18 Fertility Boosting Foods: The Best Diet For Getting Pregnant

Certain foods can help boost fertility and increase the chances of conception. Here are 18 fertility boosting foods that can help with getting pregnant.

فريق Promescent
Hands on, practical experience – this is our expertise
by فريق Promescent Last updated 12/11/2023
Fertility Support for Her

Fertility Support for Her

 
 
    |

     reviews

Just arrived in store
Arrow pointing right
بخاخ التأخير

بخاخ التأخير

 
 
    |

     reviews

Just arrived in store
Best Seller

best diet for getting pregnant

Science has yet to pinpoint some magic food or diet that boosts fertility. But, a nutritional approach to fertility has been shown to potentially increase the chances of getting pregnant.

The food you eat, stress levels, and lifestyle can impact fertility and your overall health.

Quick FAQs

Some foods that can help with increasing fertility include berries, beans and lentils, and avocados.

Along with eating the right diet, fertility can be naturally increased through being at a healthy weight, reducing stress, and limiting alcohol consumption.

It's best to avoid caffeine and sugary drinks when trying to get pregnant. Full fat dairy such as whole milk can help improve chances of conceiving.

By making simple changes to diet and exercise, women without serious conditions that cause infertility may conceive before seeking advanced treatments.

Let's look at 18 foods that increase fertility that happen to be yummy, too.

Fertility Boosting Foods

Here are some specific foods you can add to your diet that promote fertility and improve overall wellness.

Beans & Lentils

Eating pulses (beans, lentils, split peas) can come with various benefits, including maintaining a healthy hormonal balance.

  • high in fiber and protein
  • doesn't affect glucose levels
  • low in fat
  • folic acid
  • iron
  • vitamin B

Research shows that replacing animal protein with lentils and beans may reduce ovulatory infertility risk. For example, replace chicken or cheese on your salad with chickpeas.

If you buy your canned lentils or beans, check to ensure they're free of BPA (bisphenol A), which can negatively affect estrogen levels.

Berries

Blueberries and raspberries pack a punch with natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients that can boost fertility in women and men.

But that's not the only benefit. Berries are full of folate and Vitamin C that assist with fetal development down the road.

It's recommended that you add at least a cup of berries daily, especially if you're trying to lose weight to conceive.

Sunflower seeds

For men needing a fertility boost, sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E, which improves sperm count and mobility.

Sunflowers are high in folate and selenium, which increases fertility in men and women.

Roasted, unsalted sunflower kernels also have Omega-6 fatty acids and Omega-3 fatty acids that also help foster fertility.

Liver

While it might not be your first choice, liver is one of the most nutrient-rich foods on Earth. Beef liver is incredibly high in fertility-friendly nutrients such as fatty acids and folates.

Liver contains a lot of fat-soluble vitamins, including hard-to-get vitamin A, along with other much-needed nutrients, including:

  • Iron helps prevent miscarriage and anemia in mothers.
  • Vitamin B12 for proper formation of red blood cells and DNA.
  • Choline increases ovarian function.
  • Omega 3 ups the percentage of antral follicles.

If liver and onions aren't for you, try using them for meatloaf or shepherd's pie to mask the iron flavor.

Quinoa

Whole grains are essential when adding fertility foods to your diet and should make up at least 50% of your daily grains.

Quinoa is a gluten-free carb that is a sizable source of protein, folate, and zinc. And because it's high in fiber, it can address issues with constipation.

Substituting animal proteins with quinoa is an excellent way to add the recommended nutrients to your diet.

Avocados

Avocados are a good source of folate, which naturally increases fertility in women. Avocado is a fruit that contains high levels of Vitamin K that helps maintain hormonal balance.

Eating an avocado doesn't come without calories, but it's mostly made up of good monounsaturated fats. And it's got plenty of potassium to regulate blood pressure.

Tomatoes

Cooked tomatoes contain lycopene, which is a potent antioxidant that helps improve sperm quality and sperm count. As a result, pregnancy rates were increased as well.

Greek yogurt and cheese

Studies show that introducing a full-fat dairy to your fertility diet can boost fertility. It’s believed to be because these foods are associated with a higher content of estrogen and fat-soluble vitamins.

Don't fear if yogurt is not your thing. Whole milk or an ounce of cheese can give you the same advantages.

Mature cheeses such as parmesan and aged cheddar are high in polyamines, which helps with healthy reproductive function.

