How to Improve Your Fertility Naturally

A person’s fertility is sustained by a healthy lifestyle. For an adult, a healthy lifestyle comprises a balanced nutrient rich diet and regular exercise. It also includes mental wellbeing and healthy sexual habits. 

Most of us are born in full health, but as we grow and explore life, we desire a variety of experiences. These experiences may not always be good for our health and could impact our reproductive health negatively. Habits such as smoking or taking nicotine based products, excessive consumption of alcohol and taking recreational drugs have a direct negative impact on fertility.  

With this in mind, when a person is facing fertility challenges, many professional healthcare providers may begin treatment by recommending lifestyle changes toward more healthy habits. This is referred to as improving your fertility naturally and has been found to be effective in cases where there are no other medical conditions preventing a person from conceiving. So let us look into how you can do this to improve your chances of building a family naturally. 

Best Foods for Fertility

While a nutritious balanced diet is vital to good health, there are particular nutrients that impact a person’s fertility in very direct ways. In order for a person’s reproductive system to be healthy, their diet needs to contain lots of fruits and raw vegetables, pulses, unrefined carbohydrates, poultry and dairy products that are low in fat, oily fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds, as well as simple sugars low quantities of red meat. These nutrients can be found in what is referred to as the Mediterranean diet, highly recommended by professional healthcare providers for supplying all these nutrients.

Antioxidant-rich Foods for Egg and Sperm Health

Antioxidants are nutrients that assist the body in fighting oxidative stress. Oxidative stress comes from an excess of reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide or superoxide anion molecules, which are byproducts of both the environment and our own metabolism. Therefore, including foods such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, nuts, seeds, and spinach in one’s diet will provide the body with the antioxidants it requires. 

Hormones are crucial to healthy egg and sperm production and development. Foods that help to balance hormones include nuts, olive oil, and avocados, contain healthy fats which are crucial in healthy hormone production. As well, for the eggs and sperm themselves, foods such as citrus fruit, leafy greens, and beans are rich in folate, a nutrient that helps in the process of cell division. 

Proteins are also very vital to egg and sperm health and these are found in lean protein such as chicken, legumes and fish.  Good blood flow is essential to the health of reproductive systems and this is improved by eating foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as flax seeds, walnuts and salmon. Finally, it is vital for the body to be able to regulate insulin. Whole grains are key in this aspect and include oats, quinoa, and brown rice.

Supplements That Support Fertility

Nutritional supplements assist the body to compensate for low levels or lack of particular nutrients. For example people who do not consume red meat tend to lack the vitamin B12, which is vital for the formation of red blood cells and crucial for DNA synthesis. Therefore, such persons will benefit from taking a Vitamin B12 supplement. When it comes to reproductive health, there are supplements that can improve reproductive health, especially when a person is actively trying to build their family. These are also recommended when people are trying to build their families using assisted reproductive treatments. 

Vitamin A, vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), help in improving sperm structure and motility, as well they assist in preventing damage to sperm DNA. Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, and folic acid are supplements that women can take to support their reproductive health and significantly lower the chances of miscarriage.  

The Impact of Exercise on Fertility

Exercise has been observed to contribute to the improvement of fertility outcomes. Exercise benefits the body by helping it get rid of toxins. It also reduces stress, helps in weight management and improves blood flow.  

How Much Exercise is Too Much?

When it comes to exercise, it is best to start with regular and moderate exercise. For specific cases like weight management or managing medical conditions, it is best that a healthcare provider recommend the exercise routine. For women, exercise routines that are intensive tend to cause the body to produce less estrogen. Intense exercise can also lead to excessive weight loss which can lead to being underweight. When underweight, the menstrual cycle is interrupted, resulting in irregular ovulation. As well when an exercise routine is too intense, it could result in muscle or joint pain, irritability, constant tiredness, and ironically being unable to sleep well.

Best Fertility-friendly Workouts

Fertility-friendly workouts take into account a person’s health, medical history and family building goals. Typically, it is recommended that the exercise be regular as well as moderate. Pilates and yoga are good for improving flexibility and muscle tone, and they strengthen the body gently. Swimming, walking, dancing and cycling are great for cardiovascular health, improving stamina. As well, they are gentle on the joints, lowering the risk of injury from impact.

The Role of Sleep and Stress in Fertility

The lack of restful sleep triggers stress receptors which in turn release stress hormones in the body. Cortisol is the main hormone released in the bloodstream when the body is responding to stress due to sleep disturbances, or insomnia. Combined with how regularly life can have stressful moments, the levels of cortisol can be elevated so as to interrupt the reproductive system. Let us see how this occurs in the next section.

How Cortisol Impacts Reproductive Hormones

Anxiety and stress cause the body to respond by releasing the hormone cortisol. The longer one is stressed or anxious, the more cortisol is released into the bloodstream.  This interferes with normal hormone production including the hormones that are responsible for maintaining the reproductive system. Let us elaborate further using the female reproductive system for illustration.  

In women, the production of progesterone can be interfered with when cortisol is elevated in the bloodstream. Progesterone is the hormone responsible for developing the uterine lining in preparation for pregnancy, as well as sustaining the pregnancy as it develops. When progesterone production is interfered with, it could result in pregnancy loss. 

Again, when cortisol is elevated, so is melatonin. Melatonin regulates our sleep-wake cycle, more commonly known as our circadian rhythm. When melatonin is elevated, it suppresses the production of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). 

GnRH is responsible for the release of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) which are key in regulating health and function of the ovaries. Cortisol can also have a negative effect on the size of the ovaries and antral follicles. This can cause them to be non-responsive to reproduction hormones and create challenges in family building. 

Mindfulness Techniques to Reduce Stress

Stress comes at us from all manner of circumstances, from work-related stress to stress that occurs in our personal lives. Again, what may be stressful to one person, may not necessarily create a stressful situation for another. One way stress is managed is through techniques to create mindfulness particularly during stressful moments.  

Being mindful is about paying attention to the present moment without passing an opinion or judgement. This allows one to turn their mental energy away from unproductive thoughts by being more objective about those stressful circumstances. As well, one is encouraged to replace unproductive thought patterns with more positive ones.  Gentle stretching, sitting meditation, body scanning and yoga practices all contain exercises in mindfulness. 

When Natural Methods Are Not Enough

If natural methods of improving fertility do not work, then a fertility specialist can advise on what medical interventions can be used to help improve your fertility. You may be asked about your health and medical history, your sexual and lifestyle habits, as well as diet and exercise. Following this, some further testing may be required to determine what the cause of infertility is, and then treatment options can be explored. The fertility experts at Dallas Fertility Center are available to assist you in exploring ways you can improve your fertility, and walk with you on your family building journey.

FAQs:

Can diet really improve fertility?

Yes. A diet rich in lean proteins, antioxidants, essential vitamins and healthy fats immediately helps the body balance out its hormones resulting in improved functionality of the reproductive system. 

Does being underweight or overweight affect fertility?

Yes. Being underweight or overweight disrupts hormonal production and ovulation cycles. Resulting in irregular periods, anovulation, insulin resistance, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It is recommended that one maintain a BMI between 18.5-24.9 for optimum fertility.

Can stress cause infertility?

Yes. Chronic stress in particular affects the body’s hormonal balance, negatively impacting sperm production and ovulation. As well, it can result in irregular menstrual cycles and a lowered libido.

How long should I try natural methods before seeing a doctor?

If you have been trying to become pregnant for a period of six to 12 months without success seek medical advise.