5 Best Foods To Boost Fertility
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When you're trying to conceive (TTC), diet can play a crucial role in boosting fertility. Here are the five all-star foods and nutrients that can help supercharge conception - and fast.
The Nutrient: Choline
The Foods: Eggs, Beef, Salmon & Chicken
One of the most underused - and underrated - fertility nutrients around. Yes, you heard it here first. Now considered just as important as Folate, Choline is critical for those very early stages of preconception, supporting a developing embryo and in pregnancy with the neural development of a growing baby (brain and spinal cord) and one of the most essential nutrients for breastfeeding. While our liver can make small amounts of choline, it’s not enough to support the overall health of both mom and baby-to-be. Vegans and vegetarians often find it hard to get what they need from a plant-based diet, so supplementing should be a non-negotiable.
The Nutrient: Methyl Folate (Folic Acid)
The Foods: Broccoli, chickpeas, leafy greens, kidney beans
Most of us are familiar with Folic Acid – and for good reason. It’s the nutrient that has received the most attention for TTC & pregnancy. Folic Acid is a synthetic compound: it’s the man-made version of Folate. Folate is essential to support the production of that precious DNA in a developing baby’s cells. During pregnancy we have a 10-20 fold increase in folate requirements. It’s estimated that taking enough ‘folic acid’ during preconception & while pregnant may reduce the risk of neural tube defects (ie. spina bifida) by as much as 70%. Globally, 40% of people are unable to convert folic acid found in most supplements. We use Methylated Folate (as 5-MTHF), a superior, highly active and more bioavailable form which is better absorbed.
The Nutrient: Coenzyme Q10
Food: Salmon, Mackerel, Soy beans, Organ Meats.
Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 has become synonymous to fertility health. Another brilliant antioxidant, it's lipid-soluble and naturally-occuring, meaning it can dissolve and be used by your body to support metabolism and protect cells from free radicals. And when it comes to sperm, CoQ10 has been widely studied and shown to improve sperm motility, (their ability to swim) and works tirelessly to protect against oxidation, safeguarding sperm from any cellular damage. Furthermore, CoQ10 has also been linked to improving sperm concentration, the number of sperm found in any given sample. We use ubiquinone, the most active and bioavailable form of CoQ10. Did you know that CoQ10 already exists in our body? It helps us convert food into energy for our cells and is a powerful antioxidant. Egg cells need high amounts of energy (via CoQ10) to grow, fertilize, implant and develop into healthy embryos and because CoQ10 declines with age it's important to replenish our stocks with a supplement. CoQ10 has been shown to improve egg quality by protecting eggs from the damaging effects of oxidative stress. We use ubiquinone, a more bioavailable form of CoQ10.
The Nutrient: Magnesium
The Foods: Spinach, Almonds, Whole Wheat, & Avocado.
Magnesium is to the body, like icing is to a cake - it just *chefs kiss*. It plays an important role in fertility. Magnesium, a muscle relaxant, has been shown to help relax the fallopian tubes to promote implantation. It also helps balance progesterone and estrogen, maintains a good blood supply to the womb and works hard in curbing inflammation, which is important since inflammation in your body directly affects your egg quality and implantation. Is there anything this mega mineral can’t do?
The Nutrient: Vitamin D
The Foods: Oily fish, Eggs, Red Meat & Liver
Our sunshine vitamin, so called because we produce most of our Vitamin D3 from exposure to the sun. In the UK we can only do this from March to September & even then, only between the hours of 11am & 3pm when the sun is at its highest in the sky. Vitamin D is associated with improved pregnancy rates, improved AMH levels, immune modulation, better egg quality & an increase in successful IVF outcomes (anything Vitamin D3 can’t do?!), while deficiency is linked to pregnancy complications like hypertension, gestational diabetes & preterm birth.
