Useful Tips at Bnoon Fertility Center
Changing your diet can increase your fertility and can positively affect your chances of becoming pregnant. There are several foods you can add or remove from your diet that can impact your overall chances of becoming pregnant.
THINGS TO EAT AND THINGS TO AVOID
We recommend reducing red meat intake, eliminating Trans fats (such as donuts, pastries and all fried foods), and ensuring that at least 50% of every meal is composed of fruits and vegetables. Use olive oil for bread, dressings and cooking. It’s high in monounsaturated fat, which may be beneficial for women undergoing IVF treatment, and is good for general health. Reducing sugar intake is always a good idea. Overcooking foods should be avoided.
Many delicious foods are high in antioxidants and should be incorporated into your regular diet. Here are some other popular foods that have naturally high antioxidant content:
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Pomegranates
- Cranberries
- Raspberries
- Dark chocolate (low sugar)
- Artichokes (cooked)
- Spices (ex. ginger, oregano, turmeric, cumin)
GREEN TEA
Drinking daily green tea also increases antioxidant intake, however we do not recommend over one cup of decaffeinated green tea per day because the caffeine could interfere with fertility. Green tea is minimally processed, which maintains its healthy properties. Though the decaffeination process does reduce the antioxidant content, simply adding 50mg of liquid Vitamin C to each cup of decaffeinated green tea can significantly increase your antioxidant intake.
CAFFEINE
Excessive consumption of caffeinated products by the female, such as coffee, tea, colas, and chocolate may decrease fertility, although studies are conflicting. To be cautious, limit intake to a minimum. A maximum of one cup per day is advised. Caffeine is not harmful for the male partner’s fertility.
SUPPLEMENTS
Other nutritional supplements have antioxidant properties and increase blood flow, helping to promote healthy conditions for eggs and embryos.
- Prenatal vitamin tablets are good idea to use few months before thinking of infertility treatment.
- Omega-3 may improve success in embryo implantation, decrease premature labor and have positive effects on fetal brain development.
- Folic acid is found naturally in dark, leafy greens (i.e., spinach, broccoli, avocado, and fortified cereals). Prenatal vitamins usually contain 400-800 micrograms of Folic Acid per day to reduce the risk of a small, but very important, group of fetal abnormalities (Skull, Spines and heart).