Superfoods for fertility
My Child: Autumn 2008

Whether you’re trying for first-time motherhood or going in for the next round, ensure your body is ripe for conception with the help of these 10 nutritional powerhouses.

Planning for pregnancy means taking a close look at what you eat – long before you get down to the fun part of actually making a baby. The key to optimising your fertility is having a well-balanced and varied diet, but there are a few nutrients you need to check up on to improve your chances of getting pregnant.

Hormonal balance is essential to conception and certain foods will affect this, as will alcohol, caffeine and toxins. For this reason, you should choose organic produce wherever possible, and eat plenty of fresh, raw vegetables.

Your nutritional state at the time of conception has far-reaching effects on both yours and the baby’s health, and can impact on your pregnancy. It can take months to build up suitable levels of zinc, iron and iodine should you be deficient, so you need to start thinking about your diet four or five months before trying for a baby.

Broccoli
It’s dark, green and leafy – and a great source of B-vitamin folic acid, which is essential to a healthy pregnancy. This vitamin has been proven to prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Broccoli alone won’t provide enough folic acid, so you will need a supplement, (women are advised to take 400mcg of folic acid for at least four months prior to pregnancy), but this, along with spinach, snow peas, beans, kale and zucchini, is full of antioxidants, so eat plenty to fight free radicals while topping up folic acid. ‘Ensure you eat lots of salads with dark, green leaves and fresh, chopped herbs,’ advises naturopath and director of Natural Fertility Management, Francesca Naish. Broccoli is also a good source of vitamin C, which is needed by the ovaries to mature the egg and ovulate.

Salmon
Abundant in essential fatty acids (EFAs), salmon is a great fish for fertility – provided it comes from a good source. EFAs, also known as omega-3s, are important for all body functions including hormone regulation. Omega- 3s are often deficient in women who have had a baby already as the growing foetus depletes a mum’s stores, so if you’re planning on conceiving again, make sure you’re getting enough of these “good” fats. Unlike fish such as tuna, swordfish, perch and flake, salmon does not pose the risk of containing toxic levels of mercury.

Jennie Brand-Miller, professor of human nutrition at Sydney University, says you shouldn’t avoid fish as it’s so important to your preconception health and to the baby’s developing brain. She recommends eating salmon twice a week, either canned or fresh. The key is finding quality salmon, adds Naish. ‘Salmon is often farmed, therefore can be high in antibiotics and PCBs (a manufactured chemical known to have adverse effects on foetuses). Find a good fishmonger and form a relationship with them,’ says Naish. ‘Only buy salmon when you know it has been caught in the wild, and if you find a good supply of it one week, buy plenty and freeze it.’

Natural yoghurt
As well as providing gut-friendly bacteria and being a source of protein and calcium, natural yoghurt may have an effect on your fertility – provided it’s full-fat. A recent study of more than 18,000 women in the US found that those who chose full-fat dairy products over the lower-fat counterparts had less chance of anovulatory infertility, where the body fails to produce enough eggs.

At her clinic, Naish recommends that women planning to conceive switch from cow’s milk to sheep’s or goat’s milk. ‘There are signs that cow’s milk is not helpful to fertility, and many people are actually allergic to it,’ she says. Yoghurt, however, does not irritate the gut as much thanks to its live cultures. If you stick to cow’s-milk produce, you should avoid soft cheeses and those stored in water, such as ricotta, as they can harbour listeria, which has been linked to miscarriage.

Olive oil
A fantastic source of monounsaturated fat, olive oil is at its best when it has been cold pressed. Being either overweight or underweight has a clear link to fertility problems and replacing “bad” saturated fats with good oils such as olive, flaxseed and sesame is an important step towards a healthy weight. On the subject of fats, the same US study that showed a link between full-fat dairy and fertility also confirmed the adverse effects of trans-fats on a woman’s ability to conceive. Researchers found that women with ovulation-related infertility were more likely to eat trans-fats than more fertile women. These fats are hydrogenated liquid oils found in a variety of processed and packaged food.

