What Foods Increase Fertility?

Can eating specific foods really help you to conceive? The answer is, absolutely yes it can. Obviously there is no magic diet out there that will have a direct outcome of pregnancy. However, research is now showing that an overall healthy lifestyle and a diet rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, have a significant effect on both female and male reproductive health (1, 2).

If you are part of my community, you will have seen in my last mailer that our biological age is much more important than our chronological age (our actual birth date). So by focusing on elements which support lowering our biological age, we can increase how fertile we are. 

Such elements include diet, exercise, sleep, stress levels, supplementation, detoxification, trauma etc. Today I am focusing on ways you can enhance your diet to support your chances of getting pregnant. 

4 Top Foods to Prioritise for Your Fertility

1. Lentils and Beans
   Recent research has shown that eating plant based proteins over animal proteins can help to decrease the ovulatory infertility (3). Lentils and beans are naturally high in protein and fibre, which can support ovulation. 
   

2. Broccoli Sprouts
   Broccoli sprouts are a fertility superfood! Not only do they contain antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibre but they also contain the highest concentration of sulforaphane. Sulforaphane supports the liver detoxification pathways and in turn can help to rewind the biological clock. To help increase the sulforaphane activity, ensure you chew them really well. Best chopped and served raw on a salad or you could throw into a soup (10 mins before serving).
   

3. Grass-Fed Liver
   Liver is one of the richest, nutrient-dense foods we can eat in the world! Rich in protein and nutrients such as B vitamins (B12, B2, B9), zinc, folate, selenium, CoQ10, vitamin A, Iron and Choline. All nutrients which are super important for fertility. You could have it cooked with onions or as a pate. Or if you really can’t get over the taste/texture then you can get liver capsules and there is even an organ-meat seasoning you can try!
   

4. Green Tea
   Green tea contain powerful antioxidants and polyphenols, which have been shown to improve fertility (5).  Green tea polyphenols can improve major sperm parameters including semen concentration, morphology, motility, gamete quality and decreasing damage to DNA. A therapeutic dose is 3 cups of regular green tea or 1 matcha per day (if you’re having a matcha latte, just be aware of the milk you use, ensure no added sugars or vegetable oils if possible as QUALITY nutrition is important when coming to maximising fertility). 

If you really want to improve your chances of getting pregnant but you are overwhelmed with all the advice out there and unsure what to focus on to support your fertility, you may be a good fit for my Optimise Your Fertility programme. This is a 3-month, 1-1 private coaching container that helps women focus on themselves, change their mindset and lower their stress around pregnancy in a supportive and nourishing way so that they can thrive in both health and fertility. I create a bespoke, tailored diet & lifestyle plan but also combine this with menstrual cycle mapping, hormone & egg reserve testing and healing sessions. It is a powerful combination. 

This is for you if you are:

• Wanting to regulate your cycle and hormones to optimise your fertility for the future

• Trying to get pregnant but nothing is working

• Starting to lose hope but not wanting to quit just yet

• Willing to try new approaches

• Curious about nutrition and health and how this can support your fertility 

• Want guidance with fertility friendly foods and which workout is best at different points of your cycle

• Want guidance with supplementation and testing 

• Open to spiritual practises and curious to learn more

If this resonates with you then DM me, “I’m interested,” and we can go from there. I will ask you about your fertility journey so far and what areas you are looking to get help with. 

I’d love to hear from you if you’re ready to improve your fertility and confidence around getting pregnant.

To read more info on the programme and book your free discovery call, click here.

Much love,

Jess x

Research

1. Kellow NJ, Le Cerf J, Horta F, Dordevic AL, Bennett CJ. 2022. ‘The Effect of Dietary Patterns on Clinical Pregnancy and Live Birth Outcomes in Men and Women Receiving Assisted Reproductive Technologies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’. Adv Nutr, 13(3), pp.857-874. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9156378/

2. Di Cintio E, Parazzini F, Chatenoud L, Surace M, Benzi G, Zanconato G, La Vecchia C. 2001. ‘Dietary factors and risk of spontaneous abortion’. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol, 95(1), pp.132-6. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11267735/

3. Chavarro JE, Rich-Edwards JW, Rosner BA, Willett WC. 2008. ‘Protein intake and ovulatory infertility’. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 198(2), pp.210.e1-7. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/85/1/231/4649371?login=false

4. Rahman SU, Huang Y, Zhu L, Feng S, Khan IM, Wu J, Li Y, Wang X. Therapeutic Role of Green Tea Polyphenols in Improving Fertility: A Review. Nutrients. 2018 Jun 27;10(7):834. doi: 10.3390/nu10070834. PMID: 29954124; PMCID: PMC6073549.