Can a 'Fertility Diet' Actually Improve Your Chances of Getting Pregnant?
When you’re trying to get pregnant, any number of lifestyle factors can impact your chances: smoking status, exercise habits, sleep, stress, and importantly, diet.
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But these factors weren’t always such a big part part of the equation when it came to “trying.”
“In the last 10 years, there has been a bigger focus on the importance of diet and lifestyle in relationship to fertility,” notes Alissia Zenhausern, a licensed naturopathic medical doctor. That’s mainly because doctors and researchers weren’t convinced by the amount of evidence available for diet’s impact on fertility.
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But recently, the evidence has grown stronger: “To many researchers’ surprise, diet has not only improved general wellness but specifically improved fertility and even improved the success rates of medically-assisted fertility treatments, like IVF,” Dr. Zenhausern says. ”This has been a game changer for both couples wanting to start a family as well as fertility doctors.”
But it’s not just those seeking fertility treatments who are interested in changing the way they eat in order to get pregnant. Dr. Zenhausern says that in the last few years, she’s seen an increase in women coming to her office for preconception counseling, a service that helps them understand and work on any issues they might be having around hormonal imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, diet, and lifestyle before they start trying to get pregnant.
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That was exactly what Britt Duffy Adkins, 29, was looking for when she visited a naturopathic doctor in addition to her ob-gyn before trying to conceive. Adkins had a miscarriage previously, and wanted to do everything in her power to improve her chances of having a healthy pregnancy. “I did a three-month prep period before conceiving. The diet was no sugar, grain-free, high-fat, and no caffeine, plus I took herbal supplements,” she says.
Adkins ended up with twins, which she jokingly attributes to her fertility regimen since they don’t run in her or her husband’s families. “Whether the lifestyle changes were actually the cause of a successful twin pregnancy or not, I certainly benefited from feeling like I took positive action where I could,” she says.
Experts in the fertility space think the interest in changing your diet in order to get pregnant makes a lot of sense. “I think we all know that our way of life in general isn't healthy,” explains Amy Klein, author of The Trying Game: Get Through Fertility Treatment and Get Pregnant Without Losing Your Mind. Think: our high-stress, always busy, processed-food-filled lives. “At the same time, we've seen a steady rise in infertility. "Whether that's related to our lifestyle and diet, or more awareness, or people in general having children later in life — well, we don't know.”
Of course, there are medical treatment options out there for dealing with infertility. “But also keep in mind that fertility treatment is very expensive, time consuming, and difficult, putting all those hormones in your body,” Klein points out. That may be part of the reason why eating for fertility has become so commonplace. “If you can do it in a more natural way, or help the process go faster by doing something within your control, then that's really appealing.”
But what exactly does it mean to eat for fertility? And most importantly, does it work? Here, fertility doctors and nutrition pros explain.
What is the fertility diet?
There are several different diets that various practitioners use for fertility. “In simple terms, a fertility diet adds in more nutrition and more balanced meals and snacks into someone’s lifestyle,” explains Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, a registered dietitian and author of the best-seller, The Better Period Food Solution. While some experts advocate for more specific approaches, like the ketogenic diet or going gluten-/dairy-free, most fertility diets look pretty similar: they’re high in healthy fats, colorful fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans and lentils, lean protein, and whole grains.If you’re familiar with popular diets, this may sound familiar: “The scientific data suggests that a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet may have a beneficial impact on fertility,” says Rashmi Kudesia, M.D., reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at CCRM Houston.
“The term "fertility diet" originated from a large study in 2007 conducted by Harvard researchers that looked at the diets of over 17,000 women trying to conceive,” says Sarah Rueven, a registered dietitian and owner of Rooted Wellness. The study found that consuming a high-quality diet could increase chances of fertility.
Researchers observed that women who ate more monounsaturated fat (and less trans fat), more plant-based protein (and less animal based protein), more complex carbohydrates like whole grains (and less processed carbohydrates), more high-fat dairy (in place of low-fat dairy) had a 66% lower chance of infertility due to not ovulating, also known as anovulatory infertility, Reuven says.
And so, the “fertility diet” was born.
And so, the “fertility diet” was born.
DR. APPIAH
Dr. Appiah is a Natural Health Therapist (Naturopath) who engages the natural healing agents given by God to save lives. EAT FOOD AS MEDICINE! EAT TO LIVE, DON'T LIVE TO EAT!! FOR BOOKINGS AND MORE: WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCTS? WANT A PERSONAL(CERTIFIED) NATURAL MEDICINE PRACTITIONER? REACH ME DIRECTLY ON WHATSAPP +233245643615 appiahinok@gmail.com
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