The Essential Nutrients You Need to Boost Fertility Naturally - Part 1: Hormone Balance & Egg/Sperm Quality
When it comes to supporting your fertility and reproductive health, nutrition plays a crucial role. Certain key nutrients help regulate hormones, improve egg and sperm quality, and create a healthy environment for conception. Unfortunately, many people don't get enough of these fertility-supporting nutrients, even in a typical diet.
While much of fertility nutrition focuses on women, men's reproductive health is equally important. Nutrients like vitamin D, iron, folate, and fiber support sperm production, motility, hormone regulation, and DNA integrity.
Here's a comprehensive guide to the most important vitamins and minerals for fertility, why they matter, and how to include them in your daily meals.
1. Fiber: Hormone Balance and Blood Sugar Control
Fiber is often underrated beyond its role in digestion. It helps your body eliminate excess estrogen, which can interfere with ovulation and cycle regularity. Fiber also stabilizes blood sugar levels, protecting egg quality from insulin spikes. Additionally, fiber supports a healthy microbiome, which is essential for those trying to conceive.
Women should aim for about 25 grams per day and men at 30 grams per day. These are some of the most fiber-dense foods per serving, helpful for blood sugar balance, estrogen metabolism, and supporting gut health:
Legumes: lentils, black beans, chickpeas, split peas, lima beans
Seeds: chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
Whole Grains: oats, quinoa, barley, brown rice, bulgur
Vegetables: artichokes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes (with skin), carrots
Fruits: raspberries, pears (with skin), apples (with skin), avocados, figs, prunes
Nuts: almonds, pistachios, walnuts
2. Vitamin D: Hormone Production and Egg Quality
Vitamin D deficiency is common and has been linked to fertility challenges. It supports reproductive hormone function, including progesterone, and may improve egg quality and implantation success. It also supports testosterone production and sperm motility.
Sources: Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna), egg yolks, cod liver oil, mushrooms exposed to sunlight (maitake), and sun exposure.
Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D. Your body naturally makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to UVB rays, especially around midday. But several factors affect how much you need:
The darker your skin, the longer you need to be in the sun to make enough vitamin D. You can use non-toxic sunscreen if you're exposed for long periods, but you don't need to block the sun all the time.
Dermatologists often recommend daily sunscreen use to reduce skin cancer risk, but here's the other perspective: many sunscreens contain hormone-disrupting or potentially cancer-causing chemicals. And chronic low vitamin D has been linked to a wide range of diseases, including autoimmune conditions, certain cancers, mood disorders, and fertility issues.
Balance is key. Be smart, not afraid. Safe, moderate sun exposure is important for long-term health.
Several studies show that low vitamin D levels may negatively impact fertility in both men and women. It may affect egg quality and ovarian reserve, sperm motility and testosterone, menstrual regularity and ovulation, and IVF success rates.
Around 40% of people in the U.S. are deficient, and even more have suboptimal levels.
3. Iron: Preventing Anemia and Supporting Ovulation
Iron deficiency anemia can disrupt ovulation and increase miscarriage risk. Ensuring adequate iron supports oxygen transport and overall reproductive health. Women should aim for 18 mg per day (women of reproductive age) and men for 8 mg per day.
Heme iron comes from animal sources and is more easily absorbed by the body. It's found in foods like red meat, poultry, and seafood. Your body can absorb up to 30% of heme iron.
Sources: Red meat, liver, poultry (dark meat), clams, oysters, sardines, tuna, salmon.
Non-heme iron is found in plant-based foods like beans, seeds, leafy greens, and whole grains. It's absorbed less efficiently (around 2–10%) and is more affected by other nutrients or inhibitors in your diet. That's why pairing non-heme iron with vitamin C-rich foods can make a big difference - it helps your body absorb more of it! Avoid tea and coffee with meals (they inhibit absorption). Cook with cast iron cookware as it adds a small iron boost, especially with acidic foods.
