A bowl of cereal for breakfast like porridge could help a woman conceive. Research has found that eating foods rich in vitamin B6 can more than double the chances of becoming pregnant.

Women who have plenty of B6 in their diet are also only half as likely to miscarry during those critical first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This study adds to the growing evidence of vitamin B6’s role in reproductive health as millions of women already taking vitamin B6 supplements to combat premenstrual syndrome and alleviate morning sickness.

It is thought that vitamin B6 plays a key role in the development of the placenta. The U.S. researchers looked at how levels of vitamin B6 affected the reproductive health of more than 300 healthy young women who were trying for a baby. Scientists measured levels of vitamin B6 in the women’s blood and checked their hormone levels every day for a year. The results revealed a clear link between vitamin B6 and fertility.

Those with the highest levels of the vitamin were 2.2 times more likely to conceive than those with the lowest levels. The women were also half as likely to miscarry in the first six weeks of pregnancy, the American Journal of Epidemiology reported. Earlier work by the same researchers showed that vitamin B6 appeared to ward off miscarriages later in pregnancy and halve the risk of premature birth.

For fertility, it is better to take additional vitamin B6 in supplements, the easiest way to do this is to take a multi-vitamin and mineral which contains B6 along with folic acid and other nutrients which are known to help fertility. The one I use in the clinic is called Fertility Plus for Women.

The risk of developing serious lung disease can be halved by eating a diet rich in Mediterranean foods. But a Western diet – full of refined foods, red meat, and deep fried foods like chips – can quadruple the risk of getting illnesses such as emphysema and bronchitis.

It has always been a puzzle that while lung disease is mainly caused by smoking, not all smokers develop it. So researchers have been examining how genetic and environmental factors, such as diet, play a role. Doctors have already claimed the Mediterranean diet – high in fruit, vegetables, fish and ‘healthy’ fats such as those in olive oil, while low in red meat and dairy products – can improve heart health and help stave off cancer.

Now a major study from the U.S. has found it can halve the risk of developing lung disease. The research from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston followed the health of 42,917 men taking part in the U.S. Health Professionals Follow-up Study. All were asked about their medical history, diet and lifestyle, including how much they smoked and exercised. The more closely the Mediterranean diet was followed, the lower the risk of developing lung disease over the 12-year study period.

Last month, researchers from the UK’s National Heart and Lung Institute, the University of Crete, Venezelio General Hospital in Crete, and the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona, found that the Mediterranean diet helped prevent the development of asthma and respiratory allergies in children.

Last year, U.S. researchers found that the Mediterranean could reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Other researchers have shown that those who follow the diet live longer. Researchers have suggested that the Mediterranean diet appears to improve the function of blood vessels by giving flexibility to the cells lining the walls of blood vessels, which also helps keep lungs healthy. In addition, antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, the body’s protection against cell damage, help the person to cope more effectively with inflammatory lung disease. Previous research from a team at St George’s Hospital Medical School in London found good lung function was linked to high intakes of vitamins C, E and beta-carotene, citrus fruits, apples and fruit juice. It is thought that high intake of salt and fatty acids – such as those found in margarine – could also increase the risk of lung problems.

The guidance replaces existing advice which recommends that pregnant women or women trying to conceive should not drink more than one to two units of alcohol once or twice a week, and should avoid getting drunk. The Department said the new guidance was not based on new scientific evidence but was needed to help ensure that women did not underestimate the risks to their baby.

This message to avoid alcohol completely in pregnancy and when trying for a baby has been a long time coming. In January 2000, research from Queen’s University claimed that the Department of Health (who at that point in time recommended that pregnant women could drink four units of alcohol a week) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (who said that seven units of alcohol a week was not harmful) were offering unsound and dangerous advice.

The study showed that even a tiny amount of alcohol (4 glasses of wine a week) can affect an unborn baby’s brain and central nervous system. Scientists concluded that women who drink throughout their pregnancy will produce children with shorter attention spans, and their children will also find it more difficult to do well at school. At that time, Britain was the only developed country where pregnant women were officially told that they could drink.

The message is simple: avoid alcohol if pregnant or trying to conceive.