Asparagus

Fresh asparagus is a low-cal superfood that is full of nutrients and fertility-boosting qualities, such as 60% of your needed folate and vitamin K, vitamin C, and thiamin. Asparagus also contains glutathione which improves egg quality for women.

Canned asparagus tends to have loads of sodium, so stick to fresh stalks when choosing foods to help get pregnant.

Salmon

Men and women struggling to get pregnant can benefit from a fertility diet that includes salmon.

Wild-caught salmon is chock-full of fatty acids and omega-3s, which are shown to enhance the probability of conception in women, and decrease the likelihood of pregnancy loss.

It also enhances the sperm quality in men. It's recommended only to eat wild-caught salmon to avoid mercury.

Egg yolks

An egg yolk holds lots of nutrition. In particular, eggs from pasture-raised chickens contain three fatty acids, several fertility-helping vitamins, and more:

  • iron
  • calcium
  • zinc
  • vitamin B6
  • folate
  • vitamin B12
  • vitamin A
  • fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E
  • vitamin K2

Additionally, an egg yolk contains choline, which reduces the chances of birth defects.

Pineapple

Pineapples contain 46% of the required dose of vitamin C. Women with low levels of vitamin C can be at risk for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

Avoid over-consuming pineapple while pregnant or trying to get pregnant. It can cause increased uterine contractions.

Pomegranate

Because of the numerous seeds, many associate pomegranates with fertility. And while there's no research that verifies or denies it, a pomegranate does contain plenty of antioxidants that are proven to boost fertility in men and women.

For women, the antioxidants that pomegranate provides improve blood flow to the womb and stimulate the uterus. And for men, antioxidants help to increase sperm quality.

The pomegranate seeds also contain vitamin C, vitamin E, and folic acid, which makes them a great addition to your list of foods to help conceive.

Walnuts

Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are thought to support fertility.

In one small study, researchers studied two groups of men. One didn't eat tree nuts, while the other group ate 75 grams of walnuts a day.

When comparing groups before and after, the ones that ate walnuts saw an improvement in sperm vitality, movement, and shape. The control group saw no change at all.

A handful of walnuts also provides you with magnesium, which is essential in the production of progesterone and maintaining a good supply of blood to the womb.

Cinnamon

It's common for some women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) to take cinnamon when trying to conceive.

Additionally, cinnamon has been found to improve sperm function and sperm mobility in men.

Garlic

Garlic has heaps of allicin and selenium. Allicin is a compound that's proven to help protect sperm from being damaged.

The compound was also found to increase ovulation rate and improve embryo quality. It’s recommended to eat one or two cloves of garlic a day when trying to conceive.

Turmeric

Research is mixed when it comes to turmeric (curcumin). Turmeric has long been thought to be a superfood that provides an abundance of anti-inflammatory qualities.

However, one new study shows that it may reduce the growth of endometrial cells in the uterus lining, which is not helpful when struggling to conceive or for women with endometriosis.

Ginger

Ginger root was found to positively affect semen quality by improving its count, motility, and viability.

Ginger in your tea or food may also help to treat any inflammation that may negatively affect your reproductive system.

Takeaways

The fertility journey can feel overwhelming and out of your control. You can regain some power when it comes to choosing foods that are good for fertility.

Fruits like apples, berries, tomatoes, and pomegranate contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that promote fertility in women and men.

Beans, lentils, sunflowers, and walnuts are easy-to-add fertility foods that provide essential fiber and protein when trying to conceive.

Most fertility-friendly foods aren't animal products. But beef liver is one of the most nutrient-filled foods on the planet that may help.

Maybe you can't access certain foods, or you're just picky. Over-the-counter supplements like Fertility for Her are available to fill in nutritional gaps.

Always consult with medical professionals before starting a fertility diet or any supplement.

{}

The Promescent Team

Our team has over a decade of experience in the sexual wellness field and are experts in sexual dysfunctions, like premature ejaculation. We help couples and individuals better understand treatment options available for different types of sexual needs and educate the public on all things related to intimacy. All of our authored content is medically reviewed for accuracy and reliability.