Sources: Lentils, beans, chickpeas, soybeans, tofu, tempeh, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, spinach, kale, quinoa, oats, dried apricots, raisins, prunes, dark chocolate
NOTE: While getting iron from food is generally safe, taking high-dose iron supplements without medical supervision can cause excess iron buildup, increasing oxidative stress and potentially harming fertility.
4. Folate: Preventing Neural Tube Defects and Supporting DNA Synthesis
Folate is vital for DNA synthesis and cell division, critical during early pregnancy. Getting enough folate before conception helps prevent neural tube defects in the baby. It also supports sperm DNA synthesis and integrity.
Folate is a natural vitamin found in leafy greens, beans, and other whole foods. It's essential for DNA production and a healthy pregnancy. Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate widely recommended by healthcare professionals because numerous studies confirm it helps prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) in pregnancy. It's been a major public health success, especially through food fortification programs.
However, the history of folic acid use and how the body metabolizes it deserves attention for making informed choices. Many holistic dietitians, doctors, and researchers, such as Dr. Ben Lynch (a well-known naturopathic doctor and researcher who specializes in the role of genetics in health, particularly how gene variants like MTHFR affect nutrient metabolism and overall wellness) recommend methylfolate, the natural bioactive form of folate, over folic acid.
Before widespread industrial food processing, people ate more whole foods rich in natural folate. As food processing and refining (like milling grains into white flour or polishing rice) became common, much of the natural folate was lost. This led to lower folate intake in many diets and increased risk of folate deficiency. Higher rates of serious birth defects, called neural tube defects (which affect the brain and spine), were observed. To address this, manufacturers began adding synthetic folic acid to many processed foods starting in the 1990s. This fortification program successfully reduced the rates of NTDs worldwide and improved public health. However, the body must convert folic acid into its active form to use it and about 30-60% of the population, with differences by ethnicity, carry common genetic variations called MTHFR variants that reduce the activity of the enzyme responsible for this conversion. These variants impair folate metabolism.
Implications for Fertility and Health
MTHFR variants can affect folate metabolism and lead to issues such as elevated homocysteine levels, oxidative stress, and abnormal DNA methylation. These changes may negatively impact egg and sperm quality, hormone balance, implantation, and pregnancy maintenance. People with these variants may benefit more from methylfolate supplementation, which bypasses the need for conversion and supports reproductive health more effectively.
What you can do:
Eat plenty of natural folate-rich foods like spinach, lentils, and beans
Talk to your healthcare provider about methylfolate supplements if you're trying to conceive or have fertility concerns
Consider genetic testing for MTHFR variants, especially if you experience fertility challenges or recurrent pregnancy losses
Sources: Leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce, mustard greens), legumes (lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, peas), asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, avocado, beets, okra, citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes), bananas, papaya, nuts and seeds (sunflower seeds, peanuts), whole grains, eggs, liver (especially beef liver).
How to Support Your Fertility Naturally Through Nutrition
Eat a varied diet rich in whole foods: fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and quality protein. Consider testing nutrient levels with your healthcare provider to personalize supplementation. Stay hydrated and manage stress to support digestion and nutrient absorption. Avoid highly processed foods high in sugar and unhealthy fats that can disrupt hormone balance.
What Nutrients Are Americans Missing?
Surprisingly, many Americans fall short of recommended intakes for fiber, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin D — all important for fertility. Deficiencies in iron and folate are also common, especially among women of reproductive age. On the flip side, excessive intake of some nutrients is rare but can sometimes interfere with fertility, so balance is key.
Ready to take control of your fertility health? Join WOVA, where personalized guidance from experts and a supportive community will help you optimize your nutrition and wellness for your best chance at conception.
References:
Slavin JL. Fiber and prebiotics: mechanisms and health benefits. Nutrients. 2013;5(4):1417-1435.
Aleyasin A, et al. Vitamin D deficiency and infertility: a systematic review. Int J Reprod Biomed. 2011;9(6):397-402.
Beard JL. Why iron deficiency is important in infant development. J Nutr. 2008;138(12):2534S-2536S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Folate and neural tube defects. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/index.html
de Baaij JHF, et al. Magnesium in man: implications for health and disease. Physiol Rev. 2015;95(1):1-46.
