Nutrition and fertility.

If you are looking to start a family good nutrition is vital. Many people begin thinking about good nutrition during pregnancy or whilst ‘trying’ for a baby, but both partners should start thinking about good nutrition before they ditch the contraception. There are many factors that affect fertility. Often lifestyle choices can leave us with imbalances in nutrients that effect fertility and the health of the unborn baby.

It takes 6 months to influence the health of the ova and three months to affect the health of the sperm. This gives you a rough idea of have much forward planning you need to do. The food you eat and the lifestyle you lead can have a massive effect on your reproductive health.

For example, have you been following a low-fat diet recently or been taking an oral contraceptive for any length of time? These factors, amongst others, can influence your likelihood of conceiving.

Low fat diets are often low in cholesterol. Low cholesterol has been linked with hormone imbalances and miscarriage. Without cholesterol your body cannot make the hormones your body needs to conceive.

The contraceptive pill can influence the balance of copper and zinc in our bodies. They are antagonists; as copper levels rise, zinc is depleted. Zinc is also affected by alcohol and smoking. It is needed for over 200 processes in the body and a deficiency in either partner can affect fertility or possibly affect the health of the unborn child.

Another common influence on fertility is sugar consumption. Our stores of nutrients are used to process it, including those nutrients that are vital for fertility – chromium, magnesium and zinc.

Regularly consuming sugary foods can lead to insulin resistance, as seen in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome which can affect a woman’s ability to conceive. Insulin resistance can lead to other hormonal imbalances which are detrimental to fertility.

Avoiding anti-nutrients that impact on health and focusing on a healthy diet when planning a pregnancy will benefit the health of your future family.

Paying attention to detail is particularly important when you consider that many women are unaware that they are pregnant in the early stages of the first trimester; a time when the foetus is especially vulnerable.

Our Nutrition Mission therapists can help you to optimise your fertility. To book an appointment contact info@nutritionmission.co.uk