Food for fertile thoughts

A heartbreak, a tub of Ben & Jerry’s and too many episodes of Friends…

A stressful thesis deadline met with caffeine and M&Ms…

A first date with nervous chatter and dinner left untouched…

A happy sunny day and a bunch of friends, complete with an ice cream (or a pina colada)...

If any of these scenarios sound familiar, you – like most of us – have probably experienced a time where your mood affects your food choices. We are pretty aware that we have foods we associate with our emotions, whether it is comfort eating, stress suppressed appetites, or celebratory food abundance. And now more evidence is pointing to this being a bi-directional relationship. So just how much does our fuel choice affect our emotional state? 

It seems simple to point out, but a lack of sufficient macro- or micronutrients in the diet can have a significant impact on our mood and cognitive function. Our brains, which account for up ~20% of our daily energy requirements, need a steady supply glucose, which is abundant in the blood with adequate consumption of carbohydrates. True, the brain could alternatively be fuelled by ketones, though for the most part, it is recognised that lack of concentration and fatigue is commonplace when carbohydrate consumption is low.

Similarly, a lack of certain vitamins and minerals can lead to feeling irritable, lethargic or low. So food, and adequate nourishment, does certainly impact our mood. Commonly, iron and B vitamins (especially folate) and selenium are to blame here, and it is important maintain good dietary sources of these:

Iron: red meat, fish, pulses, fortified cereals.

B-Vits: animal proteins, green veg, marmite, fortified wholegrain cereals 

Selenium: brazil nuts, meat, fish, seeds + wholemeal products. 

The Gut-Brain Axis - 

Gaining more attention recently is the role of the Gut-Brain Axis: how our digestive tract microbiome impacts our mood and brain function. The typical digestive tract is home to an array of microbes with diverse functionality, including breakdown of complex molecules, producing or activating vitamins and minerals, and hormone production.

Though every individual has a different balance of microbes in their gut, generally types and quantities are relatively similar as a species. However, there are recognised patterns of unbalanced bacteria in certain conditions such as Autism. Studies in animals have shown general poor microbiota colonisation links to change in neurotransmitter expression (brain chemicals), and that adding or changing probiotics can influence anxiety. To keep the gut microbiome flourishing, it is important to keep up our intake of prebiotic foods (which fuel the good bacteria), like onions, garlic, artichokes and asparagus. If the microbiome is already out of balance, it can be worth considering probiotic foods or supplements – this means they contain live cultures of useful strains of microbes. These useful little microbes can be found in dairy foods such as yoghurt or kefir, and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, tempeh and miso. 

But what does this have to do with fertility? 

There are many many factors that  affect our fertility, and it is  well recognised that stress is one of them.  So if eating well could be good for your mood, and in turn reduce your stress levels, which could improve your fertility… is it worth a try?

References
DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2019.1584181
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m2382
DOI: 10.1007/BF02247139.
DOI: 10.1038/nrn2421