Foods That Help With Fertility

When most of us think of fertility treatment, we imagine sophisticated diagnostic testing, powerful medications, and high-tech procedures. Choosing certain foods and drinks as a way to influence your ability to become pregnant sounds more like folktale wisdom than medical advice.

Eat more	To gain
Whole grains	B vitamins, vitamin E, fiber
Fruits, vegetables	Vitamin C, antioxidants
Lean meats, beans	Protein, zinc, iron
Low-fat dairy	Protein, calcium
DHA/Omega-3 (salmon, canned light [not albacore] tuna, some egg brands)	Benefits baby’s brain and nervous system development; reduces risk of premature birth
Multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid	Reduces risk of spinal cord and brain defects, especially in weeks before conception and first trimester of pregnancy

More tips

Consume choline: You may never have heard of it, but choline is a nutrient with the potential to reduce harmful gene effects that may result in birth defects. It also is important for brain function, among other benefits. Most women don’t get enough choline; many prenatal vitamins don’t even contain it. Egg yolks are rich in choline; only beef liver contains more. Cauliflower, the highest choline-containing veggie, has 25 percent of the choline found in one egg yolk.
Watch your herbal teas and supplements: “You really have to be careful of having too many botanicals in your diet,” cautions Biasucci-Vianna. Some herbs—including licorice, sassafras, ginseng, St. John’s wort and ephedra—should be avoided while in fertility treatment or pregnant.
It takes two (usually) to tango: Fertility problems may be due to the male partner’s weight or diet. Johnson says that vitamins C and E, zinc and folic acid help improve sperm health. Sperm motility can also be damaged by smoking, drinking alcohol (including beer) and recreational drug use.
Fish carefully: Don’t eat sushi or any raw fish. Avoid fish that have high mercury content due to their environment—including swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and shark.
Stay fluid: When you don’t drink enough water, your cervical fluid (the stuff that helps the sperm find the target egg) becomes sluggish, Johnson points out. The same goes for a man’s ejaculate fluid. Drink enough water so that your urine is a light yellow color.
Cut caffeine: High caffeine intake interferes with conception. You may want to consider eliminating it from your diet altogether by avoiding caffeinated coffee, tea and soft drinks (decaf is fine). Once you’re pregnant, caffeine also crosses the placenta and can affect the fetus and even cause miscarriage. Stick to no more than two five-ounce cups of regular coffee a day, advises Biasucci-Vianna.