Can food affect fertility?

Infertility can have many causes, including nutrition. Unfortunately, there is no one food or miracle vitamin that will make you more fertile but following a healthy, balanced diet will increase your chances of conceiving and of having a healthy baby.
If you are planning a baby:
Ensure you eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
Include plenty of berries and citrus fruits in your diet such as oranges, grapefruit or fruit juices made from these fruits.
Cut down on fat.
Include a wholegrain food such as wholegrain bread, breakfast cereal and oats at each main meal every day.
Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day.
Top up your iron stores by eating lean red meat three times a week.
Eat calcium-rich dairy foods such as milk, cheese or yoghurt every day. If you do not eat a lot of dairy foods, choose other foods fortified with calcium such as breakfast cereal or orange juice.
Cut down on alcohol and drink within the recommended limits for health.
The balance of certain micronutrients in the diet can also aid fertility. All vitamins and minerals are important for good health, but women who are hoping to conceive should pay special attention to B6, C, folic acid, E, and the mineral zinc.
Vitamins B6 and E influence hormonal balances and so deficiencies can reduce fertility. Wholegrain breakfast cereals like oats and wholegrain bread and nuts are a good source of B6. Wheat germ, vegetable oils (sunflower, safflower, corn, olive oils), nuts (almonds, brazils, peanuts and pistachios) are all good natural sources of vitamin E. Oils and fats which contain vitamin E should be eaten in small quantities.
Taking a daily folic acid supplement of 400micrograms up to three months before you plan to conceive and for the first three months of pregnancy can help reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida .
Vitamin C aids with the absorption of non-meat sources of iron in the diet. An adequate iron store is necessary for a healthy pregnancy. Berries and citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C.
Zinc. Deficiency in zinc can reduce male and female fertility. Good sources of zinc include meat, milk, cheese, pine nuts, oats, wholegrain cereals.
Do not be tempted to overload on vitamins and minerals, however, in an attempt to increase your fertility levels. Very high intakes of vitamins are not advised because they may in fact reduce fertility or cause other unwanted side effects. For example, megadoses of vitamin C can reduce fertility. High intakes of vitamin B6 can cause neurological damage.
Is my weight important?
Maintaining a healthy body weight is an important first step when it comes to being fertile - and not only for women. If a woman is underweight or overweight, ovulation may not occur. Not ovulating is one of the commonest reasons for infertility in women.The connection between body weight and ovulation is the hormone oestrogen. Fat cells as well as the ovaries produce oestrogen. So, if your fat levels are too low or too high, the reproductive cycle is thrown out of balance. Maintaining a healthy body weight is also very important for men.
Does alcohol reduce fertility?
Drugs such as alcohol can reduce fertility. Although some alcohol can help you relax and get in the mood, high intakes lower sexual response. Alcohol is toxic to sperm and overuse of alcohol can reduce sperm quality and fertility. Alcohol consumption should be kept within recommended limits, particularly if you are trying to conceive. Or better still, cut it out completely.Tobacco and other recreational drugs such as marijuana, opiates and anabolic steroids also reduce fertility.
Fertility food myths
Eating copious amounts of oysters will improve fertility. Apart from being rich in zinc, oysters will do nothing to improve your fertility.
Figs and eggs are good for infertility. This myth is based on the misconception that eating these foods will benefit the like- shaped organs within the body. However, figs and eggs are digested just like any other food and do not confer any special benefit or function.
Vitamin supplements will help with fertility. This is incorrect and in fact high dose supplements may do more harm than good.
Drinking coffee can increase sperm motility. This is a myth. It is recommended to limit tea and coffee to four cups per day.
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