What are the best foods for fertility?

The following are the best foods for women who want to become pregnant:

Nuts, whole grains, beans and pulses can promote ovulation and polished grains and flours and, sweets, chocolates, cakes and soft drinks decrease fertility.

Whole milk but not low fat yoghurt increases fertility although normally animal fats are not good.

What about fruits and vegetables in fertility?

Several hundreds of plants have phytoestrogens and these have weak estrogenic activity that means these help to regulate the female sexual hormone. These have influences on hormone concentration which positively regulates sex drive, reproduction and menopausal symptoms and may help to prevent breast cancer.

Foods rich in phytoestrogens are wheat bran, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, legumes and pulses.

What about meat or animal fat?

For both women and men, if they plan a baby it is better to cut completely animal fat except milk for women. Particularly, a fatty diet may play havoc in male sex hormones and so, his sex life. After sometimes of high fat intake, testosterone level comes down and that makes problems.

In women fatty food increases the estrogens levels, thus helps fertility. Normally low fat food can protect from breast cancer.

What is the relationship between vitamin C and sperm?

Vitamin C can give agility to sperm because it is an antioxidant which protects sperm from the attack of oxygen free radicals. Intake of 1000 mg of vitamin C for two months can remove most of the environmental chemicals from the semen and make it fertile. But, there may be other causes for the infertility and it is necessary to diagnose correctly and only this additive effects will lead to success.

Fruits which are rich in vitamin C are well known to you. If you need supplementation, first consult your doctor because in overdose this antioxidant may act as pro-oxidant, this is against our interest.

What about folic acid?

Folic acid is necessary for safety of the foetus against neural tube defect. It should be taken immediately as you plan a baby because these defects may occur in the early days of pregnancy.

What are the other important things that I must know?

Drinking 3 to 4 litre of water daily and taking care of iron status in the body and eating lean red meat are advisable.

What about the vitamins other than vitamin C and folic acid?

The other two important vitamins are vitamin B6 and E which influence the hormone balance and their deficiency results in reduced fertility. You know already which foods are rich in vitamin B6. Oils or fat which are rich in vitamin E should be taken only in small quantities. It is better to supplement vitamin B complex because from our studies we know that many, even in Western countries, have vitamin B6 deficiency.

Are excessive vitamins good for fertility?

Do not take excessive amount of vitamins and this may reduce fertility. Further, high level of vitamins can also cause side-effects. For example, excess vitamin B6 can cause neurological damage and vitamin C could act as pro-oxidant and reduce fertility.

Are the oysters a good source of good Zinc?

Yes. Oysters are rich in zinc. However, it is advisable not to eat oysters. Oysters also contain poisonous heavy metals such as cadmium, arsenic and mercury. There are other far better sources of zinc.

What about the myth about figs or eggs?

These are normal food, nothing more than that, but their shape has nothing to do with the fertility and it is only a wrong belief.

Many pharmaceutical companies say vitamin supplements are much needed, is it so?

Too much of vitamins will only do harm, try to take them from your food and if it is not possible consult your doctor.

What about coffee?

Some say for women decaffeinated and for men strong coffee, but one to two cups can be taken a day, tea or coffee by both.

What about trans-fat?

Trans-fats are used almost in all processed foods including chocolates. They have no nutritional value, but these are added only to increase the shelf life of food. These fats affect the fertility of women.

Is selenium very important?

Selenium is important because it helps to scavenge free radicals. Semen contains lot of selenium and zinc.

Next: Food rich in Vitamin C, E, B6, Folic acid, zinc and selenium