5-a-day for Fertility
Fruit and veg are an important part of optimising health for fertility both for men and women. But it isn’t always easy to increase your fruit and veg intake, so here is why it is important, and some tip tips.
Fruit and veg contain a vital vitamins and minerals, here are just a few:
Vitamin A is important in optimising health for fertility: having good Vitamin A levels at time of conception is essential to support foetal development, especially of the eyes and brain. However, having too much Vitamin A can be a concern in pregnancy, this is known as vitamin A toxicity. There are two main types of vitamin A, retinol and carotene, the former of which is more likely to lead to toxicity, the latter less likely. Vitamin A in the form of carotene can be found in carrots, sweet potatoes and cantaloupe melon.
Vitamin B6, though less studied than other types of vitamin B, has been found in some research to be associated with better conception rate, reduced pregnancy sickness and prevention of preterm birth. Vitamin B6 is found in many different foods, but some fruit and veg sources are, bananas, kale and figs.
Vitamin B9, also known as Folate, is found in dark green leafy vegetables, like spinach, kale, cabbage and sprouts. Folate is especially important for women in the preconception stage as it is needed for uterine endometrial thickening (to support implantation), and then during the first trimester for foetal brain development.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which has been found to have protective effects on sperm and egg DNA (preventing damage from free radicals). Vitamin C is found in high quantities in citrus fruits, berries, and green veg like broccoli.
Vitamin E, much like vitamin C, has antioxidant properties and so is helpful in maintaining good sperma dn egg quality. Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin (unlike vitamin C which is water soluble), and it is found in avocados, butternut squash and red peppers.
Selenium is a mineral that plays a vital role in sperm production as it is needed to make the protective case around the sperm’s ‘engine’ - which is essential for them to swim well! Most fruit and veg contain only very small amounts of selenium, but even small contributions are beneficial nonetheless. Selenium can be found in mushrooms, lentils and spinach.
Zinc, as discussed in the ‘Zinc & Sperm’ blog, is also important in fertility, especially for males. Generally the best sources are not fruits and vegetables, however some zinc can be found in asparagus, potatoes and green beans.
So now you know ‘what’ and ‘why’, lets talk about ‘how’!
If you’re not a huge fan on eating vegetables, or youre not used to snackinig on fruit, increasing your intake can seem like a big task. But it is doable, if you break it down and make it work for you. Our top 3 tips are:
Eat the rainbow: try to include different colours of vegetables or fruit - getting your greens in is great, but it is even better to include squashes, tomatoes, citrus, berries and all the different colours. This also keeps it more interesting, and keeps your tastebuds on their toes!
Make it tasty: boiled peas are brilliant, but do get boring. Why not try adding berries to your porridge, pomegranate seeds to your salads, sweet potatoes to your curries, or roasting your broccoli with sundried tomatoes and garlic… shake it up!
Keep it convenient: cooking veg doesn't need to be laborious, and if you're low on time, the supermarket has got your back! Don’t be afraid to buy frozen veg, tinned veg, or even pre-chopped chilled veg (like the straight to wok stir fry packs).
So now you know why, what and how… so it’s time to get counting your 5-a-day!
References:
doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000179.pub3
doi: 10.1093/aje/kwm078