Question for Lori: Any tips on what to eat/not to eat to help w/fertility issues? Does being veg have a negative affect?
This is a question I hear quite often, as unfortunately many couples struggle with infertility. As long as you are eating a balanced diet comprised mainly of whole foods, being vegetarian or vegan will not have a negative effect. However, there are many nutritional deficiencies that may be present in a poor diet, regardless of whether you eat animal products or not, and these should be considered. First and foremost, be sure that you are eating a healthy diet that is rich in whole foods. The easiest way to guarantee that you are getting a wide variety of nutrients, vitamins and minerals is to make sure that your shopping cart is full of all the colors of the rainbow (in whole food form of course!).
One question that always seems to come up is the great soy debate. I have heard intelligent arguments on both sides, and have read studies both proving its safety, and refuting it. That said, and knowing that nutrition is a fledgeling science, I would advise to err on the side of caution, and to avoid soy when trying to conceive, and when pregnant. In some cultures, certain foods do have a reputation of having a contraceptive effect; one of these is the phytoestrogens in soy. It can affect both men and women. In Japan soy has a reputation of decreasing sex drive, and so Japanese women often feed their men soy when they want to take control of his urges! Some people feel that fermented soy in moderation is safe. Fermented soy products include tempeh, miso, natto, and shoyu. I will again state that since there is so much conflicting evidence, I would try to avoid soy altogether, but if you have a little here and there, preferably fermented, I wouldn't worry about it.
It is important to be conscious of the diet of the BOTH partners when trying to conceive. Men who eat a lot of processed meats, fast foods and junk foods have low sperm quality. A study conducted by researchers from Firat University in Turkey, and published in the journal Clinical Nutrition,was carried out on rats to test the effect of pomegranate on fertility in men (note: I do NOT support animal testing). The study compared rats fed plain water and rats fed pomegranate juice. The results showed the rats that drank the concentrated pomegranate juice had "increased spermatogenic cell density, epididymal sperm concentration, and sperm motility".
Additionally, in the past few years, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to infertility, as low vitamin D can disrupt normal ovulation. If you haven't done so, it would be advisable to have your vitamin D levels checked, also.
Raw nuts and seeds have been said to help with reproduction, and are somewhat aphrodisiacs. The famed raw foodie David Wolfe (aka "Avocado") swears by seeds to promote fertility. His simple, but understandable, theory is that nature give us hints as to what foods will do for us in our body. Thus, seeds make you fertile... and 'seedless' foods makes you 'seedless'. This doesn't mean that a food that inherently does not contain seeds will make you infertile. But if a food naturally has seeds in it (as do all fruits) you should avoid eating it in a 'seedless' form. Additionally, many seedless fruits have been grown this way through GMOS, and of course it always wise to avoid this, and choose organic whenever possible. Some theorize that infertility is rampant due to eating impotent and infertile food (seedless fruits). The thought process is, you are what you eat! So if you eat impotence and infertility, then you ARE impotent and infertile. So to keep it simple, eat ORGANIC and SEEDED fruits whenever possible.
One other thing I would recommend is that you and your partner be tested for a gluten intolerance or sensitivity. Gluten intolerance is typically thought of as a digestive disorder, but it can actually manifest itself in a myriad of ways. Basically, when a person with a gluten sensitivity ingests gluten, it begins to wear down portions of their small intestines. This is where the nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream, and then go on to become the building blocks of muscles, nerves, hormones, neurotransmitters, etc,. Depending what area of the small intestine is affected will determine what function of the body is affected. There really is no limit of what problems can manifest as a result of a gluten intolerance. I have heard so many 'miracle stories' that my motto is "When in doubt, cut gluten out". There is much more gluten in our food these days, since we eat so much more processed foods. This is a large part of the reason that 'gluten' has become the new buzz word, and more people than ever seem to be gluten intolerant. Aside from expensive testing, you can do a simple elimination diet yourself. I find this is really the most accurate method anyways, as lab tests can be wrong, and your body never lie. To test for a sensitivity or intolerance, you should cut out all gluten for at least 2 weeks, and monitor your symptoms. Then, add the gluten back in and see if you have a reaction to. For example, after cutting out gluten some people note clearer thinking, and then note a severe 'brain fog' that occurs after adding it back in at the end of the elimination. This may shine light on some exterior symptoms that point to deeper internal problems. The key to a successful and accurate elimination is to COMPLETELY eliminate gluten. This can be tedious, as it is present in so many food products. You can check HERE to see whether a food in question is gluten free.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the importance of relaxation and stress relief techniques. Stress can do surprisingly destructive things to our body, and it can certainly inhibit the reproductive processes. I know that it is easier said then done when someone says, "Hey, don't worry about getting pregnant.. just relax and it will happen". But I would encourage you to seek out stress reduction activities such as yoga or meditation, and also participate in positive visual activities and affirmations, if you are not doing so already. The mind has very, very powerful effects on the body, and if you can harness this power in a positive way, you can truly change your physiology.
Have a nutrition question for Lori? Email her at lori@thisdishisveg.com.
Lori Zito is a certified holistic health and nutrition coach, a yoga instructor, and a physical therapist. Learn more at her website, or follow Lori on Facebook and Twitter.
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