Can Diet Affect Fertility?

Yes it can!

Both partners' diet, weight, stress levels, sleep and exercise habits all play into your chances of conceiving and then having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy child.

The concept of the First One Thousand Days which are considered by experts to be critical to a child's likelihood of having a healthy life starts before conception.

This is what those 1000 days are made up of:

30 days of fertility

270 days of pregnancy

700 days- the first two years of life.

Diet can play a role :

What both parents eat in the period before conception (months or years of healthy eating are better than a week or two!)

What the mother eats during pregnancy.

What we feed the child as their first solid foods and what their 'usual diet' becomes.

Parents have 100% control over all of these three factors.

In 2024 fertilty rates hit a low of 1.48 births per woman in Australia. Those may be women choosing not to have children or to have fewer, but we do know that one in six couple has fertility problems- ie they have not yet conceived after trying for 12 months or longer.

No doubt there are many factors involved, including women choosing to have children at an older age, but if a doctor concludes that there are no physical reasons why conception should not occur then it's time to look to lifestyle and diet to optimise conditons for conceiving successfully.

Who should look at their diet?

Many would believe that it is the woman's diet that matters, but in fact both partners should reassess what they are eating.

A baby is made up of DNA from both parents. The food that they eat before conception and the food the mum eats during pregnancy preprogramme a baby's DNA. The DNA doesn't change but the way those genes turn on and off does change.

A healthy diet at all stages of the first 1000 days can help to prevent obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, mental health issues, autism, allergies, eczema, autoimmune conditions, learning difficulties and fussy eating.

DNA from an overweight father actually has a greater impact on a baby's chance of growing up overweight then a mother's weight does.

Diet affects fertility in four ways:

Healthy sperm

Healthy egg

A regular cycle (too much or too little fat tissue can make your cycle irregular).

Implantation of the egg in the uterus lining (overweight women experience lower rates of implantation).

It's not all about weight but maintaining a healthy weight is definitely a strng strategy to increase fertility.

Overall, a healthy diet of unprocessed foods and drinks, prioritising plant foods, a variety of colours and flavours and keeping to a minimum sugar, salt and alcohol is a great baseline.

Portion control can really help to shed a few kilos. So can cooking meals yourself rather than relying on take away or ready meals.

Important Nutrients

Preconception, it is advisable for the woman to strat taking a pregnancy supplment which contains folic acid.

Folic acid is an absolutely key nutrient in making sure that the neural tube (precursor of brain and spine) develop properly and it is the very first weeks of pregnancy that matter most, so by taking the supplement before conception you ensure that there is no chance of deficiency.  Although widely found in leafy greens, we rarely eat enough folic acid to meet pregnancy needs and to ensure that neural defects don't occur.

Omega Three fatty acids are another important nutrient. They are beneficial to both healthy eggs and to successful implantation. Good sources of omega threes are found in oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines. Also in chia seeds, other seeds and nuts, flaxseed oil, and in other plant oils too. Vegans and vegetarians might prefer an omega three supplement at this life stage.

Iron? It is an advantage for women to have their iron status tested pre pregnancy. It is common to need a supplement when pregnant as needs go up significantly, but it is also dangerous to overload on iron so knowing what your baseline iron levels are is a great idea.

Mediterranean Diet

Although by no means the only healthy way to eat, the Mediterranean diet with its emphasis on fresh foods, fish, plant foods and little sugar is a great pattern for a healthy diet both before and during pregnancy.

You can read more about its benefits to health here and how to follow a Mediterrranean diet here.

The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating for life. It is based around how cultures in the Mediterranean have eaten for hundreds of years and is a tasty and varied diet.

Excellent for both fertility and pregnancy, the Mediterranean diet is based around:

• An abundance of seasonal plant foods

• Extra Virgin olive oil used as the main fat/oil

• Fruit 2-3 times per day

• Whole grain cereals- bread, cereal, pastas, rice, grains etc

• Eggs, poultry and fermented dairy foods in moderate amounts

• Red meats and sweets only rarely.

Diet and lifestyle can have a profound effect on your chances of conceiving, having a healthy pregnancy and of your child growing up without significant health problems.

What a powerful motivator to take a look at your own lifestyle habits and at what you eat and drink and make some positive changes wherever they are needed!