How Certain Foods, Drinks Affect Fertility By Chioma Obinna

As the world is facing challenges of infertility, scientists are looking into the role of nutrition in improving fertility and supporting healthy pregnancies. Most of the time, people only think of fertility treatment and imagine sophisticated diagnostic testing, powerful medications, and high-tech procedures, but hope is here as science has found that choosing certain foods and drinks can influence your ability to become pregnant.

Many women don’t start getting serious about eating healthfully until after they have become pregnant, there’s increasing evidence that diet matters long before conception.

According to experts, unhealthy food intake, whether too much or too little has been recognised as a factor to infertility. Too little or too much weight can make your reproductive cycle irregular.

Foods that boost fertility

In a study, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health,discovered that women who ate foods containing higher amounts of trans fats, animal proteins and carbohydrates, among other dietary factors, were likely to have an ovulatory disorder.

Unfortunately, ovulation problems cause infertility in about 20 percent of women seeking help in becoming pregnant. The researchers concluded that a majority of such cases may be preventable by adjusting diet and lifestyle.

Switch protein sources:

Replace some of the beef, pork or chicken you eat (animal protein) with vegetable protein sources, such as cooked dried beans and nuts. When five percent of total calories eaten come from vegetable protein instead of animal, the risk of ovulatory infertility drops by more than 50 percent. Add some high-fat dairy: The more low-fat dairy products you eat, the greater your risk of ovulatory infertility.

Don’t forget your vitamins because women who regularly take iron supplements and multivitamins containing folic acid have less ovulation-related infertility. Also, consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, beans and low-fat dairy foods are beneficial.

For Omega-3, women are advised to consume salmon, some egg brands for development of the baby’s brain and nervous system development as it reduces risk of premature birth You are also advised to watch your herbal teas and supplements.

Stay fluid: When you don’t drink enough water, your cervical fluid that helps the sperm find the target egg becomes sluggish. Also cut caffeine because it affects conception.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/certain-foods-drinks-affect-fertility/