Proper Eating and Nutrition for Fertility & IVF

Unprocessed, organic food that is not preserved. The simplest way to help ensure you are getting what you need and don't need from your food.

Most of the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals we need should come from the food we eat. Although, each person is an individual, therefore the individual needs of each person should be addressed when going through the diet. Lifestyle, metabolism, genetics, geographic location, should all be considered. Western nutrition crossed with the understanding of food energetics (a skill of Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners) should be combined for meeting individual requirements.

The quality of food you eat plays a vital role in the optimal functioning of the body, its hormones, and cellular activities. Do not jump on the 'bandwagon' of fad dieting after reading this. The idea is to understand the importance of aquiring the proper nutrition from your food intake, and to avoid the items that you should not have.

Living food (fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds) are nutritionally superior to packaged processed foods. If these can be eaten organically, even better.

All food is made up of protein, carbs, and fats, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. First thing in the morning, room temperature water is impotant to consume before anything else. Then things simple to digest such as oatmeal. Fruit and yogurt or anything else is best left out of the fridge for a little while so it is not physically so cold, this shocks the digestion. Lunch should be a small high protein meal to trigger a rise in dopamine. Too many carbs will release serotonin and make you sleepy. Supper should include your favorite carbs, this is the proper time to wind down and get sleepy. Try not to eat within 3-4 hours of bedtime. You should sleep better and not retain unwanted calories.

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Protein repairs and renews cells, transports oxygen and nutrients, produces hormones, helps fight infection, and grow new tissues for muscles, bones, and traumatic injuries.
The building blocks of protein, the amino acids, are essential for proper building and functioning of eggs, and reproductive hormones.
Men and women both need approx. 60-70 grams of protein per day.
Sources include meat, fish, eggs, dairy, lentils, peas, beans, nuts, brown rice, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and quinoa.
Vegetarians must eat more food in general to aquire the daily recommended dose of protein. The supplementation of zinc may also be vital to vegetarians.
Spread out your protein consumption throughout the day for best absorption and usage of the essential amino acids.
Do not go overboard with protein, this also can cause problems such as calcium depletion.

Fats. Essential Fatty Acids make hormones, transport cholesterol, help reduce inflamation, keep skin healthy, and reduce PMS.
Sources include butter, vegetable oils, milk products, meats, nuts, and seeds.
Saturated fats found in meat and dairy products should be kept to a minimum.
Unsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and fish, otherwise known as omega 3-6-9, are essential for brain, nervous, immune, cardiovascular, and integumentary (skin) systems development. Good sources are flaxseed oil, pumpkin seeds, evening primrose oil, and fish oils.

Carbohydrates. The body's basic fuel source.
Sources include whole grains, sugar, syrup, honey, fruits, and vegetables.
Stay away from refined flours and sugars, these are nutrient void and spike your blood-sugar causing a crash.
Fiber is also an important part of carbohydrate intake.

Micronutrients and Phytochemicals. Vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals (bioflavonoids, carotenoids, antioxidants, and phytoestrogens). Enough fruit and veggies in the diet should ensure you are getting enough of these vital substances. You cannot get too much of these.
Fiber. Less bowel problems, reduced risk of colon and breast cancer, less chance of gall stone formation, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Another reason to add plentiful fruits and veggies to your daily diet plan.
Sources. Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Too much wheat fiber in your diet can rob your body of estrogen, and block the uptake of essential nutrients.
Remember that the bowels get rid of old hormones.

Water. Second to oxygen, water is the most important nutrient in the body. It makes up 70% of the adult body, 85% of blood, 73% of muscle, 25% of fat, and 22% of bone. It is essential for the proper functioning of every body system, absolutely everything from walking to cellular production. Diuretics such as alcohol, coffee, and tea, raise the already large amount of 1.5 litres that we lose of water each day from sweating, breathing, and urinating.
Most people are dehydrated. The implications of this span every process of the body. Dehydration increases the production of choloesterol, which surrounds cells to seal in and conserve water. This traps toxins inside the cells, and inhibits nutrients from entering the cells. The ovaries and testes are of the first organs to have the water cut off from them when stores get low in the body.
Increase your intake gradually up to 2 litres per day. Drink filtered water perferably not from plastic bottles.

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Diet and Hormones for Fertility & IVF

Eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy body weight will optimize your chances of conception by supporting your body and its hormonal functioning.

