Foods to help start a family
Tastiest fertility-boosters to buy
WHAT can we eat to help start a family? New research has revealed that regularly eating nuts can dramatically increase a man’s chances of being a father. A study by fertility experts in
Spain showed that, after just three months of eating a daily handful of almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts, the sperm count of the young men in their trial increased by 16 per cent.
This raises the question of what other foods can affect fertility and which could also work for would-be mums?
Over the past 50 years the sperm count of men in western countries has fallen by more than half. Harvard University researchers have just carried out a review of a series of past studies on the impact of diet on fertility.
They concluded that for women the nutrients that had a positive affect were the B-vitamin folic acid, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids.
But eating healthily, such as by adopting the Mediterranean Diet, also had a positive impact. Diets that reduced fertility levels were those that were rich in red and processed meats, potatoes, sweets and sugary drinks.
Meanwhile dairy products, caffeine and alcohol appeared to have no effect at all on the chances of conceiving.
For men, the results told a similar story with healthy diets showing a positive impact. Saturated and trans fats showed a negative effect. Again, caffeine and alcohol had a zero impact.
The Harvard researchers stress that more research is necessary. So where does this leave would-be parents in terms of their food-shopping list? The Mediterranean Diet would point them towards at least five-a-day of fruit and vegetables, lots of wholegrains, pulses, nuts and olive oil every day and fish at least twice a week.
For him the choice of nuts appears to be a matter of taste. The Spanish trials involved mixed nuts, but she should reach for walnuts because of their outstandingly high levels of omega-3 fats. Which means that the perfect nut snack to share for would-be parents has to be walnuts.
Chia, hemp and linseed are also excellent sources of omega-3. Folic acid is important for him and her and there is no richer source than lentils.
And remember that when trying to hit that five-a-day target, dried fruit is an extremely handy alternative to fresh and has just as many nutritional benefits, if not more.