There are so many people who want to have a baby, but can’t. The good news is that there are ways to naturally increase your fertility. One thing you can do is eat certain foods that will help with conception. In this post, we’ll share the top ten fertility boosting foods for women and men!
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Do Certain Foods help when trying to get pregnant?
The science says that female fertility and reproductive health does. Maintaining a balanced diet is very important for reproductive health. Women who are trying to conceive should be eating foods rich in folic acid, iron and zinc.
Male fertility and sperm motility is also influenced by fertility foods. Sperm health and sperm motility can be improved by eating certain nutrient-rich foods if they wish to boost their fertility. Men need good quality sources of protein as well as vitamin C, Vitamin E and selenium.
There are supplements for increasing semen volume and sperm count that can be used in combination with these foods.
Eating the right food is only part of it though! Both men and women need to make sure they are not eating too much or drinking alcohol excessively because that can affect their fertility, too. If you want to conceive naturally then avoid smoking as well since that will reduce your chances of getting pregnant.
There are also other factors to consider – is your genetic makeup preventing you from conceiving? Are your genes causing fertility issues?
What are the Top Fertility Boosting ingredients?
So, what can you actually eat to help boost your fertility naturally? Here is a list of top ten foods that will increase fertility in both men and women:
Fruits rich in antioxidants such as acai berries, plums, oranges and cherries.
Examples of foods rich in Omega-three fatty acids are salmon, mackerel and tuna.
Lean proteins like eggs, turkey meat without skin, lean beef or lamb as well as white fish such as cod or haddock will all boost female fertility.
Poultry with dark meat is good for men because of the zinc content it has.
Many vegetables have high levels of zinc as well such as broccoli, cauliflower and peas for example.
Whole grains are a great source of iron which is what women need more of in their diets when they want to conceive naturally. Iron can also be found in whole wheat bread or pasta along with dried fruits like raisins or apricots.
Fruit and vegetable juices are good for boosting fertility as well because they contain folate, potassium and other vitamins that both men and women need.
Legumes such as beans, peas or lentils will help boost your zinc levels which is important for male fertility health since it can increase sperm count in the body.
Nuts like almonds, peanuts and walnuts are good for men because they contain zinc as well which is needed to boost sperm count.
Yogurt with live cultures will help women since it has probiotics in them that can increase the number of healthy bacteria in a woman’s body to improve fertility healthfully.
So What Should I Eat – Is There a Fertility Diet?
Our blood sugar levels need to be between 70 and 130 mg/dL for us to feel good, but if they go higher or lower than that it can cause problems for our fertility. We tend to eat more sugar nowadays because we’re eating a lot of processed foods which contain refined sugars as well as high fructose corn syrup. These added sugars are just empty calories and can spike our blood sugar levels which can cause fertility problems.
People who are trying to conceive should eat a diet that is low in added sugars and high glycemic index foods, but also one that is nutrient-rich with plenty of fruits and vegetables, sunflower seeds as well as lean protein sources like eggs, fish or poultry.
Eggs are an important part of a fertility diet if you are trying to get pregnant. They contain choline which is good for fertility health and they also have vitamin B12 in them.
Fruit juices are great because they contain antioxidants, potassium and folate that can boost your body’s fertility levels naturally.
Milk and dairy products like cheese or yogurt will help women with their reproductive health since it contains calcium, magnesium. However, avoid full fat dairy like whole milk which is full of trans fats and instead, stick with a low fat dairy serving which is a good source of animal proteins and vitamin D.
Eating organic food whenever possible will affect fertility healthfully as well, because organic food will have no contaminants or pesticides which can affect a woman’s reproductive organs.
Having a fertility diet plan is great for your overall health and it will help you conceive naturally if that is what you want to do!
Does Obesity Affect My Chances of Getting Pregnant?
A woman’s body is rather delicate and it can be easily affected by obesity. If you are overweight, your chances of getting pregnant naturally will be much lower simply because the hormonal balance in a woman’s body changes when she gains weight which in turn affects ovulation as well as implantation to cause problems for fertility healthfully.
The majority of women who are obese have irregular menstrual cycles which means ovulation does not take place properly. A fertility diet that is high in fruits and vegetables as well as lean protein sources like seafood, poultry or eggs are essential parts of a fertility diet because the fertility boosting nutrients they contain will help your fertility hormones.
Being overweight can cause other problems too because people who are obese tend to have higher blood sugar levels, cholesterol and triglyceride which can all contribute to health issues.
The best way for you to control your weight is by sticking with a balanced diet that has plenty of fruits and vegetables as well as lean protein sources like eggs or poultry. This will regulate hormones as well as manage your weight at the same time.
Weight loss should be a gradual process so you don’t shock your body and it will help prevent other problems from occurring due to obesity such as diabetes or high blood pressure. If you have been trying to conceive for over a year without success then being obese may be something that is contributing to your fertility problems.
It is important to know that infertility does not just affect women, it can also affect men too because semen quality can be affected by obesity. For example, if you are overweight then the chemical balance in your body could change and this will cause health issues like low testosterone or high estrogen levels which can affect your fertility healthfully.
So, if you are trying to get pregnant and have been unsuccessful then losing weight may be a good option for you because it will reduce your risk of ovulatory infertility as well as manage your overall health at the same time.
Foods to Avoid That Could Affect Reproductive Health
A good diet and healthy weight is essential for boosting fertility. There are schools of thought that suggest it can help avoid birth defects and aid fetal development [source]. However, there are also a number of foods that you should avoid when trying to conceive.
