The moment when a couple decides to have a child is one filled with many emotions. Joy, anxiety, and love are some positive examples, but others can also be part of the couple’s journey, such as frustration if conceiving takes longer than expected. To help couples who are hoping for a positive result, let’s talk about fertility foods that can give an extra boost.
Do Certain Foods Really Help with Fertility?
The causes of infertility in a man or a woman can be very diverse and do not always come from the same source. It’s also not possible to say that all types of infertility are the same. Some may be reversible, others not, some are partial, while others are total. With all these forms of infertility, there’s no need to panic if a couple doesn’t conceive on the first try, and they can seek alternatives to help, such as fertility foods.The truth is that lack of nutrients can contribute to infertility in both men and women, which is why diet can be a strong ally for couples wanting to have a baby.Of course, it’s always important to visit a doctor to check all your body’s conditions for reproduction, but when a woman or man is not infertile, fertility foods can indeed make it easier for pregnancy to occur.Of course, it’s always important to visit a doctor to check all your body’s conditions for reproduction, but when a woman or man is not infertile, fertility foods can indeed make it easier for pregnancy to occur.
Best Foods for Fertility
Various foods can help with male and female fertility because of the nutrients like vitamins and minerals they contain, which can help our bodies function better, especially our reproductive systems. Some of the main foods for fertility are:
- Orange
- Pineapple
- Walnuts
- Tuna
- Beef
- Kale
- Bell pepper
- Oat bran
All the foods mentioned here help both sexes when it comes to fertility, but there are some fertility foods specific to each sex that can help when a couple is thinking about having a child.
Foods for Male Fertility
Some foods can specifically assist with male fertility, such as:
- Whole wheat bread
- Chicken
- Lemon
- Guava
- Acerola cherry
- Eggs
The foods mentioned here are rich in chromium, a mineral that helps with sperm production, and also rich in vitamin C, which not only assists with the production of male reproductive cells but also protects them.
Foods for Female Fertility
Just as with men, certain types of foods can help women become more fertile. Some of them are:
- Brown rice
- Garlic
- Vegetable oils
- Lettuce
- Spinach
For women, these foods can help for various reasons. Vitamin C, zinc and selenium, for example, are essential for forming reproductive cells in a woman’s ovaries, which means that the right amount of foods containing these nutrients can stimulate increased fertility in women.Another very important vitamin is E, found in some of the foods listed above, and which, among other things, functions to protect DNA.
How to Avoid Infertility
Avoiding processed foods and trans fats is also a great way to keep the body functioning properly and make it more conducive to fertilization. This type of fat, specifically, not only makes your body more “lethargic,” but also increases the risk of diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes, which consequently increases the risk of miscarriage in women.Maintaining healthy habits also helps prevent your body from becoming your enemy when trying to conceive. Not smoking and not drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, for example, are ways to maintain the necessary vitamins and minerals in your body for successful fertilization.Of course, exercising and drinking adequate amounts of water daily help as well. But as everyone knows, these habits benefit various aspects of life. It’s clear that it’s not just food or certain habits that determine a person’s fertility or infertility, but these elements certainly can help.
Medications That Cause Male Infertility
In the case of male infertility, there are still medications that cause or contribute to male infertility and may make it harder for a man to have children. The main types of medications that contribute to male infertility are:
- Medications for gastric treatments
- Medications for hormone treatments
- Antidepressants
- Antifungal medications
As we mentioned at the beginning, both the degree and the cause of infertility can vary greatly, so fertility treatment for each man will depend on the amount and types of medication taken, among other variables to be assessed by a specialist.Often, when planning to have a child, we don’t even realize that these precautions need to begin even before we start trying. Knowing which fertility foods can help both men and women succeed is one of the steps towards a couple’s success in this regard.But it’s also important to remember that this is just one of the factors that influence fertilization, and there are many others that can have positive or negative effects, like the medications mentioned here. The most important thing is to know where the problem lies and address it in the best way possible.See Also: Trying to Get Pregnant – What to Do to Help Conception Photo: robertokabana