Diet & Infertility

A healthy diet is crucial to a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby. Diet can also help correct hormone imbalances that may affect your ability to conceive.

It is important that both you and your partner follow a healthy diet to optimise your chances of a successful conception.

• Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, prefably organic.

• Eat complex carbohydrates - wholegrains like brown rice, oats and wholemeal bread.

• Buy organic foods whenever possible.

• Eat phytoestrogens, including beans such as lentils, chickpeas and soy products.

• Eat oily foods, including fish, nuts, seeds and oils.

• Reduce your intake of saturated fat.

• Drink two litres of filtered water daily.

• Increase your intake of fibre, including ground linseeds for hormone health.

• Avoid additives, preservatives and chemicals such as artificial sweeteners.

• Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

Alcohol will affect both you and your partner. In fact, drinking any alcohol at all can reduce your fertility by half - and the more you drink, the less likely you are to conceive. One study showed that women who drank less than five units of alcohol a week (equal to five glasses of wine) were twice as likely to get pregnant within six-months compared to those who drank more.

Research has also shown that drinking alcohol causes a decrease in sperm count, an increase in abnormal sperm and a lower proportion of motile sperm. Alcohol also inhibits the bodyˇ¦s absorption of nutrients such as zinc, which is one of the most important minerals for male fertility.

Ideally, you should eliminate alcohol from your diets for at least three months before you start trying to conceive. Remember to think of your long-term goal here - a healthy baby.

Caffeine

Drinking as little as one cup of coffee a day can halve your chances of conceiving. One study showed that problems with sperm count, motility and abnormalities increase with the number of cups of coffee consumed each day. Once again, itˇ¦s important to eliminate all caffeine-containing food and drinks for at least three months before trying to conceive. That includes colas, chocolate, black teas and coffee, among other things.

Environmental Oestrogens

Xeno-estrogens are essentially environmental oestrogens, coming from pesticides and the plastic industry. When you are trying to conceive, one of the most important things you need to do is to balance your hormones. One of the best ways to eliminate an excess intake of xeno-estrogens is to buy organic produce for the pre-conception period. Read more.

Smoking

There are strong links between smoking and infertility in women. It can even bring on an early menopause, which is a particularly important consideration for older women who may be trying to beat the clock. Smoking can decrease sperm count in men, making the sperm more sluggish, and it can increase the number of abnormal sperm. With men, the effects on fertility are increased with the number of cigarettes.

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