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Top 5 Nutrients for Fertility and their Food Sources

Top 5 Nutrients for Fertility and their Food Sources
  • Health advice
  • Jan 17, 2017
Today we tend to focus on quick fixes and quick results and fertility is no different. So many women and couples are in a such a rush to conceive that they forget the most important aspect of the journey - proper preparation. Preparing for conception can increase your chances of conceiving and improve the health of your unborn child. So it is a vital step in the journey to pregnancy.

Providing adequate nutrition for Fertility

An important aspect of preparation is ensuring your diet provides adequate nutrition for conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy. It is easy to forget the importance of this step in this age of nutritional supplements and fortified foods. The importance of pre-conception nutrition is one of the cornerstones of a healthy pregnancy and baby. Here are the top nutrients required to enhance fertility and how to get them from food sources.
  1. Vitamin B6: involved in a healthy immune system, production of red blood cells, production of neurotransmitters and healthy nervous system, essential for proper cell division and multiplication processes such as ovarian development and conception. Food sources include: sunflower seeds, chickpeas, walnuts, wheat germ, bananas, kale, beef, sweet potatoes, chicken, fish and brown rice
  2. Zinc: an essential component of genetic material, helps produce DNA, required for hormone production, boosts immune system, balances blood sugar levels which assist in balancing hormones, involved in production of hydrochloric acid needed for digestion, helps body utilise oestrogen and progesterone. Food sources include: beef, eggs, whole grains, whole fat organic dairy, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, molasses, cashews, almonds, oysters, chickpeas.
  3. Vitamin C: can increase progesterone levels for women, can provide healthier sperm in men, sperm are more motile and have greater numbers along with normal morphology, in women can assist in normalising the luteal phase. Food sources (best sources are brightly coloured): papaya, cauliflower, kiwifruit, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, broccoli, capsicum, brussels sprout, kale and red cabbage
  4. Selenium: has been found to be a critical element in the healthy maturation of ovarian follicles. Its antioxidant actions have been found to protect follicles from oxidative damage producing follicles which are more capable of sustaining pregnancy. Selenoproteins found in the ovaries are significantly higher in eggs which yielded a pregnancy. Food sources include: brazil nuts, grass fed beef, chicken, oysters, tuna, sunflower seeds, pork, shiitake mushrooms, eggs, cabbage, garlic, spinach and flaxseeds. This nutrient is often deficient in modern diets
  5. Folic Acid: essential for preventing spina bifida, involved in red blood cell production, proper DNA formation, required for proper cell division and is essential for adequate blood supply during pregnancy. Foods sources include: leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, brown rice, lentils, spinach, asparagus, cos lettuce, avocado, broccoli.
Include these foods regularly and you will be getting natural vitamins which your body instantly recognises and can use. They will improve your health and the physiological processes essential for healthy ovarian development, conception and pregnancy. The above nutrients are by no means all you need to ensure healthy conception and pregnancy. The focus needs to be on consuming a wide and varied diet to ensure you are receiving all the nutrients required to conceive alongside a high quality pre-conception multivitamin.       This article is Part Three of Chloe Okorn’s series on The Fertility Diet. See Parts One and Two below: The Fertility Diet: Influence the health of your child before you conceive 8 Dietary Guidelines for The Fertility Diet

Naturopath Chloe Okorn

Naturopath Chloe Okorn has developed this series to educate people on the importance of diet prior to conception. It is wholly within your control as to what you eat and it can easily be changed without the need of supplements. She can assist you in developing a highly nutritious eating plan for fertility which targets essential nutrients required for conception.

Diet is the first step which needs to be addressed when preparing for pregnancy.

Chloe is passionate about pre conception care and has experience in preparing couples for this wonderful journey. If you are wishing to create the healthiest, happiest and brightest children possible don’t hesitate to book in for a consultation with Chloe.

Find out more about Chloe here

References: http://www.naturalfertilityandwellness.com/zinc-and-your-fertility/ http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/vitamin-b6.html http://www.naturalfertilityandwellness.com/vitamin-c-and-fertility/ https://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news74682.html

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