Fertility Facts & Fiction Uncovered
Why do people seem to take longer to conceive, or have problems getting pregnant these days?
Stressful modern lifestyles, nutrient-depleted food and greater exposure to environmental pollutants are all taking their toll. Its also more common for couples to wait until the are older before they start trying for a baby, and by the mid 30s, the body has been exposed to more harmful toxins and is often more deficient in essential nutrients.
Are there any alternatives to IVF?
IVF is expensive, stressful, carries a greater risk of miscarriage and birth defects and therefore should only be used once other options have lifestyle and dietary changes have been made. We have been designed to reproduce if its not happening naturally, then there has to be a good reason. Many couples are told that they have unexplained in fertilty, yet it is clear that a complex web of problems can often be resolved, restoring fertility naturally. Sadly, the medical professional is not set up to deal with each person as an individual and currently offers a very limited range of one-size-fits-all fertility treatments. Ideally, the nutritional approach will become more mainstream so that everyone can benefit. After all, while the current UK national average success rate for IVF is around 22%, the nutritional approach pioneered by charities such as Foresight achieves a 78% success rate. And its a lot cheaper!
So what should a good preconceptual diet consist of?
A fresh variety of food that are rich in nutrients and ideally, low in pesticides, ie organic or home grown where possible. So eating at least five portions of different fruit and vegetables, choosing whole-grains over refined foods (ie oats instead of Sugar Puffs for breakfast, rye bread and brown rice instead of white varieties), and having a regular intake of lean protein (eg fish, free range eggs, tofu and meat), plus oily fish, nuts and seeds to boost essential fats. Caffeine and alcohol also need to be eliminated as both can impair fertility.
And eating well should of course help the baby’s development after conception. How does diet affect pregnancy outcome?
There is so much research that demonstrates how a healthy, nutrient-rich diet can help to support healthy reproduction. This means a mother who is less likely to suffer with pre-eclampsia or other pregnancy complications and a baby who is born with a good birth weight (low birth weight babies are at greater risk of ill health and disease), a higher IQ and a better overall start in life. Professor David Barker from the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit has done some remarkable work that shows how a mothers diet affects not only the health of her baby when its born, but throughout its life, with poor maternal diet increasing the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes in adulthood.
When is it necessary to start making these changes?
For a woman, it takes about three months to mature an egg (although she has all her eggs in place at birth) and for a man, three to four months to make sperm. So, ideally, couples should both start to prepare their bodies for parenthood six months before they plan to start trying to conceive.
What impact does lifestyle has on fertility?
Stress plays a very important role in fertility - while many accept that smoking and alcohol are bad for you, stress is a far more prevalent anti-nutrient. By this we mean that it depletes vital nutrients and impairs the bodys ability to function as it should. This is probably why holidays are a common time for couples to conceive when you are relaxed, the body works better!
Attention focuses naturally on the woman in fertility issues, but the health of their partner should not be overlooked. What should men be doing to increase their hit rate?
There is a lot men can do, not only to increase their hit rate but also to ensure they are providing the best possible raw materials for their future offspring. One in 16 babies today is born with a birth defect and half of these are caused by defective sperm. So following the same nutrient-rich diet, boosting levels of essential vitamins and minerals via a good supplement and minimising toxins ie coffee, alcohol and cigarettes is sensible in the run-up to conception.
The three main recommendations for couples trying to conceive
- Eat a good variety of fresh food including a rainbow selection of
fruit and vegetables (so you get a good range of nutrients) and some
nuts, seeds and oily fish for essential fats. Also limit refined and
processed foods and eliminate caffeine and alcohol.
- Sadly, its impossible to get optimal levels of all the nutrients you
need from diet alone, so boost your intake via a quality daily multivitamin
and mineral supplement (with 400-600mcg of folic acid for women).
- Incorporate regular relaxation into your day do some yoga, meditate, go for a walk and laugh. Your body (and your future baby) will thank you for it.
