Fertility Booster

14April 2023

Deciding to have a baby is a big change in the life of any person. It is always the aim to make everything go as smoothly as possible during pregnancy. However, there are always things that are out of our control, one of which can be fertility issues.

Fertility boosters are ways that can be used to increase a woman's probability of getting pregnant. Fertility boosters may be food supplements or lifestyle changes undertaken to increase the chances of pregnancy for a couple.

Some common examples of fertility boosters: recording menstrual cycle, monitoring evaluation, taking prenatal vitamin supplements, etc.

What Do Fertility Boosters Do?

Some couples are not able to conceive naturally and look for medical intervention as an alternative. They may try to take supplements (natural or artificial supplements) to improve their chances of becoming pregnant.

Fertility boosters either completes the body deficiency or helps in changing the lifestyle that paces up the chances of pregnancy.

What are the Types of Fertility boosters?

Natural Supplements:These include natural ways like plant and animal food remedies to increase the probability of conception.
Artificial Supplements:These include medicinal assistance like medicines, vitamin, and mineral supplements to cope up with some kind of deficiency.
Lifestyle Changes:These kinds of methods involve changes in basic routine, eating habits, and lifestyle that helps a couple to increase their chance of conceiving.

Natural Fertility Boosters

Maca: Maca comes from a plant grown in central Peru. Some animal studies and surveys found it improved fertility. But the reports from human studies are kind of mixed. While some studies show improvement in sperm quality, others do not.
Bee Pollen: Bee pollen has been considered a great source of immunity, fertility, and overall growth. While an animal study showed a guaranteed fertility improvement, human studies still need some scientific evidence.
Bee Propolis: Women consuming bee propolis twice a day resulted in 40% increased chances of becoming pregnant within 9 months. Scientists say more studies are needed.
Royal Jelly: Royal jelly, which is also made by bees, is packed with amino acids, lipids, sugars, vitamins, fatty acids, iron, and calcium. Animal studies found it may improve reproductive health in rats. There are improvements in the human context too but need some more certified studies.
Folates: Multivitamin supplements including folates are beneficial for women who are trying to get pregnant. One of the major reasons for infertility can be a multivitamin deficiency. Hence, taking multivitamins to reduce ovaries infertility. It is observed that an estimated 20% of infertility can be avoided if multivitamins with folates are consumed thrice or more per week.
Citrus Fruits: Citrus fruits like lemons, grapefruits, and strawberries have a good amount of vitamin C. These contain Polyamine Putrescine, which on some animal research has proved can improve gamete health.
Full-Fat Dairy:Pastured dairy has proven to be one of the most excellent choices for improving fertility and chances of pregnancy. Not only is it rich in saturated fat, which is known for reducing fertility, it is also rich in vitamins A, E, D, K, and K2.
Beans & Lentils:Beans and lentils make a great source of fibre and folate, which is very essential to reduce ovaries infertility and to maintain a healthy hormonal imbalance. Lentils contain high levels of the polyamine spermidine, which may help sperm fertilize the egg. Studies show that when proteins come from plant foods rather than animal foods, the risk of infertility due to anovulation falls by over 50%.

Synthetic Fertility Boosters

Acetyl L-Carnitine: Acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) is an antioxidant. ALC has shown some promise in helping treat female fertility issues. Another recent review looked at the effect that antioxidants, including ALC, had on sperm health. The authors highlighted the impact that the antioxidants had on sperm motility.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E may increase sperm motility due to its antioxidant effects, and it may help improve fertility in men. But there is less research done in the area of female fertility.
Folic Acid: Folic acid may be effective in helping women become and stay pregnant. However, there is a need for more research to determine how effective folic acid and other nutrients are as treatments for female fertility. For men, it was found that a combination of folic acid and zinc helped improve the quality of sperm.
Coenzyme Q10: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) helps generate energy in human cells. Recent studies on this enzyme’s ability to treat infertility have been very positive. CoQ10 could improve the response of the ovaries to stimulation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Vitamin C: Vitamin C may aid male fertility. A 2016 study found that men with obesity who consumed vitamin C had improved sperm concentration and mobility.

