Fertility Diet
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Pamela Frank
As a naturopathic doctor, my 4 years of post-graduate nutrition training and 22+ years of experience make me one of the most highly qualified diet professionals. Naturopathic doctor nutrition training is unbiased by political interests such as the dairy or wheat marketing boards. It is based instead on which foods are scientifically proven to help balance hormones and improve fertility.
What you eat can cause or contribute to infertility. Taking charge of your diet can help you balance your hormones, reduce oxidative stress, produce better quality eggs or sperm, and create a healthier uterine lining.
When I see you, you will receive your own individual customized food list and general meal suggestions. I can also provide my clients with healthy recipes, menus, and shopping lists to help keep their fertility goals on track and to keep food interesting. Your treatment will also likely include certain nutritional supplements to provide additional vitamins and minerals that are vital to healthy reproductive organ function.
A Sample of Fertility Diet Research
- B vitamins, zinc, fig extract & vitamin E for male fertility: Dattilo M, Cornet D, Amar E, Cohen M, Menezo Y. The importance of the one-carbon cycle nutritional support in human male fertility: a preliminary clinical report. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2014 Jul 29;12:71. doi: 10.1186/1477-7827-12-71.
- Advanced glycation end products (a byproduct of higher blood sugar) and female reproduction: Merhi Z. Advanced glycation end products and their relevance in female reproduction. Hum Reprod. 2014 Jan;29(1):135-45. doi: 10.1093/humrep/det383. Epub 2013 Oct 30.
- Lifestyle and especially diet can influence reproductive health: Sińska B, Kucharska A, Dmoch-Gajzlerska E. The diet in improving fertility in women Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2014 Jun;36(216):400-2.
- The artificial sweetener saccharin leads to sperm damage in mice: Rahimipour M, Talebi AR, Anvari M, Abbasi Sarcheshmeh A, Omidi M. Saccharin consumption increases sperm DNA fragmentation and apoptosis in mice. Iran J Reprod Med. 2014 May;12(5):307-12.
- Undetected celiac disease is a risk factor for infertility: Lasa JS, Zubiaurre I, Soifer LO. Risk of infertility in patients with celiac disease: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Arq Gastroenterol. 2014 Apr-Jun;51(2):144-50.