While there is no specific food or fertility diet that will magically boost your chances of conception, a nutritious and well-balanced diet can certainly help support overall health, including reproductive health, in both men and women. It’s important to note that food choices do not play a role in certain serious conditions that cause infertility in women and men. If, for example, the fallopian tubes are blocked, preventing sperm from reaching an egg, dietary changes won’t remove the blockage and open the tubes. With that in mind, below are 15 healthy whole foods that may be beneficial to those wishing to optimize their diet for fertility.
How to Eat It
Sunflower seeds can make a great snack on their own, but you can also easily incorporate them into your favorite meals. Try sprinkling sunflower seeds on your salad, using them in trail mix, or substituting sunflower seed butter for peanut butter. You can also add a couple of tablespoons of sunflower seed butter into a smoothie, or stir it into yogurt, to add extra flavor as well as a little more nutrition.
How to Eat It
Enjoy orange slices on their own or try incorporating citrus juice into your smoothies. Sliced grapefruit also makes a great addition to fresh salads. Research has found that polyamines may play an important role in the reproductive system. Mature cheese is specifically high in the polyamine putrescine, which may play a role in sperm health. Putrescine is also suspected of improving egg health, especially in women 35 and older. (Yes, that’s the same putrescine found in grapefruit.) It is important to note that some people have allergies or intolerances to cheese, so it’s good to be mindful of your body’s response while consuming.
How to Eat It
Sprinkle some cheese on just about anything or have a few pieces along with some nuts or fruit as an afternoon snack. Just be mindful of portion sizes when adding cheese to your diet as a small amount packs in a lot of saturated fat. Enjoy in moderation. A Harvard study found that women who ate full-fat dairy products were less likely to experience ovulation problems compared to women who ate primarily low-fat dairy products. In this study, low-fat dairy products included skim or low-fat milk, sherbet, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Full-fat products included whole milk, ice cream, cream cheese, and other cheeses.
How to Eat It
If you already consume dairy, the easiest way to get full-fat dairy into your diet is to switch to whole-fat products such as swapping skim milk with whole milk and low-fat yogurt with full-fat yogurt. An occasional serving of full-fat ice cream can also make a nice treat, but try to limit yourself to one to two servings per week. Besides being the ultimate source of natural vitamin A, liver is loaded with highly absorbable iron, which helps prevent miscarriage and maternal anemia, and vitamin B12, which is required for the proper formation of red blood cells and DNA. Liver is also a rich source of choline, omega-3 fatty acids, and folate.
How to Eat It
You can certainly go the traditional route with a simple liver and onions recipe, but if you’re new to liver, consider adding it to other meat-based favorites like meatloaf, shepherd’s pie, or even meatballs. Lycopene supplementation has even been researched as a possible treatment for male infertility. One study found that supplementation of 4mg to 8mg of lycopene per day for 8 to 12 months led to improved semen health and increased pregnancy rates; however, it’s usually a good idea to start with adding certain foods to your diet before reaching for supplements. As always, with any supplement or vitamin, be sure to contact your healthcare provider.
How to Eat It
While both raw and cooked tomatoes contain lycopene, 1 cup of cooked tomatoes contains almost twice as much lycopene as 1 cup of raw tomatoes. So when you can, opt for the cooked tomato recipes like tomato-based soups and stews, tomato sauces, and even just roasted tomatoes. Lentils and beans are also high in protein, which can help promote healthier ovulation. Studies show that when 5% of calories eaten come from vegetable protein rather than animal protein—in particular chicken and red meats—the risk of infertility due to anovulation falls by over 50%.
How to Eat It
Consider replacing one or two meat meals with lentil or bean-based meals. You can also try throwing some beans into your salad instead of cheese or meat.
How to Eat It
When possible, reach for fresh or frozen asparagus. Enjoy it as a vegetable side (it’s delicious roasted or grilled) or added to recipes like frittatas or stir-fries. Canned asparagus, while convenient, is often full of added sodium. If you go for a canned or jarred product, look for low sodium options and rinse asparagus under running water before using.
408% of your daily recommended vitamin B12188% of your daily recommended zinc 187% of your daily recommended selenium43% of your daily recommended iron
How to Eat It
Many people feel intimidated by oyster preparation, but you don’t have to be. You can prepare and serve this dish at home. The healthiest option is raw, but you can also enjoy them baked. As for science, pomegranates are loaded with antioxidants which may improve sperm quality. In a 2014 study, 70 adult men who didn’t have healthy enough sperm to donate to a sperm bank tablets containing pomegranate fruit extract and powder of Galanga Root. After three months of treatment, sperm motility increased by 62%.
How to Eat It
Pomegranate seeds make for a delicious, healthy snack on their own, but also make for a great topping for yogurt, oatmeal, and even salads and quinoa bowls. In a small study, 117 men were split into two groups: one would avoid eating tree nuts and another would eat 75 grams of walnuts every day. Before the experiment began and again 12 weeks later, the men provided a semen sample. After 12 weeks, the group who ate walnuts saw in improvement in sperm vitality, movement, and shape. They also saw fewer chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm samples after eating the walnuts. The control group experienced no changes.
How to Eat It
A small handful of walnuts makes for a great afternoon snack. Or you can try adding walnuts to chicken salad, oatmeal, or even a little ice cream for a nutritious crunch. It is a good idea to refrigerate any leftover walnuts to preserve them. Another good reason to eat eggs: They are an inexpensive source of lean protein, which has also been found to be good for fertility in both men and women. Eggs also contain choline, which may reduce the risk of some birth defects. However, not all studies have not found this benefit.
How to Eat It
In the past, egg yolks had a bad rap mainly due to concerns about dietary cholesterol. But more recently, nutrition experts have embraced the yolk for its nutrient density and balance of healthy protein and fat. Eggs are extremely versatile. Whether enjoying hard-boiled, scrambled, poached, or fried, embrace the whole egg—yolk included. With that said, there are other reasons to enjoy pineapple when you’re trying to conceive. For one, pineapple is a great source of vitamin C. A 1-cup serving will give you 46% of your daily recommended value. Low vitamin C levels have been associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Pineapples also contain bromelain, a natural enzyme that has an anti-inflammatory and anticoagulation (blood-thinning) effect. Bromelain encourages your immune system to move away from an inflammatory state. Inflammatory foods can impede your fertility, and chronic inflammation may actually encourage the body to suppress ovulation.
How to Eat It
This tropical fruit can satisfy your sweet tooth naturally. Choose fresh pineapple whenever possible as most of the bromelain in canned pineapple is destroyed due to the heat used in the canning process. Eat it alone or added to salsa or even grilled. It is also a great source of selenium and vitamin D. Selenium is a vitamin essential for healthy sperm, and low vitamin D levels appear to be associated with poor fertility in men and women. In fact, salmon is one of the best places to get your daily recommended value of vitamin D. Just 3 ounces of smoked salmon will give you 97% of the daily recommended value for vitamin D.
How to Eat It
You need to be careful about mercury levels in fish when you’re trying to conceive and during pregnancy. Invest in wild-caught salmon rather than farm-raised, when possible, to avoid mercury contamination, antibiotics, and toxic food dyes. In a small but interesting study, women with PCOS reported nearly twice the number of menstrual periods while taking a daily cinnamon supplement than women given a placebo. And as you know: More ovulatory regular cycles mean more opportunities to conceive.
How to Eat It
Sprinkle cinnamon on your morning oatmeal, on top of your yogurt, or into your tea or coffee. The spice can also be taken in supplement form, but be sure to consult your doctor before starting a new supplement.
