In the U.S. one in eight couples is infertile and many others struggle with optimal fertility. There are many options to enhance fertility. One essential option is to eat a high-quality diet and add specific foods that may enhance fertility. In addition to eating fertility-enhancing foods, it is also essential to eliminate toxifying and hormone disrupting foods such as those high in high fructose corn syrup, trans fatty acids, hormone-enhanced meat and dairy, farm-raised fish, and non-organic produce.

Enhancing Female Fertility:

Yams and Sweet Potatoes. Yams and sweet potatoes contain properties that enhance progesterone and progesterone making parts of the body. Eating one or more yams several days per week can potentially boost progesterone.

Organic Eggs. Egg yolks, specifically, are high in choline and inositol. Choline and inositol have the ability to improve female egg quality and improve egg reserve. These nutrients are also essential in fetal brain and neurological development.

Healthy Fats. A diet rich in omega fatty acids can improve fertility overall from egg quality to sustainable embryo uterine implantation. Foods rich in omega fatty acids are wild fish, avocado, olives, olive oil, and organic pasture-fed beef.

Green Vegetables. Organic dark green leafy vegetables are high in B vitamins and folate that improve hormonal regulation, egg quality, overall fertility, and fetal health and development. Eating a wide range of organic green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, and dark green leafy salad improves nutritional body status of these vitamins.

Enhancing Male Fertility:

Nuts and Seeds. Eating a variety of nuts and seeds increases selenium, zinc, and healthy fats essential for quality sperm production, specifically almonds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds (tahini in hummus) and ground flax seed are rich in zinc and selenium.

Healthy Fats and Quality Protein. Increasing foods high in both quality omega fatty acids and protein can increase the nutritional vitality of sperm. Pasture-fed beef, lamb, bison, and wild fish are high in quality fats and protein. Avocados are nutrient rich and full of health fat, as well.

Green Vegetables. Green vegetables rich in B vitamins and folate are also necessary for enhancing male fertility. Consuming green vegetables daily can enhance quality, production, and vitality of sperm.

The easiest way to enhance fertility with food choices and food quality is to prepare more meals at home, as it can be challenging to find the quality fertility-enhancing food in the prepared food and restaurant environment. Focusing on homemade meals is the best way to ensure quality and optimize nutritional content. However, one stand-out organic restaurant recently added menu options to enhance preconception health, fertility, and meals during pregnancy for women and men in Palm Desert. Luscious Lorraine’s Organic Cafe now offers a menu on which I collaborated with Chef Lorraine using the above-mentioned foods for all stages of baby making.

To enhance fertility, this type of diet is one essential part of preconception preparation.

Dr. Shannon Sinsheimer is state licensed naturopathic doctor with a focus on fertility, family wellness, and pre-conception health. She can be reached at Optimal Health Center (760) 568.2598.