Best Diet for Fertility

The Mediterranean eating pattern is based on the traditional ways of eating from cultures and countries bordering the Mediterranean sea. Each of these cultures and countries has their own unique signature dishes but share some common characteristics. It’s those qualities and characteristics that you can adopt to improve your chances of conceiving.

The major pillars of the Mediterranean eating pattern serve as a great template to follow when you’re trying to get pregnant. You’ll find some of the essential elements of the Mediterranean below.

This is the hallmark feature of Mediterranean meals and snacks. Food is meant to be enjoyed. Unfortunately, this fact can get lost in our pursuit of the “healthiest” food. Pleasure and enjoyment work wonders for our overall health. So make sure to focus on choosing foods you enjoy and making foods flavorful.

Herbs and spices not only make food more enjoyable, they also have health and fertility promoting benefits. They contain powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that can protect reproductive organs and sperm from damage. Some may also help to balance blood sugar and promote pelvic blood flow.

Social support and community ties are vital for optimized health. Though it’s not always possible to have meals with friends, family, or coworkers, aim to find ways to do so regularly.

You don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to reap the health and fertility benefits of eating a variety of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices. Packed with fiber, phytonutrients, energy, minerals, and vitamins, these foods are the foundation of a fertility supporting Mediterranean eating pattern.

Because Mediterranean countries border the Mediterranean sea, the cuisines of these countries include ample amounts of fish and shellfish. Besides being delicious and versatile, fish and shellfish provide your body with important nutrients like protein, minerals, vitamins, and fertility promoting fat.

Though fat sometimes gets a bad rap in the world of nutrition recommendations, the Mediterranean eating pattern doesn’t shy away from it at all. Plant-based sources like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados as well as fish and shellfish, are health and fertility sustaining sources of dietary fat.

Toledo, E., Burgo, C. L., Ruiz-Zambrana, A., Donazar, M., Navarro-Blasco, Í, Martínez-González, M. A., &Irala, J. D. (2011). Dietary patterns and difficulty conceiving: a nested case–control study. Fertility and Sterility, 96(5), 1149-1153. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.08.034

Vujkovic, M., Vries, J. H., Lindemans, J., Macklon, N. S., Spek, P. J., Steegers, E. A., &Steegers-Theunissen, R. P. (2010). The preconception Mediterranean dietary pattern in couples undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment increases the chance of pregnancy. Fertility and Sterility, 94(6), 2096-2101. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.12.079

Kendra Tolbert MS, RDN, RYT is a women’s health registered dietitian, yoga teacher, and aromatherapist. She helps women and couples balance their hormones and optimize their chances of conceiving with simple self-care practices. Learn more at Live Fertile.