When you realize it's high time to become parents, the process may become tiresome with all the charting needed: ovulation, basal body temperature, menstrual cycles and much more. To help you conceive faster, there are foods that increase your chances of getting pregnant.
While it's a fact that there are foods that need to be consumed when you're pregnant, this goes true when you're also trying to conceive. There are foods that boost your fertility and we've collected some from Parents.com and Medical Daily. Check them out below:
1. Beans
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that women who consume more animal protein were found to have 39 percent higher chances of infertility compared to those who consume plant protein. They studied around 19,000 female nurses, who were trying to conceive and found that those who consume more plant proteins have little trouble getting pregnant. So swap those pork chops with tofu, and go for salads with garbanzo beans and nuts.
2. Bananas
Vandana R. Seth, a registered dietician, diabetes educator and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics told Medical Daily that a B6 deficiency can result in the unhealthy development of both the sperm and egg cells. Bananas contain vitamin B6 that helps regulate hormones and menstrual cycles.
Banana Increases Sperm Quality and Fertility https://t.co/1d4TOjCQpn
— 9jafood (@9ja_food) April 10, 2016
Aside from bananas, shellfish are also found to contain vitamin B12. These type of seafood also contain amino acids that protect sperm and egg cells from free radicals.
3. Ice Cream
A daily serving of whole milk products, like ice cream, were found to lower risk of infertility in women. Surprisingly, the low-fat, like the skim milk, variety has the opposite effect. These findings were also echoed by Dr. Jorge E. Chavarro, Sc.D., assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard University of Public Health and author of "The Fertility Diet." Removing the fat from milk seems to create an imbalance in the hormones that hampers ovulation, says Dr. Chavarro.
4. Whole Wheat Bread
A 2010 study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility found that Mediterranean diet improves chances of conception in couples undergoing IVF treatments. Women should keep blood sugar levels stable to prevent hormonal imbalance. Since whole wheat bread takes time to digest, it doesn't create a spike in your glucose levels, unlike its white counterpart.
5. Leafy Greens
Green leafy vegetables like spinach, romaine, arugula and broccoli contain folate which is found to improve ovulation. For men, this healthy bunch also aids in creating healthier sperms, reducing the risk of miscarriage or any genetic problem. A research from University of California Berkeley's Public School of Health found that there's 20 percent reduced chances of abnormal sperms in non-smoking men who had high folate intake.
Make sure to include the above foods in your diet. For more fertility-boosting food, check out the video below:
