Infertility Treatments – Food to Consume and Food to Avoid
Posted on 14. Oct, 2011 by rssfaq in Parenting & Families, Pregnancy & Childbirth
Infertility treatments should be given according to the causal factor. That we already know. However, it is not easy finding the factors that can trigger infertility. Infertility is actually a common problem of today. According to the centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 6.1 million or 10 percent of US women between the age 15 and 44 find difficulty in conceiving or maintaining pregnancy. However, infertility is not only women’s problem. Men can also contribute to infertility. In fact, one third of all cases of infertility resource from the women’s side, one third come from the men’s side, and another one third is triggered either from both sides or caused by unknown factors.
Women who try to get pregnant reduce consumption of coffee, alcohol, caffeinated soda. Smoking is clearly not approved. Taking vitamins A more than 8,000 IU and vitamin C more than 1000mg per day can also cause infertility. Therefore, reducing both vitamins intake is also suggestible. On the other hand, consumptions of good multivitamins, vitamin B6, zinc, folic acid, Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are good as infertility treatments for women. To avoid miscarriage, a pregnant woman should avoid toxic metals (e.g. cadmium, mercury, and lead) and melatonin. Melatonin can increase the prolactin production in the body which can trigger temporary infertility. Avoiding douching is also helpful since recent studies also revealed douching can decrease the chance to conceive up to 30%.
On the other hand, men should also improve their sperm quality by taking up to 1000 mg of vitamin C per day, vitamin B12, selenium, up to vitamin E 400 IU per day, and zinc. Other herbal supplements such as Ginkgo biloba and Astragalus are also helpful in increasing sperm motility. However, soy-based products such as soy milk, tofu, tempeh, and miso consumed by men can increase estrogen production. As the estrogen level increases, sperm counts in men’s body can decrease drastically. Therefore avoiding these foods is also significant in undergoing infertility treatments.
