The fertility diet

I have been sitting on this topic ever since I posted Mosaicism: they say the embryo is at fault before it has even implanted at the end of September. The moment has finally come to write about food — the thing every patient asks me about: what do I eat to get pregnant? This time I have pulled it together from several medical journals. And yes, there is a part for the men too. One hand alone does not clap, after all.

For her: eating to conceive

For patients getting ready to welcome a little one, the female body needs nutrients for several jobs:

• Synthesising DNA and building new cells
• Slowing the damage that builds up in the egg cells
• Calming inflammation, so that the immune system can accept an embryo that is only half the mother's own
• Balancing hormones and supporting normal production of the reproductive hormones

The shelves are full of formulas for mothers-to-be, at every price imaginable. So let me sort them out for you: what is worth taking, what you can take or leave, and what you should not take at all. Read on.

Folic acid and vitamin B12

Folic acid, more than 1 mg a day

• Prevents neural tube defects in the baby (cleft lip, cleft palate, spina bifida)
• Makes ovulation more regular
• Raises the natural conception rate
• Improves egg quality in stimulated cycles
• Lowers the chance of miscarriage

Vitamin D3

• Women whose blood vitamin D is low have a higher chance of miscarriage
• In IVF cycles, the pregnancy rate rises as the blood vitamin D level rises

Omega-3

• Lowers the chance of anovulation
• May raise the chance of pregnancy in IVF

Isoflavones

Doses used range from 12 to 1500 mg a day.

• Lowers the chance of anovulation
• Raises the pregnancy rate in clomiphene cycles, in IVF, and in frozen embryo transfer cycles

Eating soy itself has not been shown to improve fertility — but it does no harm either.

A healthy diet

Eating for health means things like:

• Vegetables
• Pesticide-free fruit
• High fibre
• Whole grains
• Seafood

A healthy diet raises both the chance of pregnancy and the chance of a live birth.

What to avoid

These may work against pregnancy, so they are best avoided.

• Trans fat — raises the chance of anovulation and lowers the pregnancy rate
• Coffee — may raise the chance of miscarriage
• Alcohol — raises the chance of birth defects in the baby

For him: eating to help her conceive

The husband's side helps just as much. The right diet, on its own or together with supplements, contributes to:

• Synthesising DNA and building new cells
• Mopping up the free radicals that build up in semen from sperm cells that have died
• Balancing hormones and supporting normal production of the reproductive hormones

So what is on the list for the men? Let us have a look.

Antioxidants

• For example zinc (Zn) and lycopene
• Raise the live birth rate in couples going through IVF

A healthy diet

• Eating for health: vegetables, pesticide-free fruit, plenty of fibre, whole grains, seafood
• A healthy diet improves sperm quality

What to avoid

• Trans fat — lowers sperm quality and worsens testicular function
• Caffeine — no data showing a clear effect
• Alcohol — can affect the liver

With my very best wishes.

References

1. Gaskins AJ, Chavarro JE. Diet and fertility: A review. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2018;218(4):379-389.
2. Grieger JA. Preconception diet, fertility, and later health in pregnancy. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2020 Jun;32(3):227-232.
3. Łakoma K, Kukharuk O, Śliż D. The Influence of Metabolic Factors and Diet on Fertility. Nutrients. 2023; 15(5):1180. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15051180.
4. Skoracka K, Ratajczak AE, Rychter AM, Dobrowolska A, Krela-Kaźmierczak I. Female fertility and the nutritional approach: The most essential aspects. Advances in Nutrition 2021;12(6):2372-2386.