Recommended Diet for Fertility
Following a diet for fertility is important when it comes to conceiving. Being a parent is a completely unique event, but it also requires taking certain precautions and responsibilities.
Having a problem-free pregnancy and giving birth to a healthy baby depends on many factors, from genetics to proper medical care. There are also several things that women should do before becoming pregnant.
Following a recommended diet for fertility is a fundamental factor. Women’s bodies need to be ready to accommodate new life. The mother-to-be should make sure her baby will get proper nourishment from her body during the 40 weeks of pregnancy.
Women need to follow a balanced diet for fertility. This strengthens the ovule and the overall conception process.
You need to also take care of your body so it stays healthy and doesn’t weaken.
Diet for fertility: recommended foods
Every woman who wants to be a mother should know that there are many foods that favor fertility. These foods help increase the chances of getting pregnant.
Some of the recommended foods in a diet for fertility include:
Consumption of fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables offer the following benefits:
- Provide antioxidants: These are essential for hormonal balance. They also help the immune system and the quality of the ovules.
- Rich in vitamin B and folates: A fertility diet should include lots of folic acid. Consuming these nutrients before and after pregnancy help prevent deformities.
- Contain vitamin C: This helps absorb iron. Iron is a fundamental mineral for pregnancy.
We recommend consuming at least five servings of fruits or vegetables per day. To be sure you’re getting enough nutrients, eat veggies of all colors.
Great choices include kiwis, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, strawberries, plums, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, spinach and peppers. You can eat them solid or in smoothies or juices.
Add cereals, legumes, eggs and milk
These foods contain the following benefits:
- Provide folic acid: Like some fruits and vegetables, these foods give your body lots of folic acid.
- Offer calcium: Eating this mineral is important for your bones. It also contributes to the normal development of the nervous and circulatory systems. When your body doesn’t have enough calcium, bones begin to weaken. Eggs, milk, and its derivatives are rich in calcium.
- Incorporate fiber: This is essential for ovary health.
“Having a problem-free pregnancy and giving birth to a healthy baby depends on many factors, from genetics to proper medical care.”
Eat lean meats, fish and chicken
These foods have the following properties:
- Rich in iron and protein: Lack of iron can cause problems, especially in the mother. Anemia, a disease caused by an iron deficiency, impairs fertility.
- Proteins also play a role in ovulation: Pay attention to what kind of fish you’re eating. Some contain lots of mercury. Unfortunately, mercury is harmful to fertility and the body in general.
For example, avoid swordfish, albacore tuna, mackerel, sardines and grouper. On the other hand, we recommend shellfish, canned tuna in water, salmon, shrimp and tilapia.
Drink lots of water
Water is an important element in any diet, but especially fertility diets. This element keeps your body hydrated and helps eliminate waste. We recommend drinking two liters of water per day.
In a diet for fertility, you should avoid:
- Alcohol consumption
- Meals high in carbohydrates and fats.
- Caffeine in large quantities
- Excess salt and refined sugar
What about men?
Future dads also need to change their diet to improve fertility. They should take food supplements that contain zinc and selenium. These minerals help develop healthy and fertile sperm.
It’s also important to start in advance. Men need to prepare at least three months before conceiving. Men ejaculate semen after 80 days of production.
Ultimately, it’s necessary to emphasize that an unbalanced diet, in both men and women, negatively impacts fertility. That’s why it’s important to follow a healthy and balanced diet for fertility if you want to conceive.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Valentin M., Coste Mazeau P., Zerah M., François Ceccaldi P., et al., Acid folic and pregnancy: a mandatory supplementation. Ann Endocrinol, 2018. 79 (2): 91-94.
- Gharehbaghi K., Gharehbaghi DR., Wierrani F., Sliutz G., Treatment of chronic functional constipation during pregnancy and lactation. Z Geburtshilfe Neonatol, 2016. 220 (1): 9-15.
