Diet, Nutrition and Supplements for Conception
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Food and Nutrition for Conception
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Health Checks to Consider Before Conception
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Supplements for Fertility and Conception
Fertility and conception rates are strongly linked to both diet and lifestyle. Deficiencies in a number of nutrients can result in lower sperm counts and compromise the quality of the sperm produced, making the long and perilous journey to the egg virtually impossible. In women, many nutrients have a critical role in ovulation, the process of egg maturation, fertilisation and survival of the embryo.
The diet and nutritional advice below provides a useful place to start improving your chances of conceiving and enjoying a healthy pregnancy.
Diet and Nutrition for Conception
There is no better time to start thinking about your diet. The typical UK diet is low in fibre and healthy carbohydrates as well as high in sugary, low nutrient density foods. The average adult has a low intake of several nutrients that play a key role in fertility and conception and these sub-optimal intakes may affect other aspects of the pregnancy after conception.
Below is some very useful information about some of the nutrients that have a key role in supporting conception and a healthy pregnancy. If you would like to find out whether your diet has the right levels of these nutrients then a Dietary Analysis may be beneficial.
Energy, protein, fats and carbohydrates are the backbone of our daily nutrition. These ‘macronutrients’ make an important contribution to fertility, conception and pregnancy and when considering improvements to your diet they are the best place to start. For more information on how important each of these macronutrients are and how to make changes to your own intake please read the Essential Foods and Nutrition for Fertility and Conception detailed below:
Vitamins and Minerals and Plant Compounds that Support Conception
Numerous vitamins and minerals are now known to influence our chances of conceiving, and more and more are likely to join this list in future years. We are only just beginning to understand how important diet is to human health, especially fertility and conception.
Some of the nutrients that are important for conception are listed below, although we expect to add more to the list as the years pass and research puts together more of the jigsaw.
Folic Acid for Conception:
Folic acid is the synthetic form of Folate, a nutrient that is extremely important in replicating cells and tissue and therefore, for the development of your baby. Women who have low folate status are at high risk of having a baby with a Neural Tube Defect (NTD, such as spina bifida.
The pre-conception period is a good time to start eating more foods that are rich in folate, although you cannot rely on foods alone to provide you with sufficient folate. This is because a very high percentage of folate is lost either through cooking or because of poor absorption through the gut. Foods that are rich in folate are;
- Yeast extract
- Green leafy vegetables,
- Oranges, broccoli, peas
- Pulses; chickpeas, black-eyed peas and lentils
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Granary bread
The only way of ensuring that you have good folate status is to take a supplement that contains 400ug of folic acid. The best time to start taking a supplement of folic acid is when you think about trying to conceive rather than when you actually get started, this means that you can build up your reserves and correct any deficiency in advance of pregnancy.
Not all pregnancies are planned; I have never seen a movie where the pregnancy hasn’t come as a complete surprise! If you find yourself pregnant, surprise or not, start taking a good antenatal supplement immediately, and continue for the duration of your pregnancy.
Thiamin (vitamin B1) and Riboflavin (vitamin B2) and Conception.
Both thiamin and riboflavin are needed for the release of energy from foods. Thiamin is also required for fertility, cardiac health and the nervous system. Riboflavin is involved in functions that support eyes, hair and skin. There is considerable evidence to indicate that many women of childbearing age have low riboflavin status.
The B vitamins work together as ‘synergists’ and are commonly found in many, but not all of the same foods. B vitamins are easily destroyed by cooking, storage and processing.
Sources of Thiamin and Riboflavin include:
Vitamin C for Conception:
Vitamin C has a number of essential roles both structurally in the formation of connective tissue and as an antioxidant. Vitamin C also has an important role in enhancing iron absorption and should be eaten at mealtimes.
Vitamin C requirements and status are much debated. National surveys indicate that young adults generally have poor intakes of vitamin C, probably because the consumption of fruit and vegetables is so low. The most sensible advice is to follow the ‘5 a day’ guide as a minimum.
Sources of Vitamin C include:
Citrus fruit: oranges, lemons- Blackcurrants
- Strawberries
- Kiwi fruit
- Papaya
- Red chilli
- Broccoli
- Watercress
- Parsley
- Green Leafy vegetables
- Red and Green peppers
Vitamin D for Conception
Vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption and healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D status in adult women is maintained more from exposure to sunlight than through diet. People who have little exposure to sunlight such as robed Asian women and people who work long hours indoors are typical of this group, however vegetarians are also at high risk of vitamin D deficiency if no additional nutritional supplementation is undertaken. A supplement containing vitamin D is strongly recommended during the conception period.
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- Sunlight
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- Mackerel
- Salmon,
- Canned sardines
- Herrings
- Prawns
- Dairy produce.
