Eating Healthy for Fertility: It Just Might Save You a Trip to the Clinic
The thought of not being able to conceive is every woman’s worst nightmare. Infertility affects approximately 1 of 8 couples (over 7 million people) in the United States — that’s an alarming number to say the least. In a blog posted earlier today, ZME Science writer Tibi Puiu reminds us all that another one of our biggest biological concerns may be treatable with a handful of simple diet decisions. Puiu explains that while many couples opt for drug or invasive therapies, dieticians at Loyola University Health Systems say that for some women the problem can be fixed by eating healthy for fertility.
Aside from obviously improving your own health and giving you a better chance to conceive, cleaning up your diet is also better for the fetus if you are able to get pregnant. The National Infertility Association says that one of the main causes of infertility is due to people being overweight or even underweight. Puiu points out that the LUHS dieticians not only agree, but say that even a 5% reduction in weight in women who are overweight can increase their chances of fertility. So how do you start eating healthy for fertility exactly? According to Brooke Shantz of LUHS you should: consume more fiber (i.e. whole grains and veggies), lower your intake of trans/saturated fats and replace them with monounsaturated fats, get your iron from sources like tofu, nuts and seeds, have less animal protein and more vegetable protein, and choose high-fat dairy rather than low-fat dairy. She also agrees that a multivitamin may help as well.
Gentleman you’re not off the hook either, many of the issues with your little divers can likely be because you’re overweight. Even if you’re not overweight, a bad diet can still negatively affect your hormones — making it harder to conceive.  I think Puiu’s blog is a wake-up call for both sexes to get their nutrition in gear, especially if you’re planning on adding to the family. Eating healthy for fertility may just save you an unnecessary trip to the clinic.
Read Puiu’s blog here.
Michael is the Editor-in-Chief of New Jersey Digest, COO of X Factor Media, and an avid fiction writer. A Bergen County native, he discovered his passion for words during a long stretch of Friday detentions. Michael loves kayaking, a fat glass of Nebbiolo, and over-editing.