Processed food: these can be loaded with various additives, preservatives and chemicals which could interfere with your reproductive system’s healthfully functioning. So it is best to cut down on the amount of processed foods in your diet if possible!
Refined sugars: refined sugars can cause major health problems and they also pose a risk to fertility. So, it is best to cut down on the amount of sugar that you intake as much as possible!
Alcohol: alcohol affects your hormonal balance which could lead to various reproductive system issues such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) so it is best to cut down on alcohol consumption if you’re trying to conceive.
Coffee: coffee can also interfere with your reproductive system’s healthfully functioning so it is best to avoid drinking too much of this when TTC!
Full Fat Dairy – high fat dairy: these foods can interfere with the balance of your hormones so it is best to avoid them when you are trying to conceive.
Gluten: gluten-containing foods have been linked with fertility issues and other reproductive system concerns so, if possible, try to cut down on this food group too!
Saturated fats: saturated fat intake should be limited because these types of fats can cause inflammation which could affect your reproductive system.
Cigarettes: cigarette smoking is not good for your fertility and it will lower the quality of eggs as well as reduce sperm count too!
10 Best Foods That Increase Fertility
Here are some examples of things that should be present in a fertility diet.
- Low fat dairy products: yogurt, milk and cheese. avoid whole milk and full fat yogurt as they are not good food choices if you are trying to get pregnant.
- Fruits: pomegranates or oranges can be great options for this category because they contain vitamin C.
- Legumes such as black beans are also good choices because they have folate in them which is a nutrient that increases female fertility.
- Nuts: You could eat nuts like almonds every day because they have a lot of zinc in them which is another nutrient in the list of fertility foods. Also, peanuts contain plenty of magnesium, iron as well as fiber too because they will make you feel fuller for longer so that you do not overeat.
- Animal protein: salmon, halibut or shrimp are good choices to increase red blood cells count.
- Herbs and spices: turmeric is a great spice that can help with your fertility healthfully because it contains curcumin which has antioxidant properties in them. If you enjoy cooking then this would be an easy addition to add into your diet every day!
- Green leafy vegetables: kale, spinach and Swiss chard are great additions to a healthy diet. They also help with absorption of fat soluble vitamins.
- Oysters: they contain zinc which is a nutrient that can help with fertility healthfully in women as well as men!
- Flaxseed oil or flaxseeds themselves have lignans in them which can help with ovulatory infertility too because it will increase the levels of estrogen.
- Garlic: it is a great antioxidant that can help to protect your cells from harm as well as boost fertility healthfully because garlic contains allicin which has anti-bacterial, anti fungal and antiviral properties in them!
- Vegetable protein: foods like soybeans are a great addition to your diet because they have isoflavones in them which can help with estrogen levels. Sunflower seeds are also a great source of amino acids.
- Water: drinking lots of water every day will benefit you healthfully and fertility wise too! Make sure you drink enough throughout the course of the day so that your body stays hydrated at all times, this will decrease the risk of ovulatory infertility.
- Vitamin E – fat soluble vitamins: including these in your diet will help to balance hormones and boost fertility naturally.
- Olive oil, flaxseed oil or almonds are all great options for this category because they have vitamin E in them which can help with improving egg quality!
- calcium: calcium is a nutrient that can be found in dark leafy greens like kale as well as some fish such as salmon or sardines.
- Lentils: they have plenty of fiber and protein in them which will keep you feeling full for longer so that you do not overeat.
- Herbs and spices: cilantro, cinnamon and turmeric are three great examples to add into your daily diet because they have plenty of antioxidants in them which can help boost fertility healthfully.
- Eggs: eggs are a great source of protein and these can increase your chances of getting pregnant because they have choline in them which is necessary for the production of hormones that will help to regulate ovulation.
- Vitamin C: adding vitamin C into your diet regularly can help with fertility because it will boost the levels of progesterone in women as well as men!
- Folic Acid: folic acid is a nutrient that is found naturally in foods like leafy greens and citrus fruits.
- Healthy Fats – essential fatty acids: including these in your daily diet will help to balance hormones and boost fertility naturally.
- Bananas are a great source of potassium which is an essential nutrient when it comes to reproductive health because it can regulate the menstrual cycle too!
- Nutritional yeast: nutritional yeast contains folic acid, B12 as well as other vitamins that you need for your essential prenatal nutrients.
- Sunflower seeds: they contain essential fatty acids that can help with blood flow and eventually a healthy pregnancy.
- Whole grains: whole grains contain plenty of fiber which can help you to feel fuller for longer so that you do not overeat.
- Brown rice: brown rice is an easy staple to add into your diet every day because it is a whole grain.
This list is just a few examples of what you can eat that may be able to boost fertility healthfully as well as manage your weight at the same time! Remember, it is important for women who are trying to get pregnant to not gain too much weight because this could affect their chances of conceiving naturally.
It is also important for women to follow a fertility diet and weight loss plan when they are trying to conceive. This will help maintain the health of their reproductive system as well as improve their chances of conceiving naturally! Getting enough sleep, limiting alcohol consumption and avoiding cigarettes can all boost fertility in both men and women who are TTC.
Also, taking small steps towards a healthier lifestyle in general, like avoiding trans fats, avoiding vitamin d deficiency and eating plenty of fertility food will improve sperm health and egg quality.
