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5 Fertility Superfoods You Should Know About



Reviewed by Christine Traxler, MD

Having various nutrient deficiencies is a common factor in infertility. One way to address your deficiencies is to ensure your diet is full of nutrient-dense superfoods.

Superfoods can come in a variety of different shapes, sizes and colors. In fact, some of the more common foods we have all heard of can also provide your body with crucial nutrients to help improve your fertility status and ensure you thrive and don’t just survive.

How Can A Superfood Help With Fertility?

Without adequate building materials, you could not expect to build a good quality house, could you? The same applies when looking to build a healthy body that is able to conceive naturally.

By addressing any missing nutrients with superfoods, you are providing your body with the building materials needed to go on and produce optimal sperm, eggs and hormones to help you achieve a healthy pregnancy.

5 Superfoods to Boost Fertility

1. Wild Caught Oily Fish

Oily fish like Atlantic herring and salmon provide the body not only with high amounts of protein (needed to manufacture hormones in the first place) and omega 3 (needed to promote regular menstruation), but also with a healthy dose of vital Vitamin D. Vitamin D is crucial, according to a study at The Medical University of Graz, as it plays a role in biological processes in sperm and ovary cells and may affect levels of sex hormones.

2. Organic Carrots

Yes, the humble carrot is super because researchers at Harvard University’s School of Public Health found that carrots can increase the quantity and quality of sperm, which is due to the rich levels of beta-carotene being present, which is a type of antioxidant. Researchers found that this antioxidant improved sperm motility, or its ability to swim toward an egg, by 6.5% to 8%.

3. Organic Maca Root

Maca root may be a natural solution to helping the body to deal with an overworked endocrine system that is responsible for producing all our hormones. A known ‘adaptogen’, the herb maca can be a gentle tonic specifically for an overly-stressed, over-worked hypothalamus gland which is responsible for regulating the pituitary gland. When this gland is in balance, this can then bring balance to the entire hormonal system. A recent study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology concluded that maca can be used to enhance fertility.

4. Organic Quinoa

If we don’t address the acidic blood running through our veins, then we could be ignoring the elephant in the room when it comes to unexplained infertility. Switching out some of the overly acidic grains common to our Western diets, and including alkaline-forming ones like quinoa and buckwheat in their place, can go a long way to helping this, as overly acidic cervical mucus can create the wrong kind of condition for your partner’s sperm to survive in.

5. Organic Wheatgrass (Freshly Juiced or Powdered)

Carrying around high levels of toxins in the body may hinder a person’s chances of natural fertility success. Wheatgrass juice can be a wonderful way to help rid the body of these toxins, stored deep within our cells. A study published in Nutrition and Cancer Journal stated that wheatgrass juice may improve hematological (blood) toxicity related to chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. This shows wheatgrass may be a hopeful tool as a blood purifier for preconception cleansing and pregnancy preparation.

Variety is the Spice of Life

There is not one specific food that is more vital than another when it comes to creating a healthy, fertile body. So emphasis should always be placed on choosing a variety of fresh and colorful foods each week to help ensure you are not causing more deficiencies by eating the same foods over and over.

References

About the Author

Dalene Barton - Certified Herbalist, Birth Doula

Dalene Barton - Certified Herbalist, Birth Doula

Practicing natural health and herbalism for over 18 years, Dalene received her training and herbal certification under the guidance of Lynn Albers at Yarmony Mt. Herbal College in Colorado in 2000. She went on to become a Certified Birth Doula at Birthingway College of Midwifery in Portland, Oregon in 2007. As a Birth Doula, Dalene has helped to bring many new lives in to this world. Dalene has written 280+ fertility articles and with her vast array of herbal and holistic healing knowledge has helped 1000's of women on their journey to Motherhood.