Sources:

Absorption Pharmaceuticals LLC (Promescent) has strict informational citing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic or research institutions, medical associations, and medical experts. We attempt to use primary sources and refrain from using tertiary references and only citing trustworthy sources. Each article is reviewed, written, and updated by Medical Professionals or authoritative Experts in a specific, related field of practice. You can find out more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

  • Skoracka K, Ratajczak AE, Rychter AM, Dobrowolska A, Krela-Kaźmierczak I. Female Fertility and the Nutritional Approach: The Most Essential Aspects. Adv Nutr. 2021 Dec 1;12(6):2372-2386. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmab068. PMID: 34139003; PMCID: PMC8634384. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Walker MH, Tobler KJ. Female Infertility. [Updated 2022 Dec 19]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556033/. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Chavarro JE, Rich-Edwards JW, Rosner BA, Willett WC. Protein intake and ovulatory infertility. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Feb;198(2):210.e1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2007.06.057. PMID: 18226626; PMCID: PMC3066040. Accessed on Jul, 18, 2023.
  • Alesi S, Villani A, Mantzioris E, Takele WW, Cowan S, Moran LJ, Mousa A. Anti-Inflammatory Diets in Fertility: An Evidence Review. Nutrients. 2022 Sep 21;14(19):3914. doi: 10.3390/nu14193914. PMID: 36235567; PMCID: PMC9570802. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Salas-Huetos A, Bulló M, Salas-Salvadó J. Dietary patterns, foods and nutrients in male fertility parameters and fecundability: a systematic review of observational studies. Hum Reprod Update. 2017 Jul 1;23(4):371-389. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmx006. PMID: 28333357. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Nassan FL, Chiu YH, Vanegas JC, Gaskins AJ, Williams PL, Ford JB, Attaman J, Hauser R, Chavarro JE; EARTH Study Team. Intake of protein-rich foods in relation to outcomes of infertility treatment with assisted reproductive technologies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Nov 1;108(5):1104-1112. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy185. PMID: 30475972; PMCID: PMC6692709. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Guo Y, Zhang N, Zhang D, Ren Q, Ganz T, Liu S, Nemeth E. Iron homeostasis in pregnancy and spontaneous abortion. Am J Hematol. 2019 Feb;94(2):184-188. doi: 10.1002/ajh.25341. Epub 2018 Nov 26. PMID: 30394565; PMCID: PMC6687303. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Gaskins AJ, Chavarro JE. Diet and fertility: a review. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Apr;218(4):379-389. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2017.08.010. Epub 2017 Aug 24. PMID: 28844822; PMCID: PMC5826784. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Comerford KB, Ayoob KT, Murray RD, Atkinson SA. The Role of Avocados in Maternal Diets during the Periconceptional Period, Pregnancy, and Lactation. Nutrients. 2016 May 21;8(5):313. doi: 10.3390/nu8050313. PMID: 27213449; PMCID: PMC4882725. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Durairajanayagam D, Agarwal A, Ong C, Prashast P. Lycopene and male infertility. Asian J Androl. 2014 May-Jun;16(3):420-5. doi: 10.4103/1008-682X.126384. PMID: 24675655; PMCID: PMC4023371. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Skoracka K, Ratajczak AE, Rychter AM, Dobrowolska A, Krela-Kaźmierczak I. Female Fertility and the Nutritional Approach: The Most Essential Aspects. Adv Nutr. 2021 Dec 1;12(6):2372-2386. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmab068. PMID: 34139003; PMCID: PMC8634384. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Lefèvre PL, Palin MF, Murphy BD. Polyamines on the reproductive landscape. Endocr Rev. 2011 Oct;32(5):694-712. doi: 10.1210/er.2011-0012. Epub 2011 Jul 26. PMID: 21791568. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Adeoye O, Olawumi J, Opeyemi A, Christiania O. Review on the role of glutathione on oxidative stress and infertility. JBRA Assist Reprod. 2018 Mar 1;22(1):61-66. doi: 10.5935/1518-0557.20180003. PMID: 29266896; PMCID: PMC5844662. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Salas-Huetos A, Arvizu M, Mínguez-Alarcón L, Mitsunami M, Ribas-Maynou J, Yeste M, Ford JB, Souter I, Chavarro JE; EARTH Study Team. Women's and men's intake of omega-3 fatty acids and their food sources and assisted reproductive technology outcomes. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022 Aug;227(2):246.e1-246.e11. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.03.053. Epub 2022 Mar 30. PMID: 35364062; PMCID: PMC9308672. