How to Improve Your Fertility Naturally

One of the key benefits of a healthy lifestyle is a healthy reproductive system. It cannot be overstated the important role that nutrition, rest, stress management, and healthy lifestyle habits play in promoting reproductive health. As reproductive medicine has made strides in improving fertility outcomes and assisting many families to have children, it has emerged that habits such as smoking or taking nicotine based products, excessive consumption of alcohol and taking recreational drugs have a direct negative impact on fertility.  

Fertility specialists as a result tend to begin with natural remedies to improve fertility. It is possible to improve your fertility naturally, and have better outcomes in family building. For some this may require minor adjustments, while for others, it may require more significant changes. If you would like to build your family presently or in future, it is important to keep the discussion we are about to get to in mind, for higher chances of success. 

Best Foods for Fertility

A balanced diet is good, but where fertility is concerned, it is essential to ensure that certain nutrients are included in one’s diet. These are vital to hormonal balance, which in turn improves sperm and egg production, and the health of reproductive organs. In general, fruit and raw vegetables, pulses and unrefined carbs, poultry and low fat dairy, nuts and seeds, oily fish and olive oil, reducing red meat and refined sugars, is a starting point.  For more options, one can refer to the mediterranean diet which is highly recommended by fertility experts.

Antioxidant-Rich Foods For Egg and Sperm Health

To understand antioxidants, it is important to address oxidative stress. This occurs naturally in some metabolic processes, whereby reactive oxygen species (think hydrogen peroxide or superoxide anion molecules) increase in the body. Antioxidants are a type of nutrient that helps the body clear out oxidative stress molecules. Foods such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, spinach, seeds and nuts can provide the antioxidants we need.

As mentioned, balanced hormones are crucial to healthy reproductive function. Foods such as avocados, olive oil and nuts, provide our bodies with healthy fats necessary in the body’s production of hormones. Additionally, for healthy cell division, folate-rich foods like leafy greens, beans, and citrus fruits are key. 

To sustain healthy sperm and eggs, one requires lean proteins such as those found in white meat like fish and chicken. Flax seeds, walnuts, and salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which is essential for good blood flow. Proteins are also very vital to egg and sperm health and these are found in lean protein such as chicken, legumes and fish. Whole grains such as oats, brown rice and quinoa are vital in regulating insulin in the body. 

Supplements That Support Fertility

While a nutritious diet is vital to reproductive health, sometimes nutritional supplements are required to fill in the gap where a person’s diet cannot meet a nutritional need. Consider a person who is a vegetarian for example; their diet does not include red meat, which contains vitamin B12. Taking a supplement containing B12 allows the body to still be able to build red blood cells and synthesize DNA in the sperm and eggs. 

There are cases where a person may need to take supplements to improve reproductive health, such as Vitamin A and E, or coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). These assist in preventing sperm DNA fragmentation, as well as improving sperm motility and morphology. Additionally, when a woman desires to have children, supplements to support a healthy reproductive system include folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12.

The Impact of Exercise on Fertility

Exercise is not only good for overall health, it has been known to improve fertility outcomes in both men and women. This is because exercise improves blood flow, helps in weight management and helps the body get rid of toxins.  

How Much Exercise is Too Much?

While a regular exercise routine is valuable, regular intense exercise can have a negative impact. This impacts women perhaps more than men. For example, if one loses too much weight, it impacts their hormonal production, resulting in an irregular menstrual cycle. Therefore exercise should be done in moderation, with guidance from a professional healthcare provider. 

Best Fertility-Friendly Workouts

The best fertility-friendly workouts are structured around a person’s health and medical history, as well as their family building goals. Some recommendations include yoga, pilates, swimming, cycling, walking and dancing. These should also be done under the supervision of a certified instructor for best results.

The Role of Sleep and Stress in Fertility

A person requires sufficient sleep in order to help their body repair and regulate itself. When sleep is not restful, the body experiences stress releasing cortisol into the bloodstream. As well, external factors such as work and relationships could present stress-inducing circumstances. This impacts how the body produces and regulates hormones.

How Cortisol Impacts Reproductive Hormones

Cortisol is released when a person is stressed or anxious, and is released continuously as long as the anxiety and stress persist. When this occurs, the increased levels of cortisol interfere with normal hormone production which includes reproductive hormones. To elaborate more practically, let us look at this in the context of the female reproductive system.

Progesterone is the hormone that helps to develop the uterine lining in anticipation of pregnancy. It also sustains the uterine wall throughout pregnancy, and when progesterone levels are insufficient, it leads to miscarriage. Again, melatonin which is responsible for regulating our sleeping and waking, can become elevated when cortisol is elevated. This results in turn suppresses gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), which regulates follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), both of which are responsible for the health and function of the ovaries. 

In addition, the size of the ovaries themselves and the antral follicles within can be negatively impacted by sustained cortisol in the bloodstream. 

Mindfulness Techniques to Reduce Stress

Mindfulness is about being present, refraining from opinion or judgement. Typically stress or anxiety is caused when situations or circumstances cause us to overthink or overreact, in response to unpleasantness or the unknown. Exercises in mindfulness help us to transfer the focus from unproductive thought patterns to more objective perspectives. This reduces emotional and mental turmoil, which keeps the mind calm and lowers cortisol levels. Activities such as sitting meditations, gentle stretches, yoga practice, and body scanning can provide avenues for developing mindfulness. 

When Natural Methods Are Not Enough

When natural methods of improving fertility are not sufficient, doctors may order some test to determine the cause of infertility. Thereafter, they are able to use medical interventions to facilitate family building. For more information on how you can improve your fertility, get tested for infertility, or get treatment for infertility, reach out to the team of specialists at Utah Fertility Center. We are happy to help you achieve your family building goals, through professional and compassionate care.  

FAQs

Can diet really improve fertility?

Yes, it can. While it may seem too simple a solution, the reality is that our reproductive health is dependent on how healthy we are overall. A nutritious diet helps the body in producing hormones which develop and maintain a healthy reproductive system. 

Does being underweight or overweight affect fertility?

Yes. Weight has a direct impact on reproductive health and when one is either overweight or underweight, their bodies cannot regulate hormones efficiently, which affects the quality of egg and sperm a person produces, in turn, impacting their ability to have children naturally. A healthy BMI of between 18.5-24.9 is ideal.

How long should I try natural methods before seeing a doctor?

It depends on different factors, however, at the basic level, persons who are 34 years and below should see a doctor if they have been trying to have children for about a year without success. Persons who are 35 years and over should see a doctor if they have been trying to have children for six months without success.