Increasing Fiber and Iron Intake to Boost Fertility

It might seem hard to believe, but our food choices have an impact on our fertility. If the body doesn’t receive the proper nutrition that it needs, hormone levels become unbalanced, which can make conception more difficult. That is why it is important that women who are hoping to boost their fertility eat right and get plenty of iron and fiber in their diets.

Fiber’s Effects on Hormone Levels

Researchers have been discussing the importance of a diet high in fiber for many years. It is important for keeping digestive systems healthy, which in turn lowers the risk of mortality due to colon cancer. What some people might not know is that it also helps balance hormone levels, too. Every time that blood sugar levels drop from constantly eating sugary foods and simple carbohydrates, estrogen production is affected. Fiber regulates sugar levels so they stay stable, which keeps hormone levels from constantly fluctuating. Excess estrogen wreaks havoc on women with endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome because it exacerbates their condition and makes conception more difficult. As a result, women with these conditions that are hoping to conceive must pay special attention to their diets.

Foods High in Fiber

Whenever possible, sugary foods and simple carbohydrates should be entirely replaced with high fiber foods that are low on the glycemic index. They are much healthier for the body than simply taking a fiber supplement, which has little nutritional value. The following are a few examples of some of these types of foods that are the most beneficial:

• Apples
• Oatmeal
• Whole-grain pasta
• Beans
• Artichokes

Boost Fertility With Extra Iron

Women who have healthy levels of iron have a greater chance of conceiving because iron is important for healthy eggs and reproductive organs. If a woman becomes anemic due to low iron levels, this reduces the amount of red blood cells that she produces. Red blood cells are responsible for organs receiving the proper amounts of oxygen. So, if the ovaries and uterus become oxygen starved, the eggs a woman has can become weak and infertile. However, before beginning any type of iron pills to help increase the likeliness of conception, a woman should have their doctor do a blood test to determine if she needs extra iron. Some women already get plenty of nutrition in their diets.

Foods Rich in Iron

Iron supplements often cause stomach pain and constipation, so many women prefer to get their iron from their diet instead, but this requires them to pay special attention to choosing foods with the right kind of iron in them to be sure that they get enough. There are two types of iron: heme and non-heme. Heme iron is the most easily absorbable. It is found in meat and eggs. Non-heme iron is still good for women, but it is harder to process by the body. So if a woman wants to have a vegetarian diet, it helps to eat foods rich in Vitamin C along with the non-heme foods to aid the body in absorbing enough iron. Non-heme iron is found in plant-based products such as:

• Tofu
• Raisins
• Peanut butter
• Kale
• Hummus