Nutrition impacts on ovulation
The woman's body is incredible, mostly the reproductive system is what surprises me the most. Since before we are born, baby girls are already gifted with the amount of eggs they will carry for life. Those millions of eggs are stored in each girl's ovaries and are ready to go as soon as puberty strikes. This means that what our mothers ate before and during pregnancy could influence the number and quality of her daughter’s eggs. This is how beautiful and intertwined nutrition and fertility is, this relationship starts even before we can actually eat food.
This relation between food and ovulation gets more intense as we grow older. As the quality of the food we eat can easily disrupt hormonal balance and when it happens the result can lead to anovulation, irregular cycles and infertility.
And how exactly food impacts ovulation?
A lot of emphasis is given to people who are overweight and on diets designed to help lose weight. However, many studies have shown that people who are underweight or follow a diet low in glycemic content (sugars and carbs) and poor in nutrients also have a higher risk of infertility. Other factors such as obesity and severely underweight, associated with energy imbalance are related to ovulatory disorders. For example, women with BMI superior to 25 kg/m2 or inferior to 19 kg/m2 have more difficulty to conceive.
There is a lot yet to discover, but from what we know now, nutrition plays a major role in enhancing the reproductive efficiency both in women and men. Nutrition is believed to play a great role for reproductive performance as suggested by the links between ovulatory disorders and diseases such as diabetes.
A study from 2006 performed by the Southampton Women’s Survey on over 12,000 subjects concluded that nutritional status of both men and women before conception influences fertility and perinatal conditions.
So what can you eat to help with fertility
Although we can’t still prescribe a diet as a cure for infertility, from current knowledge it is possible to recommend eating some foods instead of others to help improve overall health and reproductive conditions. Many studies suggest that a diet rich in fish, legumes, vegetables and low in carbohydrates was related to the presence of folate in red blood cells and vitamin B6 in blood and follicular fluid. This resulted in a 40% increase in pregnancy in women undergoing IVF treatment. Additionally, people following a balanced diet had higher positive outcomes.
Here are some suggestions on nutrients that may improve fertility.
Proteins
Proteins are associated with lower risks of ovulatory diseases, so eating a diet rich in proteins from both animal or vegetable sources could possibly improve fertility.
Carbohydrates
Normal intake of carbohydrates do not show to positively or negatively affect fertility in women or men. However some studies showed that chronic intake - when there is an effect on blood sugar levels - could negatively impact fertility. Another win for eating a balanced diet, rich in low-glycemic carbohydrates that avoids highly processed foods.
Lipids
The impacts of fat consumption on ovulation is subject of ongoing studies, some of these studies showing that in otherwise healthy women, the total fat intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was associated with a higher level of progesterone, promoting a decreased risk of anovulation. Although not conclusive yet, there could be a link between fat consumption and higher fertility. For now it is safe to say that fats are important to maintain a healthy hormonal balance, so they should not be avoided. I am not saying that any sort of fats are allowed - so stay away from deep-fried foods, potato chips, frozen food and minimize take-out food. Feel free to add a drizzle of olive oil, a tablespoon of nut butter or a portion of grains, seeds and nuts to your meals.
Antioxidants
A few studies suggest that supplementing the diet with antioxidants can improve the impact of oxidative stress on reproductive capacity. Some antioxidants such as lipoic acid, vitamin E, vitamin C and coenzymeQ10 (CoQ10) can impair the function of the detoxifying system when found deficient in the body.
Another antioxidant, ascorbic acid, is believed to contribute for lower miscarriage rates. Surveyed women that had spontaneous abortions had lower levels of this antioxidant than women with healthier pregnancies.
But this is not to say that you should bulk up on the antioxidants, as incorrect or excessive doses could result in adverse effects. The best route is to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables that are naturally rich in antioxidants and vitamins and avoid taking any supplements without the recommendation of your doctor or dietitian.
Conclusion
I am not still sold on the idea of a magic diet or a magic pill that will solve all your fertility problems. I know there is a lot out there promising exactly that, but if my opinion is worth it, I would love to leave you with a suggestion: eat everything that you want as long as it comes from the produce section of your grocery store. Fresh foods will hold the highest amount of protein, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They also have the least amount of toxic and inflammatory products such as artificial flavors or and corants, sugars and fats. Eating a clean diet will help your body to naturally detoxify and stay in balance.
If you want some ideas and inspiration for your next meal, check out the Recipes session of the website and let me know how if you have cooked anything :)
Sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fertility-and-diet-is-there-a-connection-2018053113949
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32664650/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6568019/