Kangaroo
Protein is essential to preconception health as it regulates blood sugar levels, and contains amino acids and B vitamins vital to hormonal functions and fertility. Most plant sources such as legumes, nuts and seeds need to be combined to get the full gamut of nutrients, whereas animal protein is a complete protein.

‘A rule I like to use is the smaller the animal and the fewer feet it has, the better the protein source – that’s why fish is at the top of the list. Kangaroo, although a large animal, has only two feet,’ says Naish. This meat is incredibly lean with around two percent fat, and has a higher protein content than beef and less cholesterol. As it’s not a farmed meat, kangaroo is genuinely “free range” and less susceptible to chemical interference. It is also a good source of iron, containing more than lamb – although beef is the iron powerhouse.

Before conceiving, you need to get your iron levels up as their status at the time of conception affects the development of the baby, the pregnancy and breastfeeding. It can take months to build up your iron levels, so start early. Iron is also known to be important for healthy ovulation. You’ll need iron during your pregnancy as well, and research has shown that once pregnant it is very difficult to increase your iron levels.

Avocadoes
A superfood for any stage of life, avocadoes are a rich source of vitamin E, which is an essential nutrient for fertility. This powerful antioxidant supports healthy circulation to the reproductive system, and helps to regulate ovulation and cervical mucous production. Antioxidants are great defenders against free radicals, which have been implicated in the occurrence of preeclampsia. Avocadoes are also full of the monounsaturated “good” fats and are a great substitute for spreads and butter. They also contain folate, iron and beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A.

Pumpkin seeds
Full of omega-3 and -6 essential fats, pumpkin seeds are helpful to hormone balance, brain function and skin health. They also contain some of the B vitamins and good amounts of vitamin K, necessary for bone health and blood clotting. Best of all, they are a fantastic source of zinc, which plays a crucial role in both men’s and women’s fertility. This key nutrient also assists in healthy sperm and egg development.

It’s essential to have sufficient levels of zinc at conception as it plays a role in normal cell division at the embryonic stage,but most people are deficient. Naish says it is ‘incredibly difficult’ to obtain enough zinc from food and advises supplementation along with eating zinc-rich foods such as almonds, rye, peas and oats. Always have your levels checked before taking supplements as zinc can be toxic in high doses.

Seaweed
Sea vegetables and seaweed are a source of iodine, one of the most common deficiencies in Australia. Iodine is needed by the body to make the thyroid hormone that helps to regulate our metabolism, and having a healthy endocrine system is more conducive to conception. An iodine deficiency can increase the risk of infertility and miscarriage, and affect the development of the foetal brain, so it is important to reach optimal levels before conception – this can take up to five months. If you take pre-conception supplements, make sure they contain iodine. Only ever use iodised salt, but use it sparingly. ‘Salt strips the body of minerals, so keep it to a minimum,’ says Naish. ‘Seaweed is a good source of iodine, but make sure it is organic, or try kelp supplements.’

Pasta
Professor Brand-Miller recommends this staple as an easy source of energy. ‘When it comes to carbohydrates, it’s the quality that counts,’ she says. Pasta has that golden colour as it is halfway between white flour and wholegrain, and should be eaten with vegetable-based sauces rather than creamy versions. Brown pasta is great, but if you don’t like it, you won’t eat it.’ Good quality carbs are essential to fertility, as they maintain steady blood sugar levels and contain B and E vitamins essential for cell growth. Basmati is a good slow-releasing, low-GI rice, and have coarse oats (not the fast-cooking kind) for breakfast. Wholegrain breads are good sources of folate, while Burgen makes great low-GI breads.

Garlic
This wonderful root contains an abundance of fertility-boosting nutrients. It is a good source of the mineral selenium, an antioxidant that supports normal conception. Selenium is thought to protect the embryo from damage, preventing chromosome breakages that could play a role in early miscarriage. Garlic is also a source of vitamin B6.

RESOURCES
Further reading
• Optimum Nutrition Before, During And After Pregnancy by Patrick Holford
 & Susannah Lawson (available from capersbookstore.com.au, $36.95).
 Useful contacts
• preconception.com.au Information on diet and other factors that affect fertility.
• fertility.com.au Website for the Jocyln Centre for Natural Fertility