Fertility decreases with age in women. The peak reproductive years for women is between their late teens and late 20s. Not that women above 30 cannot conceive easily.
Other factors that might affect the ability of a woman to bear children include:
1. Complications with previous pregnancies and miscarriages
2. Sexually Transmitted infections like chlamydia
3. The type of contraception previously used
4. Nonprescription medicine in use
5. Lifestyle
6. Medical history
7. Weight.
After trying to get pregnant for a year with frequent sexual intercourse, without success, all factors listed above will be questioned and tested to tackle the problem of infertility.
Physical examinations and fertility tests such as blood tests for the presence of the hormone progesterone, and chlamydia test. An ultrasound scan used to check blockages in the fallopian tube, uterus, and ovaries which could be responsible for infertility.
However, when major causes of concern have been ruled out, certain diets and nutrients can help improve fertility greatly.
Foods that increase fertility
When picking a diet to increase fertility, plant-based protein should be the first option. They contain low calories and healthy fat. Examples are beans, lentils and nuts.
However, soy protein is plant-based but there are reservations about its role in a fertility diet and should not be included.
Soy protein contains phytoestrogen which has estrogen-like properties that bind to estrogen receptors in the body. Phytoestrogen disrupts natural hormone levels.
Loading up on fruits and vegetables combined with a healthy diet will help maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight disrupts estrogen levels.
Estrogen helps stimulate the growth of egg follicles, it maintains the mucous membrane in the uterus and the thickness of the vaginal wall. Vitamin C contained in certain fruits such as mangoes and melons helps improve hormone levels and fertility in women.
Eat more complex carbs and the less processed ones. Processed sugars and carbs have a lot of negative effects on our body and manage to appear in most of the things to run from to live a healthy life.
Insulin levels in the blood increase when refined sugars are consumed in the bid to help cells take in glucose to be used for energy. These high insulin levels have been found to inhibit ovulation. Now imagine you take in processed sugars without control.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D is packed in foods such as eggs, fatty fish, dairies such as whole milk and yoghurt. It is needed to create sex hormones that affect hormonal balance and ovulation.
Spice up your meals with simple kitchen herbs like garlic, cinnamon, cayenne, ginger and turmeric. They are antioxidant-rich herbs that reduce inflammation.\
Hippocrates, who said, ‘Let thy food be thy Medicine’ certainly recognized all the health benefits we could get from just eating right!
