What you eat is what you are, which is the reason why your eating habits have a direct effect on your body. To this end, it’s important to include healthy food items in your diet to remain physically and mentally fit. While trying to get pregnant, you might wonder whether there are any food items that can help boost fertility? The answer is ‘yes.’
Having a nutritional-rich diet can help create a healthy environment in your body. There are also studies that corroborate the fact that healthy eating can increase fertility.
A well-balanced diet, in general, can help both men and women improve their overall well-being, which will surely increase their chances of getting pregnant. As such, let’s check out some of the tried and tested foods that have shown to boost fertility, especially in women.
FoodsThat Help IncreaseFertilityin Women
Here’s a list of food items to help you plan a balanced diet that can help improve your fertility.
1. Sunflower Seeds
Unsalted, roasted sunflower kernel seeds are rich in Vitamin E – a vital nutrient for fertility. They are also packed with folate acids and selenium which helps boost fertility not only in females but also in males. Plus, they contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which helps balance the estrogen and progesterone levels in the body.
You can sprinkle sunflower seeds on your everyday meals such as salads or toasts. Other seeds that you could include in your diet are pumpkin and flax seeds. These can help regulate your menstrual cycle, thereby helping improve ovulation which can make you more fertile.
2. Sweet Potatoes
Packed with potassium, antioxidants, and vitamins (A, B, C, B6), sweet potatoes are fertility-friendly food that can reduce the chances of ovulatory infertility in women as well as help reverse secondary fertility. It can help regulate menstrual cycles as well as hormone production. It can alleviate the symptoms of PCOS and endometriosis. The antioxidants in sweet potatoes can also help improve egg health. In short, this wonder food should be a part of your diet if you want to improve your chances of getting pregnant.
3. Fruits and vegetables
Green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli) are not only healthy but can also help boost fertility. They are a storehouse of folate, iron, calcium and other nutrients that help reduce the risk of ovulatory-related infertility.
In fruits, Blueberries are an excellent option as they have antioxidants that help eliminate free radicals from the body. This improves the quality of the egg cells and improves sperm count & motility in men. Avocados are another good source of vitamin E that helps stabilise the hormone functions. Whereas, tomatoes provide fibre, folate and Vitamins (A, C, K B6), which helps improve ovulation, thereby increasing the pregnancy rate.
4. Dairy products
A diet that includes low-fat dairy may increase the risk of infertility in women. On the other hand, people who consume high-fat dairy products once a day are reported to have fewer fertility complications. Hence, to improve fertility, you need to include products such as milk, yoghurt, cheese in your diet plan. These are high in calcium, which helps in the development of healthy bones, boost immunity, and strengthens the follicles in your ovaries.
Also, those who are lactose intolerant can opt for Greek yoghurt, which is an excellent alternative to increasing your calcium intake.
5. Fish
Including fish in your diet plan is highly recommended for women who want to increase their fertility rate. Fish like salmonand sardines are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein and vitamins that help increase the chances of ovulation in women. However, while seafood is considered the best fertility food, note that some fish with a high level of mercury (swordfish, shark, marlin) should be avoided if you’re trying to get pregnant.
6. Eggs
When trying to conceive, eggs are the best food as it contains all the essential nutrients and vitamins. It offers fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K2), protein, choline, and omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. This helps promote fertility. Also, note that the yolk offers the most fertility-boosting nutrients, so don’t discard it if you want to boost fertility.
7. Nuts
Apart from being delicious, nuts are extremely beneficial when it comes to improving fertility. They are rich in plant proteins, antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Selenium, which is found in Brazil nuts, helps develop a healthy reproductive system. Pine nuts, on the other hand, offer vitamin E and an amino acid called arginine which helps increase the rate of implantation. Other nuts that you can include in your diet are walnuts, Macadamia nuts, and cashews.
8. Beans and Lentils
Beans and lentils area plant-based source offibre and protein. They help promote healthy ovulation in females. They are an excellent source of folic acids which helps you to maintain a healthy hormonal balance. They also help alleviate the symptoms of PCOD, and all of these contribute towards increasing your chance of pregnancy.
9. Oysters
Oysters are an outstanding choice when you are trying to conceive. Even though people are a little sceptical about eating oysters, they are a great way to strengthen your libido. It is high zinc which is an essential nutrient for conception and can help boost egg production in women.
10. Lean Meat
It is found that women with high iron levels have a higher fertility rate. Lean meat is the best source of iron and can help prevent anaemia as well as decrease the risk of ovulatory infertility. Most importantly, it helps produce more red blood cells in the body, which contributes towards the overall good health of an individual.
Conclusion
Fertility treatments are not just about the right medications, it also about eating right and healthily. A well-balanced diet combined with a healthy and active lifestyle can boost your fertility levels. Also, to increase your fertility rate, you need to avoid junk food items and limit alcohol and smoking. This will help to greatly improve your ovulation cycle, which, in turn, can increase your chances of getting pregnant.
