If you are trying to conceive, it is high time you looked into your diet. Your diet may positively or negatively affect your fertility. This article discusses how food choices affect fertility and outlines the foods you should include and exclude from your meal plan.
How Food Choices Affect Fertility
The U.S Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise parents-to-be to consume whole grains, vegetables, monosaturated oils, poly-saturated oils, fish, and fruits. These foods have been proven to improve fertility.
The Nurses Health Study, too, recommends plant proteins, high-fat dairy foods, monounsaturated fats, and iron for women before conception. Women who take these foods before conceiving have a 27% reduced risk of having fertility problems. They also have a 66% less chance of suffering ovulatory disorders.
Another study that involved college-educated women from Spain found that moms who observed a high quartile of Mediterranean diet required less medical intervention to conceive. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H Chan School of Medical School found the positive effect of these vitamins and minerals with fertility. They include folic acid, omega three fatty acids, vitamin B12, and healthy diets. They also improved semen quality in men.
On the other hand, saturated fats, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and dairy negatively affect fertility levels. Trans-fats, potatoes, sweetened drinks, and processed meat too are associated with low infertility.
Foods You Should Be Eating To Boost Fertility
Antioxidants
Foods rich in antioxidants like zinc and folate can improve your fertility. These antioxidants get rid of free radicals from the body, affecting egg cells and sperm quality. Examples of such foods include vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts.
High Fiber Foods
High fiber foods not only balances your blood sugar but also removes excess estrogen levels. Some fibers bind the estrogen hormone to the intestines, where it is excreted from the body as waste. Avocadoes, oats, sweet potatoes, and fruits are excellent sources of soluble fiber. On the other hand, whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits are rich in high fiber.
Opt For Vegetable Proteins
A study outlined in the Healthline, shows that consuming a diet with 5% vegetable protein instead of animal protein can decrease ovulatory problems up to 50%. Therefore, replace fish, eggs, and meat with beans, nuts, and cereals.
High Fat Dairy
High-fat dairy can also improve your fertility rates. Dairy is rich in saturated fats, vitamins A, E, D, and K. It’s high time you included whole milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt in your diet.
Foods That Negatively Affect Your Fertility
Excessive Alcohol
Excessive consumption of alcohol can negatively affect your fertility. Your fertility explains that heavy drinking affects a man's sex drive, the quality of sperms, and in some cases, causes impotence. How about women? With alcohol in a mom’s system, it may take longer for her to conceive. Drinking seven or more drinks a week can result in heavy menstruation, irregular periods, and worse, fertility issues. Also, alcohol does affect ovulation, which means there will be trouble conceiving.
When trying to conceive, it is best you refrain from alcoholic beverages. If you have to take a drink, talk to your doctor about the best way forward.
Trans-fats
Trans-fats, too, can increase ovulatory infertility. They are mainly found in fried, baked foods, margarine, and processed products. Healthier alternatives for parents trying to conceive should be baking and cooking food in corn oil and olive oil.
Reduce Your Intake Of Carbohydrates
Did you know that refined carbohydrates can also affect your fertility? Bread, rice, pasta, sweetened foods, and drinks have refined carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are absorbed fast in the body, which then spikes insulin levels and blood sugar. Since insulin has similar chemical proportions as the ovarian hormone, high insulin levels reduce the production of the ovarian hormone. This affects ovulation and egg maturation, thus affecting fertility.
What To Remember When Trying To Conceive
Moms and dads-to-be need to pay attention to their diet when trying to get pregnant. The diet should include folic acid, omega three fatty acids, and vitamin B12. Moms can start taking a prenatal vitamin to supplement their folic acid and vitamin B12 intake. Health Harvard warns moms against taking too much Vitamin A as it can affect the fetus.
Besides, your weight can also affect your fertility rates. Healthline notes that being underweight and overweight can increase your infertility. It is, therefore, essential that you gain or lose weight to have an ideal BMI. Lastly, stay active when trying to conceive. Moderate exercises have positive outcomes on fertility. Moreover, stay relaxed and relaxed to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
Sources: Health Harvard, Your Fertility, Healthline, NCBI.