How can I increase my fertility?
Fertility is a measure of an individual’s ability to conceive fertile offspring. With fertility declining with age and many people choosing to have children later in life due to reduced incomes and housing stability, fertility worries are on the rise. So how best can you increase your fertility?
What makes you fertile?
Fertility in a female is achieved by the release of a fertile egg at day 14 of her menstrual cycle in response to GnRH (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone) stimulating the release of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Testosterone, Progesterone and Oestrogen hormones (which triggers the egg to mature in the womb) and Luteinizing hormone or LH (which triggers the release of the egg at day 14 of her menstrual cycle). If this egg meets a fertile male sperm, it will go on to implant in the womb lining, which is maintained by Progesterone, which will develop into the placenta when the egg and sperm fuse to make a zygote. The zygote is a ball of dividing cells which become an embryo which grows into a child. Oestrogen and Progesterone is needed throughout the pregnancy to maintain the pregnancy. Infertility is therefore associated with changes to womb structure. This can be due to follicle tube blockages, cysts in the ovaries with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, PCOS, growths such as fibroids or tumours or endometriosis, where the parts of the shedding womb lining grow in the wrong place. It can also be due to increased age (as increased age decreases fertility), genetics, weight (being over and under weight affects hormones) and hormone levels.
Fertility in a male is achieved by the release of a fertile sperm from the Testes in response to GnRH stimulating the release of Testosterone, Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing hormone or LH. LH stimulates Testosterone, FSH stimulates sperm production. The sperm is stored in the scrotum until ejaculation in sexual reproduction. Infertility is associated with low sperm count due to hormonal disturbances from being under or overweight or having nutritional deficiencies which alter the Oestrogen to Testosterone balance in the male. It is also associated with too tight or hot underwear, smoking, stress and erectile dysfunction (often as a result of diabetes mellitus).
What helps increase fertility?
1) Diet
- A diet rich in dietary (50% absorption) folate (vitamin B9) and folic (85% absorption) acid (the supplement form of B9) may improve fertility. This is because B9 helps to make new cells and make DNA and RNA genetic information in a cell. Folate is found in green leafy veg (turnip greens, spinach, romaine lettuce, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli), seafood, whole grains, fresh fruit and beans, peanuts and fortified cereals.
- A diet rich in dietary Zinc has also been found in studies to improve Sperm quality. This is because it helps repair cells. Zinc deficiency has a direct impact on cell growth. It is found in garlic, green beans, eggs, sweet potato, beef, kale, potato and asparagus.
- A diet rich in omega 3 was found in 2018 Cochrane reviews to improve female fertility. Oily fish (tuna, salmon, mackerel, kippers and sardines), linseed and flaxseeds and walnuts are excellent sources of omega 3.
- Soya products such as edamame (soya) beans, soya sauce, miso, natto, tempeh have also been found to include phytoestrogens which boost Oestrogen production, something important in premenopausal women. These improve fertility in females but worsen fertility in males. These are also found in almonds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, pistachio, walnuts, lentils, oats, chickpeas, rice and fruits such as apples, cherries, strawberries and vegetables such as fennel, garlic, carrots and onions.
2) Reduce stress
- All key fertility hormones Oestrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone and the key stress hormone Cortisol, are made of Cholesterol, via DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone). In the presence of too much stress, the body prioritises the production of Cortisol (to defend from the perceived stressor threat) over the production of fertility hormones. The Cortisol “steals” away the Cholesterol, leading to hormone imbalances and reduced fertility. If you reduce your stress, you improve your hormone balance. Anxiety is a very large cause of infertility as it increases Cortisol and so worrying about infertility worsens your fertility. Only 20% of sexual encounters lead to successful pregnancies and so relaxation helps to improve your chances.
3) Stop smoking, drugs and reduce drinking
- Smoking and alcohol toxins compromise the body’s ability to store glucose and fats efficiently and to detoxify other toxins and pro-inflammatory agents. This is because the liver stores glucose and is responsible for breaking down toxins. In the presence of drugs including alcohol, the liver prioritises the removal of these chemical toxins over other processes. This can lead to too much glucose in the blood, Insulin resistance and type two diabetes which affects fertility hormone production. It can also lead to inflammation in the digestive, respiratory, reproductive and endocrine systems, which can interfere with the transport and synthesis of key fertility hormones and compromise overall metabolic and physical health status and make a person more susceptible to disease.
4) Get more sleep
- Sleep is essential for immunity (our body's defence against disease). When unwell our body focuses on fighting disease and downregulates all other non-essential processes, including our reproductive system (which is why you don’t feel like sex when unwell). This can lead to fertility problems. Sleep also helps improve stress resilience by improving emotional processing and memory reconsolidation and therefore helps reduce the Cortisol steal of cholesterol that impacts key sex hormone synthesis (production).
References
1) Salas-Huetos, A., James, E.R., Aston, K.I., Jenkins, T.G. and Carrell, D.T., 2019. Diet and sperm quality: Nutrients, foods and dietary patterns. Reproductive biology, 19(3), pp.219–224.
2) Gaskins, A.J. and Chavarro, J.E., 2018. Diet and fertility: a review. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 218(4), pp.379–389.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002937817309456
3) Panth, N., Gavarkovs, A., Tamez, M. and Mattei, J., 2018. The influence of diet on fertility and the implications for public health nutrition in the United States. Frontiers in public health, 6, p.211.
4) D’Adamo, C.R. and Sahin, A., 2014. Soy foods and supplementation: a review of commonly perceived health benefits and risks. Altern Ther Health Med, 20(Suppl 1), pp.39–51.