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Baldewsingh GK, Wickliffe JK, van Eer ED, Shankar A, Hindori-Mohangoo AD, Harville EW, Covert HH, Shi L, Lichtveld MY, Zijlmans WCWR. Prenatal Mercury Exposure in Pregnant Women from Suriname's Interior and Its Effects on Birth Outcomes. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jun 5;17(11):4032. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17114032. PMID: 32517037; PMCID: PMC7312160. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Lutter CK, Iannotti LL, Stewart CP. The potential of a simple egg to improve maternal and child nutrition. Matern Child Nutr. 2018 Oct;14 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):e12678. doi: 10.1111/mcn.12678. PMID: 30332538; PMCID: PMC6865885. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Wang H, Ruan X, Li Y, Cheng J, Mueck AO. Oxidative stress indicators in Chinese women with PCOS and correlation with features of metabolic syndrome and dependency on lipid patterns. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2019 Nov;300(5):1413-1421. doi: 10.1007/s00404-019-05305-7. Epub 2019 Sep 23. PMID: 31549221. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Fedder MD, Jakobsen HB, Giversen I, Christensen LP, Parner ET, Fedder J. An extract of pomegranate fruit and galangal rhizome increases the numbers of motile sperm: a prospective, randomised, controlled, double-blinded trial. PLoS One. 2014 Oct 2;9(9):e108532. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108532. PMID: 25275520; PMCID: PMC4190413. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Smits RM, Mackenzie-Proctor R, Fleischer K, Showell MG. Antioxidants in fertility: impact on male and female reproductive outcomes. Fertil Steril. 2018 Sep;110(4):578-580. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.05.028. PMID: 30196940. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Robbins WA, Xun L, FitzGerald LZ, Esguerra S, Henning SM, Carpenter CL. Walnuts improve semen quality in men consuming a Western-style diet: randomized control dietary intervention trial. Biol Reprod. 2012 Oct 25;87(4):101. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.112.101634. PMID: 22895856. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Spence LA, Henschel B, Li R, Tekwe CD, Thiagarajah K. Adding Walnuts to the Usual Diet Can Improve Diet Quality in the United States: Diet Modeling Study Based on NHANES 2015-2018. Nutrients. 2023 Jan 4;15(2):258. doi: 10.3390/nu15020258. PMID: 36678128; PMCID: PMC9865599. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Khaki A, Khaki AA, Hajhosseini L, Golzar FS, Ainehchi N. The anti-oxidant effects of ginger and cinnamon on spermatogenesis dys-function of diabetes rats. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2014 Jun 4;11(4):1-8. doi: 10.4314/ajtcam.v11i4.1. PMID: 25392573; PMCID: PMC4202389. Accessed on Jul, 18, 2023.
  • Hammami I, El May MV. Impact of garlic feeding (Allium sativum) on male fertility. Andrologia. 2013 Aug;45(4):217-24. doi: 10.1111/and.12009. Epub 2012 Sep 3. PMID: 22943423. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • El-Ratel IT, Abdel-Khalek AE, Gabr SA, Hammad ME, El-Morsy HI. Influence of allicin administration on reproductive efficiency, immunity and lipid peroxidation of rabbit does under high ambient temperature. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2020 Mar;104(2):539-548. doi: 10.1111/jpn.13316. Epub 2020 Jan 27. PMID: 31989705. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • O'Connell AA, Abdalla TE, Radulovich AA, Best JC, Wood EG. Curcumin Supplementation and Endometrial Lining: Examining the Role and Pathophysiology of Use During Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer. Cureus. 2021 Dec 14;13(12):e20415. doi: 10.7759/cureus.20415. PMID: 35036231; PMCID: PMC8754353. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Gholami-Ahangaran M, Karimi-Dehkordi M, Akbari Javar A, Haj Salehi M, Ostadpoor M. A systematic review on the effect of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) on improvement of biological and fertility indices of sperm in laboratory animals, poultry and humans. Vet Med Sci. 2021 Sep;7(5):1959-1969. doi: 10.1002/vms3.538. Epub 2021 Jun 30. PMID: 34191404; PMCID: PMC8464296. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • "Does inflammation contribute to infertility? - Harvard Health Publishing." Health.harvard.edu, 2023, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/does-inflammation-contribute-to-infertility-202302102888. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
  • Skoracka K, Ratajczak AE, Rychter AM, Dobrowolska A, Krela-Kaźmierczak I. Female Fertility and the Nutritional Approach: The Most Essential Aspects. Adv Nutr. 2021 Dec 1;12(6):2372-2386. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmab068. PMID: 34139003; PMCID: PMC8634384. Accessed on Jul, 19, 2023.
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

مشاركة المقال: