Are you planning on getting pregnant ?  There are some vitamins and nutrients that the body needs to increase your chances of getting pregnant. You can get them through  food or supplements.  However before you decide on any vitamin or nutritional supplement, you  need to consult your doctor.
 

 

Vitamins and nutrients that  may aid fertility

Folic acid : This is a must have. The American Pregnancy Association recommends that all women of child-bearing age should take 400 micrograms of folic acid a day. Folic acid is a B complex. The body uses it to increase your blood supply during pregnancy and as a result decreases your risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.  Neural tube defects occur during the first few weeks of pregnancy that is why it is important to take this  vitamin before pregnancy. The natural form of this vitamin is folate and the synthetic form is folic acid. It can be found in foods such as leafy greens such as spinach, citrus fruits such as oranges and fortified cereal.

Zinc : This is a must have for men who want to improve their sperm quality. Zinc is also important for female reproductive health. Low levels of zinc have been linked to miscarriages. Foods rich in zinc include beef , lamb, seeds such as sesame and pumpkin seeds.

Omega 3 fatty acids : These are very useful in enhancing female fertility before pregnancy  and during pregnancy.  Your body cannot make omega 3 fatty acids. You can however get it through foods such as flaxseed, fish oil, olive oil and sunflower oil. These fatty acids help the ovarian follicles release eggs and increase blood flow to the uterus. They are also known to assist with fetal brain development and IQ. Taking these fatty  acids  during invitro fertilization IVF  treatment is known as assist with embryo quality.

Vitamin E :  This is the vitamin to consider when it comes to both male and female reproductive health. It improves the quality of  cervical mucus thus enhancing the chances of fertilization and implantation. It also increases sperm life within the female a couple of days more. Vitamin E  enhances sperm motility in men. Some food sources of this vitamin include green vegetables such as spinach, almonds,  olive oil and sunflower oil.

Vitamin B6 : It increases  the level of progesterone which is a hormone needed to maintain your pregnancy once you conceive.  You can find this vitamin in bananas , whole cereals and most vegetables.

Vitamin C : Vitamin C  is an excellent antioxidant for both males and females. It increases sperm quality and motility by counteracting the damaging effect of free radicals on sperms. It also promotes the absorption of iron and progesterone production.

Vitamin D : Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin. It is essential for the production of sex hormones. It increases the viability of sperms . Vitamin D also stimulates estrogen and progesterone level. You can get this vitamin from fatty fish, milk and sunlight.

Iron : Iron is used to make hemoglobin which is the oxygen carrying component of red blood cells. Your body needs enough iron for the tissues and organs in your body to get enough oxygen to function well. It is recommended that women take about 18 mg of iron daily and pregnant women take about 27mg daily.  During pregnancy iron prevents anemia, low birth weight and premature delivery. Iron rich foods include red meat, fortified grains with iron and spinach. You can also get this required amount from multivitamins.

Some other fertility vitamins and minerals include

• calcium which you can get from milk and leafy greens
• selenium which is a powerful detoxifier.  It aids sperm motility  in men and metabolism of estrogen in women. Foods rich in selenium include brazil nuts, seafoods such as oysters (cooked) and cooked tuna
• coenzyme Q10 – preliminary studies have shown that they drastically improve sperm and egg quality