By Amy O’Shea
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines infertility as not being able to conceive after one year of having unprotected sex. Two factors that have a huge impact on the ability to conceive include maintaining a healthy body weight (BMI of 18.5 to 24.9) and well-balanced nutrition. Women with too much or too little weight outside of this BMI range can potentially have irregular menstruation or stop menstruating entirely, increasing their risk for infertility. Also, women who have eating disorders, restricted eating, or participate in high intensity sports like gymnastics can have these same issues, making them more susceptible to infertility. For help achieving a desirable body weight, go to: eatright.org to find a registered dietition.
In the past decade, the “Fertility Diet” has gained popularity due to its emphasis of increasing a woman’s ability to conceive. The diet was studied by a team of Harvard researchers whose work showed that there is a correlation between certain types of foods and a decreased risk of infertility. The diet is comprised of:
- Quality sources of carbohydrates: These include vegetables, beans, legumes, whole fruits, and whole grains. These complex carbohydrates are packed with fiber, so they require more time to digest, providing better control of blood sugar and insulin levels.
- More monounsaturated versus trans and saturated fats: These include vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, avocado, and fatty fish like salmon or sardines. Try replacing solid fats like butter with healthy oils like canola or olive oil; Choose leaner proteins like chicken, turkey, fish, and eggs more often. Limit fast food intake.
- More vegetable versus animal sources of proteins: Women who replace a serving of meat protein for vegetable protein (beans, peas, nuts, seeds, tofu) may have a lower incidence of infertility.
- High fat dairy: The researchers found that women who chose high fat dairy foods such as full fat ice cream and yogurt, and whole milk instead of low fat dairy and skim milk, had a decreased risk for infertility.
- Iron from plants and supplements: These include fortified cereals and grains, beans, peas, legumes, dark green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach, kale, chard), pumpkin, and beets. *
- Taking a multivitamin (with 400 mcg of folic acid): Women of childbearing age should consider taking a multivitamin with folic acid, especially if trying to conceive. Folic acid is essential for pregnant women to help prevent against birth defects that could occur during the first three to four weeks after conception (when most women don’t know they are pregnant yet!)
While the research is not conclusive and more research needs to be done, eating more complex carbohydrates, healthier fats, more vegetables, getting enough folic acid, calcium, and iron promote good nutrition and a healthy weight, especially for pregnant women.
*If considering, talk to your healthcare provider before taking supplements.
Chavarro, J.E., Rich-Edwards, J.W., Rosner, B., and Willett, W.C. (2007). A prospective study of dairy foods intake and anovulatory infertility. Human Reproduction, 22(5), 1340-1347.
Chavarro, J.E., Rich-Edwards, J.W., Rosner, B., and Willett, W.C. (2009). A prospective study of dietary carbohydrate quantity and quality in relation to risk of ovulatory infertility. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63(1), 78-86.
Chavarro, J.E., Rich-Edwards, J.W., Rosner, B., and Willett, W.C. (2008). Protein intake and ovulatory infertility. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 198(2), 210.e1-210.e7.
Chavarro, J.E., Rich-Edwards, J.W., Rosner, B., and Willett, W.C. (2007). Diet and Lifestyle in the Prevention of Ovulatory Disorder Infertility. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 110(5), 1050-1058.
Amy O’Shea is a Dietetic Intern with Long Island University, C.W. Post and Volunteer with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program