The inability to get pregnant despite a regular sexual life within one year without protection against pregnancy is called infertility. On average, one out of every six families is affected by infertility. Pregnancy occurs when many factors are in the middle. The rate of getting pregnant per month for a couple without any problems is 20-25%, this rate reaches 85% at the end of one year and exceeds 90% at the end of 2 years. For the formation of pregnancy; It is necessary for a healthy egg released from the ovary to combine with the sperm, which is the male’s healthy progeny cell. Normally, this event occurs in the woman’s ovary (fallopian canal) and is called fertilization. The fallopian canals must be open and healthy for the egg and sperm to compete and for the fertilized egg to reach the uterus.
Nutritional factors causing infertility
Very thin or overweight
- Eating behavior disorder
- Vegetarianism
- not including a small group in nutrition
- Training hard
- Skipping meals
- Having a very stressful life
- Losing a lot of weight by following well-known diets frequently taking more
Low-calorie diet is a risk factor for infertility.
There are studies showing that men have a decrease in their ability to have sex and a decrease in sperm motility, especially when they are on a low-calorie diet. Science experts express a common opinion that removing many food groups from the diet, especially in well-known diets, can cause this physical formation. One of the most valuable issues waiting for men who adopt low-calorie diet as an ideology due to weight loss or as a lifestyle is infertility. It is a fact that infertility is inevitable in those who lose weight, especially with Atkins diet, Macrobiotic diet, South Beach diet, very low calorie weight loss diets applied in recent years. While low-quality weight loss results in low testosterone levels in men and estrogen in women, a 25% decrease in sperm count and quality is observed in men due to weight loss.
While a lot of training causes a decrease in FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), LH (lutein hormone) and estrogen levels, especially in women, it reduces sperm production by suppressing testosterone level in men.
It has been reported that if yoga is done in the middle of 30 to 60 minutes a day, it protects against infertility by increasing the endorphin hormone. For this reason, 50 minutes of yoga a day will increase your quality of life and have a positive effect on the continuity of reproductive functions.
Fiber: Dietary fiber (fiber) intake is recommended in all diets. However, there are scientific studies showing that high fiber intake causes more than 25 g per day in women, first unsystematic menstrual cycles and then cessation of menstruation.
The dangerous situation that awaits individuals who frequently consume soy protein in terms of heart health and cancer prevention is infertility. Studies conducted in recent years have reported that individuals consuming 20-200 g of soybeans regularly have a delay in menstruation and a decrease in blood estrogen and progesterone hormone levels.
Caffeine intake: Drinking 4 cups of coffee a day causes >500 mg of caffeine intake. Caffeine taken over 500 mg per day causes a decrease in estrogen levels in women and thus the poor quality of the egg, and more importantly, the inability to ovulate.
Studies support that alcohol is an unknown danger. Especially with systematic alcohol intake, it has a toxic effect on the testicles in men. In addition, loss of erection, decrease in sperm count and quality is the most valuable problem to be observed.
Smoking: Smoking causes a decrease in sperm production in men and significant damage to the quality of eggs in women.
In addition, low dietary intake of iron, zinc, vitamin B 12 and low-quality protein sources make room for infertility.
Body Mass Index being between 18.5 and 24.9 is protective, while being below 18.5 is considered as a factor preventing having a child. It is reported that as the Body Mass Index increases in men, there is a decrease in the testosterone level.
Healthy days…