Your nutrient levels and how well your digestion is functioning is a huge determinant of hormonal balancing in your body. Essential Fatty Acids and nutrients such as vitamin A, B6, zinc, magnesium, and antioxidants are key factors to hormonal balance and therefore fertility.

The body has to expend valuable energy (that could be used within reproductive processes) when it is saturated with junk food and all the liver stressing elements that come with it. The body then works to detoxify, not reproduce.

Enough fiber and optimal liver function are important because once hormones have completed their function, they are processed by the liver and put back into the digestive tract to be eliminated. A Liver Detox before beginning any fertility programs is usually a good idea.

Food sensitivities are also important to be determined, they effect digestion and will ultimately decrease your absorption of vital nutrients, and therefore compromise your hormone balance. Most people already know if they are allergic to things such as peanuts and shellfish, but other commonly eaten foods such as dairy and wheat products cause problems without people knowing. Eliminate or at least limit greatly your comsumption of milk, cheese, cream, sour cream, bread, pastas, and flour. After a couple of weeks, once the cravings for these items is waning, reassess how you are feeling, your energy levels, headaches, libido, bowel habits, etc.. If you feel a lot better than usual, it is almost certain that you are sensitive to these foods.

It is also recommended strongly, if you are a meat eater, to make the switch to organic. The growth hormones (i.e. testosterone) in commercial meats wreak havoc on your hormonal balance.

Nutrients and Supplements for Fertility & IVF

Modern farming practices, your diet, and your lifestyle, may require that you supplement with certain nutrients to optimize fertility.

Consult someone who understands, or can test for deficiencies, so a tailored program can be set out for you.

Amino Acids
The building blocks of life. Necessary for egg and sperm production. Some healthcare practitioners will prescribe amino acids such as l-arginine to enhance fertility.
Sources: protein foods such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy, lentils, peas, beans, nuts, brown rice, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and quinoa.

Vitamin A
Essential for the production of female sex hormones. It has antioxidant qualities which protects cells against damage from free radicals in the body. It also is important for the developing embryo.
Retinol (the version of vitamin A found in liver) has been linked to fetal abnormalities.
Sources: eggs, yellow fruits and vegetables, whole milk and milk products, dark green leafy veggies, and fish oils.
Dosage: RDA 2565 IU for pregnant women.

Beta Carotene is a pigment in plants that is converted into vitamin A. The corpus luteum is very high in beta carotene, so it may be cardinal in the regulation of the reproductive cycle hormones.
Sources: peas, broccoli, carrots, spinach, and sweet potatoes.

Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
Needed for ovulation and implantation.
Sources: molasses, brewer's yeast, whole grains, nuts, brown rice, organ and other meats, egg yolks, fish, poultry, legumes, and seeds.
Dosage: RNI 0.8 mg per day (women)

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Deficiencies are linked to sterility, miscarriage, and low birth weight. The liver uses B2 to clear away old used hormones (estrogen and progesterone). If these are not excreted, the body thinks there is enough and less production happens, resulting in hormone deficiencies.
Sources: molasses, brewer's yeast, whole grains, nuts, brown rice, organ and other meats, egg yolks, fish, poultry, legumes, and seeds.
Dosage: RNI 1.1 mg per day (women)

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Important for fetal development.
Sources: molasses, brewer's yeast, whole grains, nuts, brown rice, organ and other meats, egg yolks, fish, poultry, legumes, seeds, wheat germ, salmon, sweet potatoes, broccoli, oranges, cashews, pecans, and strawberries.
Dosage: RNI 3-7 mg per day (adults)

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
Together with zinc, B6 is essential for the formation of female sex hormones and the proper functioning of estrogen and progesterone. A deficiency causes the ovaries to shut down production of progesterone which leads to estrogen dominance. B6 is used to treat luteal phase defects because of it encourages the production of progesterone. It also has shown to improve fertility rates if taken over a 6 month period.
Sources: molasses, brewer's yeast, whole grains, nuts, brown rice, organ and other meats, egg yolks, fish, poultry, legumes, seeds, and green leafy veggies.
Dosage: RNI 1.2 mg per day, but up to 50 mg may be used per day.
Note: Zinc is needed for its absorption.

