient intakes by fertility status were particularly pronounced for women aged 35\u201344 years.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n These findings suggest lower intake of key nutrients among women with infertility, especially those aged 35\u201344. Future studies are needed to understand the implications of nutrient gaps for conception. Across all age groups, and fertility status, gaps in nutrients that are important for overall health were evident, underscoring the need for public health strategies to address broad dietary improvements.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0341444","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T18:38:27Z","timestamp":1769539107000},"page":"e0341444","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Nutrient gaps are prevalent among women experiencing infertility, a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2013\u20132020"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4383-5641","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Rachel A.","family":"Murphy","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carroll A.","family":"Reider","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ryan W.","family":"Grant","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Susan","family":"Hazels Mitmesser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0341444.ref001","volume-title":"Infertility Prevalence Estimates, 1990\u20132021"},{"key":"pone.0341444.ref002","first-page":"1","article-title":"Infertility and impaired fecundity in women and men in the United States, 2015-2019","volume":"202","author":"CN Nugent","year":"2024","journal-title":"Natl Health Stat Report"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0341444.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"560","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2022.05.018","article-title":"Estimates of infertility in the United States: 1995\u20132019","volume":"118","author":"M Snow","year":"2022","journal-title":"Fertil Steril"},{"key":"pone.0341444.ref004","volume-title":"National Public Health Action Plan for the Detection, Prevention, and Management of Infertility","author":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention","year":"2014"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0341444.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"759","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2013.11.008","article-title":"Female dietary antioxidant intake and time to pregnancy among couples treated for unexplained infertility","volume":"101","author":"EH Ruder","year":"2014","journal-title":"Fertil Steril"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0341444.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2024.e29324","article-title":"Effect of omega-3 supplements or diets on fertility in women: a meta-analysis","volume":"10","author":"S Trop-Steinberg","year":"2024","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0341444.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1093\/jn\/nxy264","article-title":"Best practices for dietary supplement assessment and estimation of total usual nutrient intakes in population-level research and monitoring","volume":"149","author":"RL Bailey","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Nutr"},{"key":"pone.0341444.ref008","first-page":"294","article-title":"Using the dietary reference intakes to assess intakes.","volume-title":"Research: successful approaches in nutrition and dietetics","author":"RL Bailey","year":"2019","edition":"4"},{"key":"pone.0341444.ref009","author":"Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee"},{"key":"pone.0341444.ref010"},{"key":"pone.0341444.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/s00394-022-02915-x","article-title":"Women\u2019s health: optimal nutrition throughout the lifecycle","volume":"61","author":"EJM Feskens","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eur J Nutr"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0341444.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"753","DOI":"10.1084\/jem.42.6.753","article-title":"Tissue changes following deprivation of fat-soluble a vitamin","volume":"42","author":"SB Wolbach","year":"1925","journal-title":"J Exp Med"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0341444.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"385","DOI":"10.3390\/nu3040385","article-title":"Vitamin A in reproduction and development","volume":"3","author":"M Clagett-Dame","year":"2011","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0341444.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"150","DOI":"10.1001\/archopht.1946.00890200155008","article-title":"Congenital malformations induced in rats by maternal vitamin A deficiency: I. 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