The ability to have a child is something that many women desire. Everyone faces their own fertility journey, and unfortunately, many women struggle to conceive. Of course, fertility challenges are a combination of factors that affect both partners, meaning there are often things to address on both sides to improve the odds of conception. Understanding lifestyle factors that support female fertility can help you take action today, whether you’re trying to conceive now or planning for the future.
Where to begin? Below are seven health tips to help support women’s fertility.
1. Increase Fiber Intake
Evidence shows that diets higher in fiber can help improve female fertility (1). This is likely because a diet incorporating plenty of fiber-rich foods is generally healthier. Fiber is a critical nutrient only found in plant foods, but most people don’t get enough (2). Getting enough fiber is also associated with a reduced risk for numerous chronic conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, digestive disorders, and certain cancers.
Increase your fiber intake by adding more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds to your diet. Below are some ideas:
- Aim to eat a serving of leafy greens every day, whether in the form of a salad, sauteed greens or added to a smoothie.
- Serve a piece of fruit with every meal. Add berries or banana slices to your oatmeal, toss apple slices into your salad, or enjoy a pear with nut butter as a side
- Layer plants onto your sandwiches and wraps, like lettuce, spinach, arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, sprouts, and avocado.
- Carry homemade trail mix with you as a convenient snack. Toss together peanuts, cashews, and sunflower seeds with dried fruit and dark chocolate.
- Consider adding a fiber supplement into your daily routine.
READ MORE: What is Fiber and Why is it Important?
2. Add More Plant Proteins
Diets higher in animal-derived proteins have been associated with worsened women’s fertility (3). Instead, consider these ways to swap out animal proteins for plant-based ones:
- Make chilis and stews with beans or crumbled tempeh instead of beef or chicken.
- Use crumbled tofu to make a veggie-packed breakfast scramble in place of eggs.
- Make homemade veggie burger patties packed with lentils.
- Try seitan, made from vital wheat gluten, instead of roast beef or beef cubes in sandwiches, stews, and stir-fries.
- Substitute jackfruit in place of pulled pork to make barbeque sandwiches.
- Make vegan cheese sauce using soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, and seasonings to dollop over grain dishes, use as a dip, or pour over enchiladas.
READ MORE: Plant-Based Protein: How to Choose the Best Vegan Protein
3. Reduce Added Sugar
There’s an indirect relationship between added sugar intake and fertility. This means it’s not so much the sugar itself that promotes infertility as it is the negative health effects of high sugar intake. These include unintentional weight gain, inflammation, and insulin resistance associated with worsened fertility (4).
Added sugar is not the same as natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables. Added sugar includes sugar added to beverages like soda and energy drinks, ultra-processed packaged foods, and baked goods. These products tend to provide empty calories or a lot of sugar without much other nutrition.
The latter, while still a source of sugar, is packaged in fiber, which slows digestion and prevents dramatic spikes in blood sugar. Foods containing natural sugars also contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Some ways to reduce added sugar intake include:
- Choose minimally-processed and whole foods as much as possible.
- Avoid ultra-processed convenience foods, like packaged chips, cookies, fruit snacks, and many snack bars.
- Read nutrition facts labels to assess the added sugar content of packaged products.
- Ditch soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit juices, and fancy sweetened coffee beverages.
4. Consider a Multivitamin
Vitamins and minerals are heavily involved in reproductive health, for things like menstruation and ovulation, immune function, energy production, thyroid health, and the quality of eggs. Making sure you’re getting enough micronutrients is an important part of any fertility journey.
Consider a prenatal multivitamin, to complement your otherwise healthy and balanced diet. A multivitamin can never replace whole foods, but it can help fill in any gaps that may be present.
GNC offers several prenatal supplements for women, including ones with iron, folic acid, DHA, and electrolytes.
5. Exercise Regularly
Making movement a regular part of your routine can help support the women’s fertility cycle in several ways. For example, it can help reduce mental and physical stress. Exercise can also help promote better sleep, and healthy weight management, which is important as being overweight or obese can impact fertility (5). There’s no need to go all out with intense exercise, as too much can actually have the opposite effect (6).
If you’re not already active, prior to conception is a great time to start. Find activities you enjoy doing and rotate them, such as:
- Jogging
- Rowing machine
- Strength training
- Playing tennis
- Swimming
- Martial arts
READ MORE: Tips for Getting Back into an Exercise Routine
6. Address Your Stress
The potential association between stress and women’s fertility is complicated. While stress may contribute to trouble conceiving, having trouble conceiving can also trigger more stress. When you’re under stress, your body produces a hormone called cortisol.
In healthy amounts, cortisol can be helpful, like supporting blood sugar regulation to prepare for emergencies. But when cortisol is continuously high, it can contribute to health problems, including infertility (7).
Stress management is more than finding time to relax, though self-care is always beneficial. Consider whether you have deeper traumas that should be addressed with the help of a mental health professional. Try incorporating positive thinking, gratitude, and activities you enjoy into your everyday life, and surrounding yourself with a supportive community.
7. Eat More Antioxidants
Antioxidants are plant compounds that help protect your cells from damage related to oxidative stress, which is thought to contribute to fertility issues. Adding more antioxidants to your diet may help reduce these negative effects. Note that some research has found more success in improving fertility when the male partner adds more antioxidants, so make it a team effort (8).
Some great places to find antioxidants include:
- Berries
- Tomatoes
- Dark chocolate
- Leafy greens
- Beets
- Beans
- Broccoli
- Almonds
- Citrus fruits
- Sweet potatoes
READ MORE: All About Antioxidants
Facing any type of fertility challenges can be difficult, but there is hope. While there’s never a guarantee that a woman will be able to conceive, implementing healthier lifestyle and nutrition habits is the best place to start.
References
1. Skoracka K, Ratajczak AE, Rychter AM, Dobrowolska A, Krela-Kaźmierczak I. Female Fertility and the Nutritional Approach: The Most Essential Aspects. Adv Nutr. 2021;12(6):2372-2386. doi:10.1093/advances/nmab068
2. Quagliani D, Felt-Gunderson P. Closing America’s Fiber Intake Gap: Communication Strategies From a Food and Fiber Summit. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;11(1):80-85. Published 2016 Jul 7. doi:10.1177/1559827615588079
3. González-Rodríguez LG, López-Sobaler AM, Perea Sánchez JM, Ortega RM. Nutrición y fertilidad [Nutrition and fertility]. Nutr Hosp. 2018;35(Spec No6):7-10. Published 2018 Sep 7. doi:10.20960/nh.2279
4. Panth N, Gavarkovs A, Tamez M, Mattei J. The Influence of Diet on Fertility and the Implications for Public Health Nutrition in the United States. Front Public Health. 2018;6:211. Published 2018 Jul 31. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2018.00211
5. Patel SR, Malhotra A, White DP, Gottlieb DJ, Hu FB. Association between reduced sleep and weight gain in women. Am J Epidemiol. 2006;164(10):947-954. doi:10.1093/aje/kwj280
6. Evenson KR, Hesketh KR. Studying the Complex Relationships Between Physical Activity and Infertility. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;10(4):232-234. doi:10.1177/1559827616641379
7. Joseph DN, Whirledge S. Stress and the HPA Axis: Balancing Homeostasis and Fertility. Int J Mol Sci. 2017;18(10):2224. Published 2017 Oct 24. doi:10.3390/ijms18102224
8. Gaskins AJ, Chavarro JE. Diet and fertility: a review. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018;218(4):379-389. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2017.08.010