- Fortified margarine
Iron for Conception
Research has shown that a very high percentage (40%) of women of childbearing age have low intakes of iron, and therefore, many women have low iron stores(50%), which will pre-dispose them to iron deficiency and anaemia in later pregnancy. Low iron stores at the onset of pregnancy may be associated with complications in pregnancy and should be avoided where possible.
There are two types of iron in foods, heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is derived from meat and animal produce, and non-heme iron is from vegetable sources. Generally, unless overcooked, heme iron is better absorbed though the gut than non-heme iron and unless you are a vegetarian it is a good idea to include a source of heme iron in your diet each day.
Table 1: Sources of Heme and Non-heme Iron
Some compounds such as tannins and calcium can inhibit the absorption of iron from food and therefore it is best to avoid tea, coffee and milk during meal times. Vitamin C helps the absoption of iron and it is useful to include a glass of juice and fruit or vegetables with each meal containing iron.
Calcium for Conception
It is important to build up calcium reserves prior to pregnancy, particularly as there is some evidence to suggest that maternal bone density diminishes during the first 3 months of pregnancy in order to provide an adequate calcium reservoir.
Between 8-10% of women have low intakes of calcium. Teenagers, Asian women with low vitamin D status, vegans and non-dairy eaters are at particular risk of a low calcium status and therefore they should be sure that they include plenty of calcium rich foods in their diet and seek dietary advice from a ‘qualified practitioner’ if necessary.
Calcium rich foods include:
- Dairy Produce: Milk, cheese, yogurt
- Green leafy vegetables; spinach, rocket
- Fish containing small bones (pilchards, sardines)
- Pulses; lentils, chick peas, butter beans.
- Tahini and hummus
- Pesto
- Nuts
- Fortified soya milk
- Tofu
- Dried fruits
Magnesium for Conception
As many as 22% of women have low magnesium intakes, and a whopping 97% of women are thought to have sub-optimal magnesium status. Magnesium is needed for nerve and muscle functioning, the action of Vitamin D and the functioning of many hormones. It has a very important role in conception and a healthy pregnancy.
Rich Sources of Magnesium Include
- Wheat bran
- Cocoa powder
- Sunflower seeds,
- Brazil nuts, Cashew nuts, almonds,
- Dried figs, apricots.
- Prawns
- Wholemeal bread
- Spinach
Key Health Checks to Consider Before Conception
It’s important to ensure you’re in good health before the start of a pregnancy as it can be difficult to treat an illness once you are pregnant. In additional to an in-depth dietary analysis, some further useful health checks include the following:
- Cervical Smear – check that you are up to date and arrange to have one if not
- Blood test – if you have a history of anaemia (iron deficiency) or other problems such as glucose intolerance, it would be useful to have levels checked so that any problems can be corrected before you become pregnant. You should also have a blood test to ensure that you are immune to German Measles (Rubella). Most girls have a vaccine whilst at school but it is best to check if you are unsure
- Blood pressure measure – high blood pressure can cause problems in pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, and any abnormalities should be treated through diet, exercise and if necessary, medication before pregnancy
- Medicines – some medicines, even painkillers, can be harmful during pregnancy so it is important that you discuss any medication that you are taking, whether over the counter or on prescription, with either your GP or relevant specialist and explain that you are planning a pregnancy.
- Sexually Transmitted Disease – an unwanted concern, but diseases such as Chlamydia can be asymptomatic in as many as 75% of women and can affect fertility and be transmitted to the fetus resulting in eye and lung infections. Chlamydia is easily diagnosed and treated with antibiotics, so if you are concerned discuss this with your GP.
- Question and anxieties: A visit to your GP or surgery nurse is also an opportunity to talk about any other concerns that you have.
Supplements for Fertility and Conception
For most, the only supplements that you need at this stage are a good ante-natal formula, that contains all the nutrients necessary to support conception and a healthy pregnancy, as well as a omega-3 supplement, containing high concentrations of the fatty acid DHA, for both men and women.
An antenatal should contain the correct composition of nutrients, at good, research based concentrations, as well as presenting each nutrient in a ‘bio-available form’ which means the body can actually absorb and use the nutrients in the supplement, this is often a problem.
After extensive research, we have developed a pharmaceutically graded ante-natal formula which is unique to Juliet Wilson. This hypo-allergenic formula has been specifically developed to address the needs of women hoping to conceive as well as having high bio-availability( enabling the essential nutrients in the ante-natal to be absorbed by the body as effectively as possible). The Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular DHA, are now known to have a considerable impact on both male and female fertility. In men, DHA is thought to benefit sperm numbers, motility and quality. In females, DHA may help correct abnormal periods, assist embryo implantation, support fetal development and also prevent pregnancy complications. DHAPure Pregnancy, for women, and DHAPure Conception for men, are high grade pharmaceutical supplements that provide a high concentration of DHA to help enhance fertility, increase the likelihood of conception and support embryo development.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 9th, 2010 at 4:22 AM and is filed under Preconception. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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