Since early childhood we have been told to eat a proper diet in order to maintain adequate levels of vitamins and minerals in our body. These vitamins and minerals are known to be essential for proper functioning of various body systems. There are 13 vitamins that are required by our body to grow, develop, nourish and to function properly so that we can lead a healthy life. Out of these 13 essential vitamins some are known to boost fertility and improve the chances of a person to conceive. With infertility being a concerning issue around the globe in present times, it is important to know that consumption of a nutrient rich diet can actually help in boosting up the fertility of both men and women. Consuming a balanced diet and including food items that are rich in vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, vitamin D, iron, vitamin E, B vitamins and zinc will not just help to boost up the fertility but will also result in healthy growth of the baby.
Let us take a look at 6 vitamins and minerals that should be consumed by both men and women to boost fertility and suggested by Dr. Apoorva Pallam Reddy, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Fertility expert, Phoenix Speciality Clinic, Banglore.
Vitamins And Minerals to boost Fertility
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As it is said that food is important for all aspects of life, fertility is not an exception. Where our body gets essential vitamins and minerals from proper functioning of the various body systems from the food we eat, it is important to include healthy and nutritious food in our diet for proper development and nourishment. Similarly there are some nutrients that both men and women need to make a baby. For people who are giving a serious thought to conving a child, they might consider taking these vitamins and minerals to boost fertility and for better development of their cold as suggested by Dr. Apoorva Pallam Reddy, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Fertility Expert.
#1. Folic Acid
A synthetic form of folate, folic acid is a form of Vitamin B which is also known as the Vitamin B9. Folic acid is known to be an important nutrient that is used for the treatment and prevention of conditions such as high and low blood levels, stroke, depression, decline in memory, neural tube defects etc. This vitamin is used by the body to keep the digestion on track, improve the brain and nerve function, creation and repairing of the DNA, for better health of organs such as liver and heart along with proper blood cell functioning and providing a person with healthy skin, hair and nails. Moreover, the adequate amounts of this vitamin in the body can help you to reduce the risk of colon cancer.
The consumption of this vitamin has been associated with a greater chance of pregnancy along with preventing birth defects in newborn such as the neural tube defect. Some studies have shown that the presence of low folate levels in the semen is associated with poor sperm DNA stability. Not just this but consumption of adequate amounts of folic acid can help a person to lower the risk of preterm birth and the risk of low birth weight babies. To meet the body’s needs of vitamin B9 or folate, one can consume food items such as -
- Citrus Fruits
- Nuts
- Whole Grains
- Green Leafy Vegetables
#2. Vitamin D
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Also Read: 9 Signs That Your Body Is Begging For Vitamin D
Popularly known as the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that is known to enhance the calcium absorption in the body and helps in strengthening the bones. This vitamin is known for its myriad benefits such as fighting diseases and boosting immunity, reducing depression and regulating mood, aiding weight loss and preventing conditions caused due to the deficiency of this vitamin like rickets. Being a fat soluble vitamin, maintaining good levels of vitamin D in the body especially while trying to conceive is important for reproductive hormones. The high levels of vitamin D in the body has been associated with the high rates of pregnancy by some studies carried out around the globe. Not just this but a deficiency of the sunshine vitamin has also been linked with conditions such as bacterial vaginosis, preterm baby, high blood pressure and gestational diabetes during pregnancy. In order to overcome the vitamin D deficiency in body and to boost fertility one can-
- Soak sun during morning hours as it is one of the best sources of vitamin D
- Consume tuna fish
- Take dairy products
- Use cod liver oil
#3. Iron
Pumping up your iron levels while trying to conceive is a really good idea. Iron is an essential mineral that is known to perform several vital functions in the body and is well known for boosting immunity, treating and preventing anemia, eliminating fatigue, improving concentration, restoring fatigue along with improving muscle endurance. Iron is a nutrient that is much talked about when it comes to fertility and pregnancy. Low levels of iron in the body can make it really difficult for a woman to conceive due to several reasons. As the body does not have an adequate amount of iron present in it, it prevents the development of red blood cells that result in low levels of hemoglobin. Thos low hemoglobin then decreases the oxygen carrying capacity of body tissues that eventually results in poor quality eggs and makes conception very difficult.
In order to avoid all these complications, boost fertility and improve the egg quality, ne must include certain food items in their diet to improve iron intake such as-
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Meat
- Tomatoes
- Beetroot
#4. Vitamin E
A powerful antioxidant that is a compound of 8 fat soluble compounds, Vitamin E is an essential vitamin that the human body requires. Important for the overall functioning of the body, vitamin E is known to protect the body against oxidative stress by neutralizing the harmful free radicals and leads to the proper functioning of the immune system. Vitamin E is a fat soluble nutrient that comes in with ample benefits such as improving the body’s antioxidant defense, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, managing menstrual pain, improves cognitive health and lung function along with providing a person with good skin, nails and hair.
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Also Read: Resolve Your Skin Problems With Vitamin E, Learn Different Ways To Use It
When it comes to improving fertility, vitamin E is known to increase the cervical mucus in women. This increase in cervical mucus helps the sperm to stay alive a little longer and increases the odds of a couple conceiving. Apart from this, the adequate levels of Vitamin E also enhances the efficiency of the reproductive system. To boost up fertility and enhance the efficacy of reproductive system, one can add food items rich in vitamin E to their diet such as -
- Watermelon seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Mangoes
- Sunflower seeds
- Kiwi
- Hazelnut
- Almonds
#5. B Vitamins
When we talk about Vitamin B, it is not a single nutrient that we talk about but a group of 8 essential nutrients that plays an important role in the functioning of various organ systems inside a human body. The B vitamins are known for helping the body to convert the food into energy and creating blood cells, body tissues, brain cells and healthy skin cells. The 8 different types of B vitamins together are known as the B-complex and serve several important functions in the body. A deficiency of these vitamins tends to cause anemia where the number of red blood cells in the body is abnormally low.
When it comes down to fertility and boosting it, vitamin B is something that is talked about a lot. Adequate levels of vitamin B in the body is known to promote egg health along with preventing ovulatory infertility. Along with this, a good amount of B vitamins in the body can also help in improving the sperm quality that helps in increasing the chances of pregnancy by boosting up fertility. Include these food items in your diet to improve the levels of B vitamin in your body-
- Cauliflower
- Banana
- Eggs
- Whole grains
- Green Leafy vegetables
#6. Zinc
A vital nutrient that can not be synthesized by the body on its own and hence needs to be consumed either in form of supplements or in food, Zinc is very important for the proper functioning of several organ systems. Required for better immune functioning, gene expression, DNA synthesis and wound healing, zinc comes in with several health benefits. From accelerating the process of wound healing to boosting immunity and from reducing the risk of age related diseases to reducing inflammation, zinc can do it all.
Image Credits- Medical News Today
Talking about the relationship between zinc and fertility, it is said that the adequate levels of this mineral in the body helps to improve the sperm quality in men and helps in the process of fertilization and egg development in women. Some of the food items rich in zinc content are-
- Legumes
- Beans
- Whole grain
- Dairy products
- Lean meat
As fertility has come out to be a big issue around the globe, it is important to ponder upon the factors that might lead to this condition. What we eat has a large impact on our entire body system and organ functioning and the case is the same with reproductive health as well. Proper nourishment with adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals is required for boosting up fertility in both men and women that results in the formation of a healthy baby.
(This Article is based upon a post by Dr. Apoorva Pallam Reddy, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Fertility Expert on her instagram handle)
