We all know that we should eat healthy foods, but did you know that what you eat can actually improve your fertility?
When trying to conceive, there are several key nutrients that are important; some for egg quality and some for sperm quality (and some for both)! Read on for more information!
For her:
Folic acid: Most people who are trying to get pregnant know to look for a prenatal with folic acid, but do you know why? It’s incredibly important in the development of the fetus’ neural tube, and a deficiency can actually lead to birth defects. You can find this in most prenatals, but can also include it through your diet, with dark green leafy vegetables (such as asparagus and broccoli) and lentils.
Omega 3: Did you realize that omega 3 fats can help increase your cervical fluid? Although you can get supplements for this, it’s easy to add them to your diet, by eating more walnuts, chia seeds and cold water fish.
For him:
Vitamin C: We often reach for vitamin C when we feel like our immune system needs a boost, but it can also help improve sperm quality! This one is so easy to get through diet, as it’s in all sorts of fruits and vegetables, such as citrus, strawberries, broccoli, kale, and tomatoes, to list a few.
For both:
Zinc: It can both help eggs to mature and boost the quality (and quantity) of sperm. Look for it in lentils, sesame and pumpkin seeds, asparagus, lamb and of course, oysters.
Vitamin E: This is an antioxidant, and can improve overall female fertility, as well as sperm health. Sunflower seeds, asparagus, avocado, broccoli and kale are all great sources.
Looking at this list, we can see there are some clear winners, that I highly recommend everyone starts to incorporate into their diet regularly: lentils, broccoli, kale, and asparagus.
