Boosting Reproductive Health: Antioxidants and Their Role in Fertility

Do consuming antioxidants prior to and during conception really make a difference to female and male fertility? You may have heard that eating lots of antioxidant rich foods can help boost fertility, but how do they actually work and type of foods contain the highest amounts of antioxidants.

Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radical damage to the cells in our body, this can include cells in our reproductive system. Free radical damage can come from many every day processes experienced by our body from:

• Environmental pollution (urban as well as domestic such as plastic use, chemicals in our cleaning products, make up, body washes, hair and nail care products, as well as even candles and air fresheners),

• Stress,

• Excessive caffeine intake, alcohol, smoking or drug use,

• Infections (bacterial, fungal or viral)

• Poor dietary intake, high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, sugar and processed foods,

• Prolonged and intense exercise

• The natural ageing process

So how does this free radical damage affect our fertility for both men and women? Environmental pollution and high toxic levels can have catastrophic effects on not only our ability to be able to conceive, but also can increase the risk of miscarriage and chromosomes abnormalities in the foetus. Free radicals can not only cause damage to our egg quality, but also sperm quality, quantity and motility. Genetic defects in either the egg or sperm, sadly count for the majority of miscarriages. However, this is also an area that we can easily improve upon, through the reduction of environmental damaging processes, that we have in our every day lives, as well as increasing our intake of antioxidant rich nutrients.

There are potentially thousands of substances that have potential antioxidant use, the most familiar of these being Vitamin C, Vitamin E, vitamin A, and the minerals, copper, zinc and selenium. Other types of antioxidant nutrients include essential fatty acids like omega 3, flavonoids, flavones, catechins, polyphenols, and phytoestrogens

Most fruits and vegetables are abundant in antioxidants so it makes sense to switch to a high plant based diet from one that is higher in unhealthy fats, processed carbs and heavily meat based especially if processed

A good pace to start is increasing the following fruits and veggies which contain some of the highest levels of antioxidants

• Blueberries, Raspberries, goji berries and strawberries

• Kale and Spinach

• Peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes and red cabbage

Other fantastic antioxidant rich foods to add into your daily diet are green tea, dark chocolate (85% and above) beans, walnuts and pecans

I work with couples in all stages of their fertility journey, wether thats just considering starting a family, or struggling with the devastating experience of not being able to conceive or suffering multiple miscarriages. This journey can be full of up's and downs and please remember that infertility and miscarriage is no ones fault, there are many factors involved which can be complex, however there is lots of things that can be done to reduce miscarriage risk and get to the bottom of unexplained infertility

My mission is to be the support that couples need to give them some positive and practical ways that they can boost their fertility and chance of having that family they are dreaming off. We can achieve this through focusing on some key areas of health that relate to reproductive health for both men and women:

• Diet and supplementation support which may include increasing nutrient status and correcting any deficiencies, increasing antioxidant status and balancing essential fatty acid ratio, as well as balancing blood sugar levels

• Correcting any hormone imbalances of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, as well as ensuring that any underlying reproductive conditions such as endometriosis, PCOS or fibroids are considered

• Ensuring that thyroid and adrenals are functioning well

• Checking in with lifestyle factors which include stress, exercise and sleep

• The effect of environmental factors such as excess chemicals and toxins

• Whole body health, which can include considering factors that effect gut, thyroid, adrenal, immune and vaginal health.

If you would like support on your fertility journey, please get in touch using the link below, I am here to start supporting you today

Click here to book your free health review