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Home » Trying to Conceive? 14 Foods to Fuel Your Fertility!

Trying to Conceive? 14 Foods to Fuel Your Fertility!

June 26, 2016 by Bridget 12 Comments

Can You Fuel Your Fertility with What You Eat? Absolutely!

You are what you eat. So it makes sense that eating well when trying to conceive (TTC) could make a difference. It does.

Most women are highly motivated to help the baby-making process along. Armed with the list below, it will be easy to fuel your fertility.  Start eating them right now, because every little bit helps. (This comes from my book Eating Expectantly.) Check out my other post Eating for Fertility and How Weight Affects Fertility.

Find what #foods can fuel your #fertility here: bit.ly/2dBzZSQ. Click To Tweet

What about Dad?

It seems like Dad would be off the hook here–but he should be eating these foods too. Most important is to eat more fruits and veggies, as well as foods rich in selenium and folic acid. Did you know that Dad’s diet can ultimately affect the DNA in his sperm and thus also affect the health of your future children? If that doesn’t inspire that dad-to-be in your life, I don’t know what will! (Find more in this post: Male Fertility in the News.) #TryingToConceive? Dad's #diet makes a difference. 14 #foods to fuel #fertility here: Click To Tweet

Below are foods recommended for the Eating Expectantly Before Baby Diet–and the nutrients that make them excellent choices while you are TTC.

Remember– variety and moderation are key.

Buckwheat: D-Chiro Inositol, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium. Buckwheat farinetta is especially rich in D-Chiro inositol. According to Angela Grassi RDN, both Myo and D-Chiro inositol help with PCOS and fertility by decreasing androgens, improving egg quality & ovarian function. Buy it straight from the grower here. See complete review of the scientific research on inositol here.buckwheat groats-1459940_1280 pix monicore

Crab and shrimp: Zinc, selenium, iodine. To fuel your fertility, make sure to eat these foods grilled or boiled, not fried! Commercially fried foods often contain trans fats.

shrimp-salad-833214_1280 pix elos

Blueberries, cranberries, artichokes, Plum Smart juice, pomegranate juice, red / purple grape  juice, dark chocolate, natural cocoa: These contain Polyphenolic antioxidants, which fuel your fertility by protecting the cell membranes of sperm and eggs from oxidative stress.

Cranberries & other berries + antioxidant rich!

Cranberries & other berries = antioxidant rich!

Eggs, cod, lean beef, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower: Choline, which fuels your fertility by decreasing homocysteine levels. High homocysteine levels could cause increased risk of birth defects.

eggs brown and white in holder_1280 pix Pezibear

Pork Tenderloin: Selenium, niacin, thiamin. Selenium deficiency has been linked to fertility and miscarriage.

pork loin rack-1238656_1280 pix meditations

Guava, watermelon, grapefruit, kiwifruit, papaya, cantaloupe, apricots, orange, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, lemons. Vitamin C and other antioxidants like lycopene, which protect reproductive organs and cells from oxidative stress.

watermelon blueberries starts-769148_1280 pix pelamburg

Quinoa, chick peas, lentils and other legumes, and lean beef: Iron, zinc, B vitamins including folate. Low levels of iron in the body are linked with infertility. Sperm motility is dependent on zinc. Folate metabolism affects ovarian function, implantation and the entire process of pregnancy.

chic peas couscous-945743_1280 pix pixel1

Milk and yogurt: Calcium, vitamin D, iodine, zinc. Vitamin D deficiency is linked with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, which are risk factors for ovulatory infertility. Women with the highest serum levels of vitamin D were more likely to become pregnant after IVF-ET.

yogurt strawb honey_1280 Lefox

 

Potato (white and sweet): Iodine, vitamin C, potassium, beta carotene. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant which affects semen quality. Iodine is critical for the production of thyroid hormones, which are vital to reproduction.

potatoes all types_1280 pix skeeze

Spinach, asparagus, kale, arugula (rocket), avocado, broccoli, tomatoes: Folate, beta carotene and other antioxidants like lycopene. Green leafy veggies are especially powerful to fuel your fertility.

cropped-IMG_4616.jpg

Don’t Forget the Small Stuff!

You can easily add these foods to salads and smoothies!

Almonds, pecans, pistachios and walnuts: Omega-3 fat (alpha linoleic acid), antioxidants, zinc, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, manganese and copper. Surprisingly, healthy men who ate 2 1/2 ounces of walnuts daily for 12 weeks had sperm with better motility and vitality than men who didn’t eat nuts.

walnuts-649721_1280 domeckopol

Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds: Vitamin E, thiamin, manganese, copper, magnesium, selenium, vitamin B6 and folate. Vitamin E is a “super nutrient” for male fertility as it’s a strong antioxidant.

sunflower-seeds-1272747_1280 pix Pezibear

Super Spices: Black Pepper, Chili Powder, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Ginger, Oregano, Red Pepper, Rosemary, Thyme, and Turmeric: Antioxidants

spices-887348_1280 pix stevepb

Wheat germ and oatmeal: Zinc, iron, vitamin E, fiber, magnesium, folate. 

muesli-750365_1280 pix condesign

 

A Few References:

Scientific review of Inositol

Micronutrients and female infertility

Selenium

Lifestyle factors and reproductive health

Food fact sheet about iodine

Walnuts and semen quality

Oxidative stress and male infertility

Filed Under: Trying to Conceive Tagged With: almonds, berries, buckwheat, chick peas, crab, eat more veggies, eggs, folic acid, fruits, greens, lentils, oatmeal, pecans, pork, potatoes, quinoa, shrimp, spices, spinach, sunflower weeds, Trying to Conceive, vitamin C, walnuts, wheat germ

Previous Post: « Pregnant or Trying to Be? Here’s What You Need to Know about Zika
Next Post: Should You Eat Fish While Pregnant? »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Healthy Life says

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  6. corburterilio says

    January 5, 2017 at 3:32 am

    Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing some research on that. And he actually bought me lunch since I found it for him smile Thus let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!

    Reply
  7. Meerut IVF says

    May 29, 2020 at 12:00 am

    Nice article. The food you mentioned in the article is helpful for fertility. Stress, unhealthy lifestyle and lack of nutritional food are the main causes of infertility. Just simple changes in food and regular exercise can improve fertility.

    Reply
  8. kamrun nahar dipa says

    July 5, 2021 at 5:26 am

    Love this article! It is a helpful post I really like this article so much. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  9. Progenesis IVF says

    January 7, 2022 at 6:08 am

    Great article!! It was great learning about the fertility food that can help us to conceive easily. Thank you for sharing the article. It was useful.

    Reply
    • Bridget says

      February 24, 2022 at 9:38 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  10. Mathias Agatha says

    March 26, 2023 at 9:11 am

    It’s great learning about fertility tips snd how to go about getting pregnant easily. Thanks for this great infor.

    Reply
    • Bridget says

      March 29, 2023 at 9:04 pm

      Glad you liked it!

      Reply

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