Can Your Diet Impact Fertility?
If you’re trying to conceive, you probably want to make sure that everything you can control is optimal. One of the biggest factors you may wonder about is your diet. Can your diet really make that much of a difference in your fertility?
It turns out that your diet is indeed a factor in your fertility. What you eat — or don’t eat — can make a big difference in your fertility, for both men and women. In this blog. Dr. Edward J. Ramirez of The Fertility & Gynecology Center - Monterey Bay IVF explains more about how your diet can impact your fertility.
The best start for your fertility
When you are considering using assisted reproductive services to help you get pregnant, you want to make sure that you’re in the healthiest possible shape.
One surprising fact is that your cholesterol can have a big impact on your fertility. High cholesterol levels are negatively associated with your ability to get pregnant in both men and women.
Another study found that if you eat half your daily calories for the day at breakfast, you’re more likely to get pregnant. So if you’re in the habit of only having a cup of coffee in the morning, you may want to make time for a full breakfast.
Foods that can boost your fertility
You want to carefully choose the foods you eat with your fertility in mind. One thing you should try is to make sure you get foods that contain an adequate amount of iron. Iron-rich foods include the following:
- Beans
- Lentils
- Whole grains
- Spinach
- Long-grain enriched rice
- Fortified cereals
When you eat iron-rich foods, you also need to get an adequate amount of vitamin C to help with its absorption. Good choices of vitamin C include citrus fruits, berries, and bell peppers.
The ‘fertility diet’
The “fertility diet” was published in 2007 by researchers at Harvard University who found that eating certain foods increases your odds of getting pregnant. Foods and their components that have a positive effect include:
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Vitamin B12
- Folic acid
- Parts of the Mediterranean diet (lots of fish, olive oil, nuts, plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, with minimal consumption of processed foods)
In general, you want to focus on getting a lot of fresh foods in their natural format and limit processed foods. Although it may sound counterintuitive, you’re actually better off consuming high-fat forms of dairy than low-fat. Focus more on consuming vegetables and low-fat forms of animal protein, like chicken and fish, than red meat.
Women also benefit from consuming isoflavones, which are plant-based estrogens that are naturally occurring in soy products.
Similarly, eating fast food and consuming sugar-sweetened beverages were linked with lower fertility, especially when these are consumed in greater amounts.
Caffeine and alcohol didn’t seem to have much effect on fertility in studies, although you should still use them in moderation.
If you are looking to get pregnant, following a healthy diet is the best option. Call and make an appointment with Dr. Edward J. Ramirez at The Fertility & Gynecology Center in Monterey, California, request an appointment online.