Food for Fertility

May 31 2008 by Hannah Davies, The Journal

IN the last 20 years, fertility problems have increased. It is estimated around 25% of couples are turning to fertility treatments to help them have a family. After spending many years trying to avoid getting pregnant many assume that conceiving is a piece of cake. Quite often this isn’t the case. Fertility and speed of conception can depend on many things including your nutritional status.

A healthy diet is crucial to a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby. Drinking alcohol in any amount reduced conception by up to 50% in some studies. Drinking more than one cup of coffee a day also seems to have had a negative effect on fertility for women.

What to eat lots of:

1. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. They contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre. These are essential for the body to allow it to function optimally.

2. Eat complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates (apart from fruit) are all refined foods such as those made from white flour, sugar whereby all the health benefits have been removed. Complex carbohydrates on the other hand include grains (wheat, rye, oats, rice, barley, maize), beans (lentils, kidney beans, soya beans etc) and vegetables all packed with vitamins and minerals.

3. Eat oily fish, nuts, seeds and oils. They produce hormone like substances called prostaglandins that sensitise the receptors in the cells to hormones.

4. Drink plenty of fluids.

Nutritional therapy can be used as an alternative or in combination with assisted fertility treatment to maximise fertility and promote conception.

:: Unexplained infertility

:: Poor sperm quality

:: Recurrent Miscarriage

:: PCOS

:: Menstrual Irregularities.

For more information contact Katherine Neal for a nutritional consultation on (0191) 215-9292, www.nutritionalknowhow.com