Add these fertility-boosting foods to your diet for a healthy pregnancy

Pandemic or not, everyone must focus on a healthier diet for a happier long life. And especially women if they are trying to conceive. Fertility has a lot to do with meal patterns. Having the right kind of nutrition-packed foods can boost your reproductive health. This International Women’s Day, we look at 8 fertility-boosting foods to include in your diet that could open doors for a healthy pregnancy.

Trust these fertility-boosting foods if you’re planning to conceive

Dairy

Pasteurised full-fat dairy products like milk, heavy cheese, et cetera work wonders for people planning a pregnancy. This is because saturated fat is good for conception. According to a study, the ones who include full-fat lactic based products in their meals undergo lesser ovulation problems. Also, these dairy products are rich in other nutrients like vitamins A, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin K, and vitamin K2.

Ways to eat

Include full-fat cream milk in your regular diet. Also, you can replace low-fat yoghurt with a full-fat one. However, if you’re planning to have ice cream regularly, just stick to including it twice per week.

Tomatoes

When we talk about conceiving, needless to say, a man’s reproductive health is an equal point of concern. As per the research published in Asian Journal of Andrology’s article Lycopene and male infertility, a nutrient called lycopene works great in boosting male fertility. It is a power-packed antioxidant that is found in tomatoes which improve semen health.

Ways to eat

Although tomatoes in every form contain lycopene, cooked tomatoes double the quantity of this nutrient. Therefore, if you are looking for a healthy way to conceive have your tomatoes cooked. You can have them in recipes or in form of soup and sauces as well.

Citrus fruits

Citrus fruits are one of the best fertility-boosting foods one can have, especially, oranges and grapefruits which contain polyamine putrescine. This compound helps in improving the sperm quality in males and egg’s potential to conceive in females.

Ways to eat

Fruits are considered best when had fresh, and in this case, you can slice them and have them as salads. Or you can even churn them into a smoothie, which can go with your main course.

Beans and legumes

Lentils, legumes and beans are stuffed with fibre that works miraculously in treating hormonal imbalance.  Apart from this, they contain polyamine spermidine that helps in fertilising the egg. Also, these products are considered better sources of protein than animal meat.

Ways to eat

Include lentils, legumes or beans in your regular diet. Dal and other such recipes are common in Indian households. If not as the main course, try having beans as sides in form of salads.

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Egg yolks

Egg yolks are extremely rich in fertility-boosting. Omega-3 fatty acids help enhance your reproductive health. Eggs are a powerhouse of nutrition that contain calcium, vitamins, folate, and more which are important if you are planning to conceive. And to top it all, eggs are a good source of choline, which helps reduce the chances of birth complications.

Ways to eat

Egg yolks contain nutrients that are extremely helpful for conception. Therefore, have your eggs boiled, scrambled, poached or fried but do have them with the yolk.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is one of the must-have foods if you’re facing complications due to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). According to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, cinnamon can help regularise the menstrual cycle in women suffering from PCOS, which is a common female infertility issue. Cinnamon boosts your fertility chances and helps in maintaining your hormonal balance.

Ways to eat

One can include it in recipes or can add it to their morning breakfast oatmeals. You can even consume cinnamon in your tea or coffee.

Sunflower seeds

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Sunflower seeds, especially the roasted and unsalted ones, are known to increase semen quality in men. Also, sunflower seeds are stuffed with folate and selenium that help female fertility as well as male fertility. These seeds even contain omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids.

Ways to eat

The way to incorporate sunflower seeds in your meals is by using them as dressing on your salad. You can even add a spoonful of them to a smoothie or yoghurt.

Walnuts

Walnuts are stuffed with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that enhance fertility. These nuts are known to increase semen quality in terms of movement and quantity. Walnuts even help in decreasing sperm abnormalities.

Ways to eat

Walnuts can be added to multiple cuisines. You can have them raw when in mood to munch on something. Meanwhile, other recipes like walnut oatmeals, walnut cakes, and more can also be good options.

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