Aman Bindlish
Introduction
Eating food rich in antioxidants like folate and zinc may improve fertility for both men and women as they can reduce the damage to sperm and egg cells caused by free radicals. Foods packed with beneficial antioxidant agents such as vitamins C and E, folate, beta carotene, and lutein can be helpful. Food items such as fruits and veggies, rich in these antioxidants, can make a huge difference.
The most important meal of the day, breakfast, is also essential for those facing fertility problems. Eating a king-sized breakfast can vastly improve fertility as it can steadily reduce insulin and testosterone levels and help tackle polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common cause of infertility. In addition, by the end of the 12-week study, these women had ovulated more than women who ate a smaller breakfast and a heavier dinner, suggesting improved fertility.
Fibre
Eat more fibre as fibre helps your body remove excess hormones and keeps blood sugar balanced. Certain types can help remove excess oestrogen by binding to it in the intestines. The extra oestrogen gets removed from the body as a waste product. Soluble fibre from fruit especially had the strongest association with lower concentrations of oestrogen. Some examples of high-fibre foods are whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans.
Sources of Protein
Swapping protein sources by replacing some animal proteins (such as meat, fish, and eggs) with vegetable protein sources (such as beans, nuts, and seeds) is linked to a reduced risk of infertility. Vegetable protein is a much safer option because proteins from vegetables reduce the risk of ovulatory infertility by 50%. Consuming fish meat can also increase the chances of live birth.
Fat
Choosing high-fat dairy as an intake of low-fat dairy foods may increase the risk of infertility, whereas high-fat dairy foods may decrease it. To reap these potential benefits, one must consider replacing one low-fat dairy serving per day with one high-fat dairy serving, such as a glass of whole milk or full-fat yoghurts, to increase fertility.
However, one must avoid trans fats as they have a negative insulin sensitivity, which is associated with increasing the risk of ovulatory infertility. Trans fats are common in fried foods, processed products, and baked goods.
Carbohydrates
Refined carbs may be especially problematic. Carbs tend to cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. Refined carbs include mainly sugary items, carbonated drinks and grains such as rice.
Other Important sources
Adding in a multivitamin may make one less likely to experience ovulatory infertility. It may be avoidable if women consume three or more multivitamins per week. Multivitamins consisting of folate tend to prove to be beneficial when wanting to get pregnant.
