![Being confident in your food choices during pregnancy can be a little bit complicated. [Image Credit: Nikolay Slavov/Youtube]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/7/30/660x290/b_502x220x82/being-confident-in-your-food-choices-during-pregnancy-can-be-a-little-bit-complicated-image-credit-nikolay-slavovyoutube_1475683.jpg "Being confident in your food choices during pregnancy can be a little bit complicated. [Image Credit: Nikolay Slavov/Youtube]")
Compared to the past decades, it seems more and more people nowadays struggle with conception and getting pregnant. According to The Washington Post, many couples seek advice about healthy diets in hopes that this will boost fertility and ready the body for pregnancy. A study on 18,000 women confirmed that there is indeed a link between nutrition and fertility.
Food versus fertility
The Washington Post cited the implications of the study from the Nurses’ Health Study. In it, 18,000 women who were actively trying to get pregnant employed a healthy diet.
This consisted of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and beans. They also consumed protein-rich foods, healthy fats, and full-fat dairy. All of these were in moderation.
After eight years, the study showed that this particular eating pattern correlated to a 66 percent lower risk of ovulatory infertility. More data also showed the diet led to a 27 percent lower risk of infertility caused by other factors. These numbers provide a good overview of nutrition and fertility.
Start with weight
Being overweight or underweight is crucial to increasing one’s fertility. According to the study named “Diet and Lifestyle in the Prevention of Ovulatory Disorder Fertility,” the best way to measure this is with a Body Mass Index calculator.
It’s important to assess one’s health through weight gain so other factors can be ruled out as well. For instance, overweight women have a higher chance of developing polycystic ovary syndrome. According to the study, a slow and steady weight loss would be best versus crash diets. The body should know and feel that there is a nutritious and stable food intake.
Men need to take their weight into account as well. Several studies show that packing extra weight has serious repercussions. The added and unnecessary pounds lower motility, testosterone levels, and sperm count.
Looking into carbs
Researchers found out that regular intake of white bread, white rice, potatoes, soda, and candy led to a higher risk of ovulatory infertility.
On the opposite end, those who ate slow-absorbing carbohydrates like beans, whole grains, and vegetables receive a fertility boost.
These slow absorbing carbs coupled with fruits, nuts, and seeds offer a fiber and phytochemical-rich diet. This has been proven to better health and eventually, leads to higher fertility.
Milk matters
The study also showed that full-fat dairy products had a positive effect on fertility. Meanwhile, low-fat labeled milk led to lower fertility rates. The researchers stated that the cream component of full-fat milk can influence sex hormones, therefore, the chances of ovulation and conception increase as well.
It is important to note that the body only needs 1-2 servings of full-cream milk.
Although milk is healthy, dieticians don’t suggest an excess amount of it in the body.
Go for fresh produce
The current food trend this past decade is food-on-the-go or easy to prepare meals. While these are convenient, processed food will never beat fresh meals when it comes to nutrition and health. For processed food to last long and remain edible, producers cram the products with an unhealthy amount of sodium and other chemicals. When these food items are ingested, the sodium and chemicals are ingested as well.
