Should We Be Cutting The Carbs To Boost Fertility?
Recent research from the British Fertility Society has found that a low-carb diet, where women eat just one portion of carbohydrates a day, almost doubles your chance of becoming pregnant. But with thousands of women struggling to get pregnant everyday, could the answer to our fertility problems really be down to something as simple as cutting the carbs?
To clear up any confusion, I asked Dr. Marilyn Glenville, one of the UK’s leading Nutritionists and author of Getting Pregnant Faster to reveal what foods we should be eating and avoiding when trying to conceive.
What To Eat….
Wholegrains
“For optimum fertility you should eat plenty of unrefined complex carbohydrates. This means choosing whole-grain bread, brown rice and wholegrain cereals instead of refined white versions, and at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Whole grains are packed with fertility-boosting nutrients, such as, zinc, selenium and many B vitamins.”
Healthy Fats
“Essential fats found in oily fish, nuts and seeds have a profound effect on every system of the body, specifically they have are important for regulating reproductive hormones.”
Vitamin E
“Vitamin E is another powerful antioxidant and has been shown to increase fertility. If a woman over the age of 35 is told that her fertility problems are caused by her age, then it is likely that she could benefit from taking both vitamins E and C. These antioxidants have been shown to significantly reduce age-related ovulation decline.”
Vitamin E can be found in spinach, avocados, sunflower seeds and sweet potatoes.
“In the clinic I use a supplement which contains the most important nutrients for fertility called Fertility Support for Women and is available from www.naturalhealthpractice.com’’
What To Avoid…..
Marilyn advises, “Avoid additives, preservatives and chemicals, such as artificial sweeteners. Make sure to avoid sugar both on it’s own and hidden in food. Most importantly Avoid the three main fertility busters: caffeine, alcohol and smoking as they have all been linked to an increased risk of infertility in men and women.
