The Endometriosis and Fertility Clinic

"Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food"
Hippocrates (460 BC)

Female Infertility

The outlook for many experiencing fertility issues may feel bleak, especially if there are miscarriages or stillbirths present. It’s a time for reflection on lifestyles, relationships and experiences. Having an optimistic attitude and a healthy body are necessary to building a family. And, proper nutrition can enhance the chances of a successful natural pregnancy and can stimulate the reproductive when using reproductive technologies.

An ailing reproductive system may be lacking in certain vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids due to poor digestion or inadequate nutrient consumption. Essential nutrients aid the working of the endocrine glands responsible for fertility.

It Takes 12 Months to make a Baby

We think of a 9 month gestation as the “period” for baby production. But, both sperm and ova need to be healthy before any pregnancy can take place. Women are born with a supply of ova tightly packed into their ovaries; 400,000 at birth. The health of these eggs is dependant upon how healthy their own mother was during her pregnancy. If their mother smoked or drank excessively throughout the pregnancy, the development of the ova may have suffered and the fertility of the daughter may have been compromised.

Nurturing the Ovary

A diet of too many processed foods and not enough fruits and vegetables does not provide the necessary nutrients for fertility. In the UK 44% of people consume processed meals and never cook meals from fresh foods. Convenience foods are often low in vitamin B complex and essential minerals such as zinc, magnesium, selenium, and iodine. Fresh foods are always more nutritious. The endocrine glands, ovaries uterus, pituitary, thyroid and adrenals all require nutrients to function. The hypothalmic-pituitary-gonadal axis is very sensitive to V vitamin intake. This axis is a highway for all hormonal messages that pass from one gland to another. If the message is garbled, fertility may be shut down. Low intakes of B vitamins slow the maturing of the ova before ovulation.

Proteins and cold-pressed oils from nuts, seeds and oily fish are precursors to hormone and enzyme production. Eating a supply of proteins at each meal and good olive or walnut oil salad dressings may aid fertility. A low protein diet causes fewer ova to ripen or be released. The reproductive system requires all the B vitamins for the pituitary gland to work correctly, i.e. send normal messages. Other research suggest that vitamins C and E are essential, along with the minerals, iodine, selenium, zinc, magnesium and essential fatty acids. Most of these are available from a diet rich in lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, peas, beans, lentils and dairy foods.

Womb Needs

The womb produces many different prostaglandins and the rich endometrium lining nurtures the fertilized egg or ova after implantation. The placenta is built from this nutrient rich source. A healthy placenta will lead to a healthy baby as it gathers the maternal hormones and nutrients to feed the embryo via its blood stream. If the mother’s nutrition stores are inadequate then the baby will have poor nourishment and may not develop properly. Eating well for 3 months before conception will ensure that adequate nutrients are available to the developing baby.

Dietary Advice

In order to maximise the chances of conception and pregnancy a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, proteins, complex carbohydrates and natural fatty acids is essential. This is not difficult. It means eating the freshest, healthiest food you can afford for 3 months before conception and for the nine months of pregnancy. Fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, lean meat, oily fish, some dairy products and eggs are suggested. It’s actually like eating as your grandparents - fresh foods untainted with chemicals.

Other Recommendations:

• Drink one litre of fresh filtered water each day (8 glasses).
• Eat two servings of fresh, green leafy vegetables per day, two servings of red-orange vegetables, salad and two pieces of fresh fruit. (Avoiding citrus fruits as bowel irritation may occur. Berries are anti-inflammatory and diuretic.)
• Eat two to three servings of whole grain cereals such as rice, oats, rye, corn, millet, quinoa, unless you are grain/gluten intolerant.
• Eat 30gms of fibre foods each day including fruit, vegetables and whole grain cereals or nuts and seeds.
• Eat complex carbohydrate foods daily, such as, cereals, root vegetables or pulse vegetables (peas, beans and lentils). They supply slow-releasing sugars into the body to sustain energy levels.
• Consume one tablespoon of fresh, cold-pressed oils each day from sesame, walnut, sunflower, safflower or olives. Or, use one tablespoon of ground linseed with breakfast. Avoid trans-fats in manufactured foods.
• Eat 50-75gm of protein foods per day choosing from a variety of sources. This ensures a wide range of amino acids that are available in peas, beans, lentils, grains, nuts, seeds, tofu, eggs, dairy foods (from goat or sheet) and fresh fish or lean organic meats.