Fertility Boosters Concerning Lifestyle

Eat Foods Rich in Antioxidants: Anti-oxidants like folates and zinc may improve fertility for both men and women. They deactivate the free radicals in your body, which can damage both sperm and egg cells. It was seen in a study that for 232 women higher folate intake was associated with higher rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth.
Eat a Bigger and Fuller breakfast: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and studies show eating a substantial breakfast may help women with many fertility problems.
However, it’s important to note that increasing the size of your breakfast without reducing the size of your evening meal is likely to lead to weight gain.
Avoid Trans Fat: Eating healthy fats every day is important for boosting fertility and overall health. However, trans fats are associated with an increased risk of ovulatory infertility, due to their negative effects on insulin sensitivity. Trans fats are commonly found in hydrogenated vegetable oils and are usually present in some margarine, fried foods, processed products, and baked goods. It includes all the junk food we love.
Reduce the Consumption of Refined Carbs: Refined carbs may be very problematic and can harm your body. Refined carbs include sugary foods and drinks and processed grains, including white pasta, bread, and rice. These carbs are absorbed very quickly, causing spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. Insulin is the same as our ovarian hormones and continuous production of high levels of insulin can cause a reduction in our natural reproductive hormones. Hence, leading to less produced egg cells.
Swap the Source of Proteins: Replacing some animal proteins (such as meat, fish, and eggs) with vegetable protein sources (such as beans, nuts, and seeds) is linked to a reduced risk of infertility. When 5 % of total calories came from vegetable protein instead of animal protein, the risk of ovulatory infertility decreased by more than 50%.
Make Physical Exercise, Your Routine: Exercise helps you to control blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and body weight, all of which are important factors that play role in a woman's chances of getting pregnant. Exercising helps to keep your body in shape and also results in better metabolism, which is essential for pregnancy. Being underweight or overweight can reduce the chances of becoming pregnant.
Track Your Cycle: It is very important to keep a track of your menstrual cycles since women have the best chance of becoming pregnant during ovulation. This usually happens anywhere between 12 and 14 days before your period starts, based on a regular 28-day cycle, and you are most fertile two to three days prior through the first day of ovulation. It is important to note that sperm can live in the uterus for three to five days, so having sex leading up to ovulation can help.
Say No to Smoking and Drinking: Nicotine and alcohol, as scientifically proven can reduce the chances of pregnancy and lead to infertility. Hence, it is always advised to avoid cigarettes and alcohol as much as possible. Having more than 14 alcoholic drinks per week was associated with a longer time to get pregnant. A 2004 study involving 7,393 women found that a high alcohol intake was associated with more infertility examinations.
Take Rest Without Stress: The to-be mother needs to take an adequate amount of rest. She should be given an emotionally and physically stress-free environment. Studies show that a stress-free environment can lead to a better fertility rate in women.

Side Effects of Using Fertilizing Boosters

Some fertility supplements may interact with other medications that a person is taking. For example, folic acid may interact with some drugs for seizures or parasitic infections, while taking vitamin E taken alongside certain blood thinners, weight-loss drugs, and bile acid sequestrants may cause adverse effects.
NOTE: There can be risk factors involved when these supplements interact with other elements inside your body, some of which are listed below:
Nausea and vomiting.
Rashes
Blurry Vision
Increased risks of heart disease if folic acid is taken.
Increased risk of cancer if folic acid is taken.
Headaches
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening congenital abnormality

Key Takeaways

Fertilizing boosters help in increasing the chances of a woman's pregnancy.
Natural boosters are always more recommended than artificial ones.
Make sure you consult your doctor before taking any fertilizing booster.
Lifestyle changes help the most in increasing fertility.
There are risk factors involved with synthetic fertilizing boosters which should be consulted about before you start including them in your schedule.
Scientists are still carrying out more research to provide methods/ modes of fertilizing boosting.

References:

By -
Dr. Ruchika Singh

14-April-2023

FERTILITY BOOSTERS