Transcription
First, let's discuss the key nutrients that you need to support fertility, their role in conception, and how to optimize your levels by prioritizing certain foods as staples in your diet. And men, you need to listen up too! These nutrients aren't just for women to focus on; they're just as important for men to incorporate into their diet as well.
Welcome to the Doctor's Pharmacy and another edition of Health Bites. I'm Dr. Mark Hyman. Now, we often hear the phrase "you are what you eat," but many of us don't stop to think about it beyond general wellness. Most of us don't realize that our hormones, even our fertility—which is declining—depends on what we eat. So, let's stop and think about it for a moment. Did you know that your diet influences the expression of your DNA and the functionality of every single one of the trillions of cells in your body? Did you know that food serves as the building blocks for our cells, our tissues, and hormones? It's true! Our cell membranes are made from fat, our hormones are made from cholesterol and amino acids, and their production and functionality are directly influenced by our blood sugar and insulin levels.
Now, food and the nutrients that make it up also serve as the raw materials that create new life. So, the phrase "you are what you eat" is more important than we originally thought, especially when it comes to our fertility and reproductive health. The data fully support the link between bad diets and infertility, and healthy diets and improved fertility. We know this, and we have the research to back it up. Couples who follow an anti-inflammatory whole foods diet have significantly better fertility outcomes than those who follow the standard American diet. It makes sense—do we want our reproductive function to be regulated by Oreos and ice cream or wild-caught salmon and blueberries? Yet, conventional medicine fails to recognize this, turning to expensive IVF therapies before basic nutrition and lifestyle interventions.
Now, sometimes fertility treatments are necessary, but the results I've seen from doubling down on diet and nutrition and addressing the root cause of infertility have yielded incredible results for my patients. Many of them have gotten pregnant when they were told they could not. Today, we're going to explore the specific nutrients and dietary strategies that support fertility and how you can use food as medicine to make informed dietary choices that lead to better fertility outcomes.
Key nutrients and their roles in reproductive health are important to understand. First, let's discuss the key nutrients that you need to support fertility, their role in conception, and how to optimize your levels by prioritizing certain foods as staples in your diet. And men, you need to listen up too! These nutrients aren't just for women to focus on; they're just as important for men to incorporate into their diet as well.
One of the most important nutrients for optimal fertility, having a healthy baby, and preventing miscarriages is something called folate or folic acid. Folate is essential for DNA expression, DNA repair, and something called methylation, which is crucial for regulating which genes are expressed and for regulating cell division, among many other things. This involves many aspects related to fertility, such as the growth and development of cells, which is key for the neurodevelopment of the baby and the creation of new life. If you're deficient in folate, for example, it can lead to neural tube defects, hormonal imbalances, and increased levels of something called homocysteine, which also affects infertility. Low levels of folate can also decrease the success of fertilization, making you less likely to fertilize an egg.
Now, what can you eat? Well, folate-rich foods include beef liver, spinach, kale, arugula, black-eyed peas, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, avocado, broccoli, mustard greens, eggs, beets, citrus fruits, walnuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds. You can eat your way to fertility here, but often you might need to supplement with something called methyl folate, which we'll talk about in a bit.
Omega-3 fats are also a key part of your health; they're an essential fatty acid and a key part of your cell membranes throughout your body. These membranes surround your cells, essentially the bag that holds the cell contents, and are partly made up of these omega-3 fats, which you can only get from your diet. This includes your reproductive organs and cells. When you have enough omega-3s, it helps your cellular response to sex hormones, so your body responds better to these hormones in the receptors, including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. You need good cell membrane function to be fertile, and many of us don't have that.
There are also great anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3s, which create a healthy environment for conception. Omega-3s can increase blood flow to reproductive organs, and for men, there are a lot of benefits, including better erections. It's great for sperm production and positively affects sperm quality, sperm count, sperm motility (meaning they swim better), semen volume, and testosterone levels. So, all around, omega-3 fats are great. Not bad for canola, sardines, or a little fish oil, right? For women, it helps with the uterine lining and blood flow, which helps you to have a good thick endometrium or uterine lining for implantation of the fertilized embryo.
Omega-3-rich foods include small fatty fish that are low in mercury, which I call the "smash fish": salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring. You can also get omega-3s from plants like walnuts, chia seeds, and flax seeds, although they don't convert well to EPA and DHA, so you need to take the preformed version. If you're vegan, you can take pre-formed DHA from algae, which is a great source, but it doesn't provide the full EPA.
Now, magnesium is important because it's involved in over 600 different enzymatic reactions in the body that play a key role in fertility, including DNA regulation and repair. It's important for healthy egg and sperm development, reduces inflammation, regulates hormone production, helps balance estrogen and progesterone, and improves insulin sensitivity, which is the root cause of so much infertility, especially through PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). This problem affects 8 to 13% of reproductive-age women, so it's really common and a common cause of infertility. In fact, Walter Willett from Harvard wrote a book called "The Fertility Diet," where he talks about the role of insulin resistance in infertility. I've seen this many times: correct the insulin resistance, and you correct fertility.
Now, 70% of women who have this problem are not diagnosed, and it's the leading cause of infertility out there. Iron is important because it helps produce hemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body. Now, why is this important? Well, it's key for reproductive health, immune system function, and producing energy, which is really important for the energy-demanding process of ovulation. If you're menstruating, women are more prone to iron deficiency and even anemia because of blood loss during your period. If you have heavy bleeding, it can be worse. When you have low iron, that impairs ovulation and fertility.
