If you want to get pregnant you can give mother nature a helping hand with a fertility boosting diet. A summary of what is known about food that improves female and male fertility has just been published in the journal Fertility and Sterility. Here is the long and short of it.
Women can improve their chance of pregnancy by increasing consumption of whole grain foods, omega-3 fatty acids (found in foods such as flaxseed, nuts and fish), fish, and soy and reducing the amount of trans fats (used in margarine, snack food, packaged baked goods, and for frying fast food) and red meat in their diet. Taking a multivitamin that contains folic acid before and during pregnancy prevents birth defects and improves the chance of pregnancy.
For healthy sperm men are encouraged to favour seafood, poultry, nuts, whole grain foods, fruits, and vegetables.
Studies have also found that the so-called Mediterranean diet (lots of of fruits and vegetables, fish and poultry, low-fat products, and olive oil) reduces the risk of fertility difficulties and that frequently eating fast food and little fresh fruit and vegetables increases the time it takes to achieve pregnancy.
As a bonus, the food that improves fertility is also good for your general health.
Sources:
Chiu, Y.-H., Chavarro, J. E., & Souter, I. (2018). Diet and female fertility: doctor, what should I eat? Fertility and Sterility, 110(4), 560-569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.05.027
Nassan, F. L., Chavarro, J. E., & Tanrikut, C. (2018). Diet and men's fertility: does diet affect sperm quality? Fertility and Sterility, 110(4), 570-577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.05.025
