Infertility is the inability to achieve a pregnancy after at least 1 year of trying. Many couples assume that infertility rests with the woman, but men are just as likely to be infertile. The leading cause of female infertility is the failure to ovulate, which may be influenced by the diet, hormonal imbalances and other factors. Both women who are very thin and those who are overweight often do not ovulate because the amount of body fat is closely associated with estrogen levels.
A low sperm count is the major reason in case of male infertility, and for unknown reasons men worldwide are producing fewer sperm than a few decades ago. Some scientists believe that certain pesticides, which have estrogen like effects may be the reason behind the decrease in numbers. Alcohol and tobacco are also linked with these no.s.
Nutrition connection to Infertility
While nutrition is not a leading cause of infertility, it is important for both men and women to consume a healthful diet to enhance the chance of conceiving and delivering a healthy baby.
Eat a balanced diet
Using oral contraceptives for more than 5 years may case reduced reserves of vitamins B6, B12, C and E as well as other minerals like calcium, and zinc. Eat fruits rich in these nutrients, veggies which are rich in these vitamins.
Eat foods rich in Folate
Doctors advise women who are pregnant, or who may become pregnant to consume lots of folate-rich foods, or to take folic acid supplements to lessen the risk of having children with neural tube defects.
Good dietary sources of folate include fortified breakfast cereals, leafy greens, legumes and orange juice.
Alcohol is known to reduce fertility in both women and men. Smokin also reduces fertility in men and women. So avoid both smoking and alcohol.
Maintain a healthy weight
Any woman who is considering to become pregnant should try to achieve her ideal weight before conception. Women who are underweight at conception may have anemia during pregnancy the baby may be at more risk. Overweight also increase the risk due to high blood pressure.
Researchers found that woman who drank more than three cups of coffee a day reduced their chances of conceiving in any given month by 25%. So reduce your coffee intake.
Go for B12
There are evidences that, B12 may improve sperm count and motility.