Fertility diet, tips on how to boost your chances of conceiving with food

Most couples get an overwhelming amount of advice on what they should do, or shouldn’t do when they’re trying to conceive. But the most common one, and the one that holds true, is that the couple must start with making healthy lifestyle choices to increase their chances of getting pregnant.

Diet plays an important role while preparing for pregnancy and boosting fertility. According to a study published by Harvard Medical School, true fertility foods are whole grains, healthy fats, excellent protein packages, and even the occasional bowl of ice cream.

We asked a nutritionist and a fertility expert to list some tried and tested ways of getting pregnant naturally with healthy diet changes.

Antioxidant rich food

Foods that are full of folate and zinc can help improve fertility among both men and women. “Free radicals in the body which can damage both sperm and egg cells are deactivated by the antioxidantsm” says Dr Hetal Parekh, consultant IVF, Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital. Thus, make sure to increase consumption of berries, nuts, leafy green veggies, yams, figs and beans.

Fibre rich diet

“Fibre helps body to get rid of excess hormones and keeps blood sugar balanced,” says Dr Parekh. Add lots of fruits, vegetables and beans to your diet.

Dairy products

“Whole milk instead of low fat milk, full-fat yoghurt, mature cheese such as cheddar and parmesan are recommended as these are high in polyamine, which play a major role in helping sperm health,” she adds.

Go with the body’s circadian rhythm

Our body’s own clock tells us when to sleep, when to eat. It helps to regularise this rhythm to ensure that we feel energetic in the morning and drowsy by night. It helps to maintain a proper wake up and sleep schedule.

Reduce your tea/ coffee intake

“Tannins in tea and caffeine in coffee depletes essential vitamins and minerals, especially iron and calcium (and the stores of which are required in high amounts throughout pregnancy),” says Indrayani Pawar, team leader – dietician team, Hinduja Healthcare Surgical. And consuming many cups of tea and coffee can also kill hunger, which may lead to lack of nutrients.

Increase your protein intake

Make sure every meal has a good amount of protein in it. You don’t need supplements, but your diet needs to have enough proteins to help your fertility.

Cut out empty calories

“Foods that have no essential nutrients (like carbohydrates, proteins, essential fats, vitamins and minerals), should be avoided. Stay away from junk, ready to eat and processed foods,” says Pawar.

Add more zinc

Zinc plays an important role in male fertility. “Include foods such as shell fish, oysters, nuts and oilseeds, fruits like berries, pomegranates in your diet,” she says.

Cut down alcohol

According to a study, alcohol consumption in men has been linked with many negative side effects such as testicular atrophy, decreased libido, and decreased sperm count.

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