top of page

Can Certain Foods Boost Fertility?

  • Writer: Alexa Nikolai
    Alexa Nikolai
  • Sep 3, 2025
  • 3 min read
A selection of raw ingredients, including lentils, fruits, and nuts

Overview

For anyone hoping to be pregnant in the future, there are a number of accessible lifestyle factors that have proven positive effects on fertility. These factors often serve to improve overall health and may be valuable even for individuals who are not planning to become pregnant. Lifestyle changes often require a period of adjustment and usually do not result in immediate effects, so it’s best to implement any changes sooner rather than later, in order to boost your baseline levels of health and fertility.


Diet is a lifestyle factor that can be modified at home without the assistance of a medical professional (although the advice of a doctor or a nutritionist is also beneficial). In addition to improving your overall levels of health and wellness, a high-quality diet has also been shown to improve fertility among both men and women.


Men and Women

Causes of infertility in couples is nearly evenly split between men and women, with 35% of infertility cases linked to women and 30% linked to men. For this reason, it is important for both partners to be in optimal health when trying to conceive. Fortunately, positive dietary changes can boost fertility in both men and women, offering an accessible at-home means of improvement.


Foods That Boost Fertility

The table below lists dietary components that have been shown to promote fertility and common foods in which these components are found.

Beneficial Component

Explanation

Foods

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Increases likelihood of conceiving

Walnuts; Salmon

Vitamin E

Increases sperm count and motility

Walnuts; Full-fat dairy

Lycopene

Improves sperm count and motility; gives red food its color; more easily absorbed when cooked

Tomatoes

Vitamin C

Antioxidant that positively affects sperm

Tomatoes; Citrus

Polyamines

Critical to reproductive process

Citrus; Cheese; Beans; Lentils

Calcium

Regulates the menstrual cycle and hormone levels

Full-fat dairy

Folate

Higher implantation rates; better sperm count and quality

Beans; Lentils; Beet root

Plant-based protein

Lower insulin response than animal protein

Beans; Lentils; Fiber

Selenium

Health reproductive system function

Salmon

Beta carotene

Boosts progesterone

Sweet potatoes

Nitric oxide

Causes blood vessel dilation for improved blood flow

Beet root

Foods to Avoid

In addition to increasing the levels of healthy food in your diet, you should also seek to avoid foods that decrease fertility. Generally, foods in this category lead to increased insulin resistance and oxidative stress. Foods to avoid in excess include added sugar, highly processed foods, excessive alcohol and caffeine, red meat, and trans fat (which have proinflammatory properties)


Additional Factors

Beyond dietary factors, bodyweight considerations also affect fertility in men and women. When either partner is notably underweight or overweight, they may have greater difficulty conceiving. Being underweight or overweight puts stress upon the body, which affects hormone levels. Since these same hormones are involved in reproduction, non-ideal body weight leads to decreased levels of conception.


Summary

Although no diet can guarantee improved fertility or successful conception, even small changes have been shown to have positive effects. In addition to boosting fertility, a high-quality diet leads to increased health in general and is beneficial for both men and women.


Sources


 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page