12 Best Fertility Foods
Fertility is our natural ability to produce offspring. In female bodies, your period is the best vital sign to tell the state of your sex hormones and understanding your cycle. It is important to note that ovulation is crucial no matter what your health goals are. When trying to conceive it is important to be getting certain nutrients that aid in the health of your reproductive organs, decrease stress, and regulate hormones. Here we discuss the 12 best fertility foods.
Source: NIH
Here are 12 of the Best Fertility Foods
1. Leafy Greens
Leafy greens like spinach, kale, arugula, and many others contain a B vitamin called folate which makes them one of the best fertility foods. Studies found folate intake in women was associated with a decline in ovulatory infertility. It is also a vital coenzyme in many metabolic functions which can assist with fertility. Folate consumption can also decrease the risk of neural tube defects. If you want to supplement it is advised to take methylated folate instead of folic acid.
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2. Salmon
Another one of the best fertility foods is salmon because it is high in omega 3s which have anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce oxidative stress. Two types of polyunsaturated fats are omega 3 and omega 6. Most western diets consume a ratio of 1:20 of omega 3 to omega 6 when it should be 1:3. This evidence is correlated with inflammation incidence in women showing that omega 6s are pro-inflammatory while omega 3s have protective effects that are anti-inflammatory which will boost fertility. Specifically salmon is high in the DHA and EPA type of omega 3 making it the most bioavailable source. The other source of omega 3s comes from plants and is called ALA but this kind has to first be converted to DHA and EPA to be utilized in the body.
3. Collagen
Collagen, an abundant protein in the body, is another one of the best fertility foods because it is high in glycine. It is a conditionally essential amino acid so this means that our body can make it normally on its own though this process may be lacking based on physiological limitations, so it is recommended to consume in the diet. Glycine is one of the more important amino acids because it combines with cysteine and glutamine (other amino acids) to form glutathione which is our most powerful antioxidant. We need this antioxidant to eliminate oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species because this can damage the egg follicles if they are not eliminated. In addition, glycine supports full egg development and during maturation of the egg, glycine’s transporter is activated so that glycine can enter the cell to help volume regulation. This is why collagen is another one of the best fertility foods.
4. Avocado
Avocados are another one of the best fertility foods because they are high in healthy fats. Healthy fats are unsaturated which means they have at least one double bond in the fatty acid chain. Unsaturated comes from the fact that the chain is ‘unsaturated’ in hydrogen bonds. Polyunsaturated fats are fatty acids that contain at least 2 double bonds in the structure. It has been shown that healthy fat consumption, specifically polyunsaturated fats were associated with increased progesterone and decreased anovulation. Progesterone is one of our sex hormones that are vital for promoting pregnancy. This is why avocados are one of the best fertility foods.
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5. Eggs
Eggs are another one of the best fertility foods because they are high in choline. Choline is a very important mineral and should be consumed on a daily basis especially for fertility. It has been shown that choline is just as important as folate in the preconception and pregnancy periods. Studies show that large amounts of choline are needed in fetal development to promote rapid cell division and brain development. In the placenta, choline has been shown to promote angiogenesis which is the building of new blood vessels from older ones. Finally, choline can also protect egg quality which boosts fertility chances.
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6. Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A making them one of the best fertility foods. Sufficient vitamin A has been found to boost egg quality and promote ovarian cell division growth in the early stages of conception. Additionally, they found that vitamin A may be compulsory to initiate the cell division due to a study that found that vitamin A deficient women had low levels of a certain gene that acts in meiosis (cell division). Vitamin A supports the growth of the heart, eyes, ears, limbs, and immune system.
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7. Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are high in magnesium which makes them one of the best fertility foods. Magnesium is great because it increases progesterone the pregnancy-promoting hormone. Progesterone aids in ovulation and the preparation of uterine growth. One study of 180 pregnant participants showed that the group who supplemented with a magnesium multivitamin had better pregnancy outcomes and fewer complications in general. Magnesium is our relaxing mineral and it helps with reduces stress, tight muscles, and inflammation. This is what makes pumpkin seeds one of the best fertility foods.
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8. Kale
Kale is high in vitamin K2 making it one of the best fertility foods. Vitamin K2 is found to have positive effects on bone health to increase skeletal development of the fetus and bone mineralization. It also ensures calcium accumulates in bone tissues for further growth. Vitamin K2 is found to also promote osteoblast production and inhibit osteoclasts production. Osteoblasts are the cells in the bones that help form the bone structure and osteoclasts are the cells that destroy the bone and absorb it.
9. Grass-fed Beef
Grass-fed beef is high in iron which makes it one of the best fertility foods. Iron is another one of the very important nutrients for fertility to consume on a daily basis. It is very important to check your iron levels to determine if supplementation is necessary. If taking a prenatal multivitamin, check to make sure iron is in it because many do not contain it. Its job is to help carry oxygen throughout the body to all the red blood cells. When you become pregnant there is going to be a surge of red blood cell volume increased in the body to support the fetus, and one of the nutrients for fertility to support this is iron. Studies have shown that iron consumption is very important in promoting fertility rates in women. Low iron during pregnancy risks - preeclampsia, hypothyroidism, preterm birth, impaired fetal brain development, and stunted growth.
10. Shellfish
Shellfish is another one of the best fertility foods because it is high in zinc. A study found that zinc is able to increase the number of binding sites on a progesterone receptor in order to increase progesterone naturally. As mentioned progesterone is very important for fertility because it helps promote the growth of the placenta, and prepares the uterus. Additionally, zinc aids in egg quality to increase fertility. Zinc deficiency can be very harmful as it causes the risk of miscarriage, preterm delivery, placental inflammation, neural tube defects
11. Legumes
Legumes like lentils and beans are high in Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinol) which makes them one of the best fertility foods. For the oocyte (egg) to mature in the ovary properly, an energy-intensive process occurs in the mitochondria called oxidative phosphorylation. CoQ10 is an enzyme involved in this mitochondrial energy-producing process. Studies have shown that this enzyme declines with age, and therefore egg quality also declines. Supplementing with CoQ10 is a great way to improve egg quality and also increase ovulation rates.
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12. Brazil Nuts
Brazil Nuts are high in selenium making them one of the best fertility foods. Selenium is a mineral that has strong antioxidant properties that oxidative stress and inflammation. Oxidative stress damages cells and reduces their ability to function, especially when trying to conceive. Reactive oxygen species or ROS enter the body on a daily basis through many different avenues, these ROS have very high energy levels and can damage cell functionality. Our body responds by sending antioxidants to get rid of the ROS. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance in this system, either too many ROS or not enough antioxidants. Selenium has been shown to have a significant function in the positive outcome of conception rates in women, showing that brazil nuts are one of the best foods for fertility.
