Nutrition plays an important role when it comes to having a healthy reproductive system. The foods you eat supply the building blocks necessary for your body to produce reproductive hormones necessary to sustain life. At the same time, certain foods may contain chemicals or other substances that might have a negative effect on your fertility.
Here are a few tips on healthy eating when trying to increase your fertility:
Reduce coffee consumption: Some studies indicate consuming 3-4 large cups of coffee a day might reduce your fertility. However, 1-2 cups should not decrease your chances of getting pregnant.
Eat more of plant-based protein: A study performed by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that women who consumed more plant-based proteins from foods such as beans, lentils, tofu, and nuts where less like to have problems with infertility compared to women who consumed more animal-based proteins.
Have one serving of a whole milk product every day. Whole milk products such as ice-cream provide protection against ovulatory infertility. You could replace one low-fat milk item with a whole-milk product, and make sure you cut the extra calories elsewhere in your diet.
Have more of dark green leafy vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, and other dark green leafy vegetables are high in folate which may help improve ovulation. Men who regularly consume high-folate foods are known to produce healthier sperm, reducing the chances of genetic abnormalities or miscarriage.
Pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds have a very high content of iron which is very essential for boosting your chances of having a baby. Toasting pumpkin seeds in an oven is a great way to make an iron-fortified snack.
Choose complex carbs over refined ones. Complex carbs help keep insulin levels stable. This is a good thing as spikes or fluctuations in insulin levels can interfere with the formation of reproductive hormones. This means choosing brown bread instead of white bread, brown rice instead of white rice, and wheat pasta instead of white pasta.
Have cold-water fish such as wild salmon. These fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which seem to play a role in the regulation of reproductive hormones while improving blood supply to the reproductive organs.
Avoid trans fats: Considered by many as the worst kind of fat, trans fats are found in baked, processed, and fried foods. In addition to containing empty calories, trans fats may cause irregular ovulation.
It also recommended that you supplement your diet with daily intake of prenatal vitamins, as they provide a back-up for any nutritional gaps in your diet. By implementing these changes in your diet, you will be creating the optimal environment for the conception and growth of your baby.
ReproMed Fertility Center is committed to providing comprehensive infertility and reproductive health care, including In-vitro fertilization (IVF). Our physicians formulate individualized treatment plans for each patient so they have the best chance of conceiving. ReproMed Fertility Center can offer new hope to those seeking to overcome infertility in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.