A natural fertility diet is a type of eating strategy meant to support a healthy reproductive system. If you are hoping to have a baby or if you want to ensure your body is in the best reproductive condition when the time comes to become pregnant, this may be the eating strategy for you.
The fertility diet is appropriate for both men and women. It includes foods that provide the necessary nutrients to support normal hormone production and function, egg health, fetal development, sperm health, blood health and other factors. It is a diet to help prevent reproductive issues in the future while correcting some that may already exist.
Why Choose a Fertility Diet?
It’s important to speak with your doctor before making any major changes to what you eat and how you eat it. That said, many people who choose a natural fertility diet do so for the following reasons:
• To improve the chances of pregnancy
• To help to prevent a miscarriage
• To support the health of the fetus throughout the length of the pregnancy
• To help prevent birth defects caused by nutrient deficiency
• To help to balance and treat PCOS and improve the odds of pregnancy despite PCOS
Is There Research Supporting a Fertility Diet?
A fertility diet does not require you to eat certain specific foods or cut out others. It is a type of strategy that encourages balanced nutrition focusing on the areas most important to reproductive health.
Therefore, while there is a substantial body of research supporting healthy eating and the use of food for reproductive health, there isn’t as much research on a Fertility Diet. The reason is that the foods eaten from one person to the next would be different. It would be very difficult to accurately track the effectiveness of that type of eating strategy.
That said, there is considerable evidence to indicate that eating certain foods can help to boost reproductive health. Therefore, following a diet that focuses on consuming a balance of those foods may be highly beneficial.
What to Eat on a Fertility Diet
Most natural fertility diets will require a follower to eat a significant amount of organic fruits and vegetables. Organics are often recommended to avoid potential contamination to a parent or the baby with pesticides and herbicides. It is not known whether those chemicals can harm fertility, so the idea is to avoid them in order to be safe rather than sorry.
A fertility diet also focuses on high quality lean proteins, healthy fats and whole grains. It recommends cutting sugar and reducing sodium if necessary. Adequate hydration throughout each day is also a primary focus.