Vitamin B12
Folate and B12 are needed for the synthesis of DNA and RNA. These make up the blueprint for the genetic code of the entire body.
Sources: lamb, sardines, salmon, fermented foods that contain bacteria. Calcium aids in its absorption.
Dosage: RNI from 1.5 to 50 mcg per day.

Folate (folic acid)
This should be taken for at least 3 months before conception, and 2 months after. It reduces the risk of neural-tube damage (brain and spinal cord) in the developing embryo. Vitamin C aids in absorption. The contraceptive pill depletes stores of folate.
Sources: dark green leafy veggies, broccoli, organ meats, brewer's yeast, root vegetables, whole grains, oysters, salmon, milk, legumes, asparagus, oatmeal, dried figs, and avacados.
Dosage: RNI 200 mcg per day (women)

Vitamin C
An antioxidant that prevents damage from free radicals. Too high a dose (over 1000 mg per day) may dry cervical mucus.
Sources: citrus fruits, rosehips, cherries, sprouted alfalfa seeds, cantaloupe, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes, sweet peppers, black currants, mangos, grapes, kiwi fruit, pineapples, asparagus, peas, potatoes, parsely, watercress, and spinach.
Dosage: 500 mg per day.

Vitamin E
Deficiency may cause miscarriage. Taken with vitamin C may improve ovulation. Taken with vitamin C and selenium creates a healthy endometrium. Vitamin E has anticoagulant properties, so caution if taking blood thinners.
Sources: cold pressed oils, wheat germ, organ meats, molasses, eggs, sweet potatoes, leafy veggies, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and avacados.
Dosage: 400 IU per day

Iron
Iron helps prevent miscarriage. Tea, coffee, and tobacco all inhibit the absorption of iron.
Sources: organ meats, lean meat, eggs, fish, poultry, molasses, cherries, dried fruits, prunes, green leafy veggies, kelp, spinach, parsley, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, broccoli, oatmeal, sardines, and nuts.
Dosage: 20 mg per day (only take if you have tested positive for deficiency)

Magnesium
We need B1 and magnesium for energy production. Take with selenium, calcium, vitamin B6, and D to aid in absorption. Take with protein foods. Alcohol, tea, coffee, and smoking inhibit absorption.
Sources: kelp, green leafy veggies, tofu, legumes, rye, buckwheat, millet, molasses, brown rice, bananas, dried figs, dried apricots, nuts, barley, seafood, and whole grains.
Dosage: up to 400 mg per day

Selenium
Deficiency may cause infertility and an increased risk of miscarriage.
Sources: tuna, herring, brewer's yeast, wheat germ and bran, whole grains, and sesame seeds.
Dosage: 200mcg per day

Manganese
Deficiency may lead to defecive ovulation, and inhibit the synthesis of sex hormones. Manganese competes with iron for absorption. It is advisable to take manganese supplements with protein foods and vitamin C.
Sources: whole grains, green leafy veggies, carrots, broccoli, ginger, legumes, nuts, pineapples, eggs, oats, and rye.
Dosage: RNI 1.4 mg per day

Zinc
Deficiencies of Zinc are quite common. Zinc is important for the cell division in the fetus, producing good quality eggs, and maintaining the menstrual cycle. Alcohol and the contraceptive pill deplete zinc in the body. Folic acid, tea, coffee, high fiber intake, and iron may inhibit absorption. Vitamin B6 and C may aid absorption.
Sources: lean meat, fish, seafood, chicken, eggs, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, rye, oats, whole grains, legumes, ginger, parsley, mushrooms, brewer's yeast, and wheat germ.
Dosage: RNI 7 mg per day (women), up to 30 mg may be recommended.

Coenzyme Q10
Important for energy production. Levels of CoQ10 are lower in a woman who has experienced a recent miscarriage. ICSI fertilization rates may rise when taking this supplement. It also improves blood flow. Dosage: talk to your healthcare professional.

Essential Fatty Acids
Very important to take when trying to concieve. EFA's act as hormone regulators. Omega-3 DHA and Omega-6 arachidonic acid are important structural elements of cell membranes, body tissue, and brain development in the fetus. Start taking EFA's at least 3 months before you try to get pregnant.
Sources: Omega-3; flaxseed, oily fish, walnuts, green leafy veggies, and tuna (not more than 150g/week).
Sources: Omega-6; seeds and their oils.
Dosage: 700-1000mg per day.
Note: be careful if you are currently taking blood thinning medication

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