Get this: 35% of women under 50 years old are iron deficient. This is from the Lancet. That's a lot of people—about a third of women are iron deficient. It's a lesser problem for men because they don't bleed, and there are a lot of iron-rich foods out there, but nutrient-dense animal protein covers a lot of the nutrient bases. It's not just iron; it has a lot of nutrients for fertility, including zinc, selenium, and B vitamins.
High-quality clean protein should be consumed at about 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of ideal body weight. Just to be clear, 30 grams of protein is about 4 ounces. So, if you're thinking about how many grams of weight you are—let's say you're 100 lbs or 120 lbs—30 grams would be 4 ounces. You need that three to four times a day to get enough. You can get protein from grass-fed beef, lamb, venison, and low-mercury wild-caught sustainable fish, like the smash fish we talked about. Fish is also rich in a lot of nutrients; it has omega-3s, vitamin D, and selenium. Clams and oysters are great; they have B12 and zinc. Pasture-raised, omega-3-enriched eggs are a great source as well. Egg yolks have B12, B6, folate, and omega-3s. Poultry and pork have thiamine and zinc. So, animal foods are great, and high-quality protein is great; it's full of other nutrients that also support fertility.
While we're on the topic of high-quality protein, I want to mention why it's important to focus on optimizing your protein intake. First, adding more protein will help you optimize your diet quality and nutrient density. It also makes you feel full, promoting what we call "thermic effect of food," making it harder to overeat sugar and sweets. For example, vegans who eat low levels of animal protein tend to crave more carbs than sugar and sweets, and that's a problem.
Things like lentils and peas are great; some people can't tolerate beans, but they can adapt over time. The problem is you can't get enough protein from beans alone; you need two cups of beans to equal four ounces of chicken. So, it's just not practical for most people to eat that much beans. You can use high-quality protein powders, sprouted peas, and pumpkin seeds. You can also supplement with branched-chain amino acids to help with protein quality. Don't rely on vegan meat substitutes for protein; they're not meat, they're fake meat, and they're ultra-processed science projects. They're inflammatory and have no nutritional benefit except what they sort of quote-fortify the foods with. I wonder why they have to fortify foods, right? Because they're so impoverished in the first place.
Now, B12 is also important for sex hormone production. It's really important for ovulation, regular menstrual cycles, and testosterone production in males. It's essential for sperm and egg quality, cell division, and even early fetal development. A deficiency in B12 can cause a lot of problems; it can cause issues with implantation of the egg into the uterus and the development of the fetus. It can drive other problems like low sex drive and high homocysteine levels, which are also associated with reproductive issues. You can get B12 from food like animal protein, which is the only bioavailable source. Vegetarians and vegans must supplement; there's no way around it. You can take methylcobalamin, but you cannot get it from plant foods. Some people say you can get it from different plants, but you may not be getting a reliable amount, so you need to be very careful with that.
Selenium is also important; it's an essential micronutrient that helps fight inflammation. You can get selenium from meat, seafood, and Brazil nuts. About four Brazil nuts a day usually cover your selenium needs, so that's great.
Now, what else do you need to know to maintain and optimize fertility? Well, gut health! Your gut microbiome plays a huge role in hormone regulation and fertility. Researchers are discovering many roles for gut microbes and optimal gut health and how it contributes to obesity, PCOS, hormone imbalances, and much more. So, it's important to tend to your inner garden, and I always talk about that. It's really important to learn how to take care of your inner garden, and you need gut-supporting foods.
Things like fermented foods that have probiotics in them are great. Other things that are beneficial include fiber and prebiotic foods, which are important like fruits and veggies. You should aim for 8 to 12 servings of non-starchy fruits and veggies. Certain gluten-free whole grains can be helpful, and cruciferous vegetables are also really important for gut health. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, collards, kale, Brussels sprouts, and collard greens help regulate excess estrogen in the body. They help with estrogen dominance, which is something that commonly happens as women enter their later reproductive years, where they get higher estrogen than progesterone.
This relative or absolute excess can lead to higher estrogen levels and more problems with cancer and fertility. There are a lot of important things to consider. Another class of foods that are great for your gut is the garlic family: garlic, onions, leeks, and shallots. They're anti-inflammatory. Certain gluten-free whole grains can add fiber, like amaranth and buckwheat. I like Himalayan tartary buckwheat sprouted powder, which is great; I put it in my smoothie. Wild rice is great, although it's technically not a grain. Black rice and quinoa are also fine.
Fermented probiotic-rich foods are great: sauerkraut, goat or sheep yogurt, kefir, kimchi, natto, and miso are all excellent for helping your gut health. You really need to learn how to take care of your inner garden, and you might even need to take probiotic supplements. If you have a messed-up gut, it's important to work with someone on this. If you have leaky gut or irritable bowel syndrome, you want to work with a good functional medicine practitioner to fix it. You need to learn how to do that with the 5R program, which involves avoiding and minimizing the foods that create problems, using prebiotics, probiotics, and gut repair tools.
Once you've dialed in your nutrition and are focusing on eating specific foods to support your hormones, reproductive health, and sperm and egg health, it's really important to clean up your diet—not just add the good stuff but also take out the bad stuff. Reduce your intake of more problematic foods that cause insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammation, which definitely reduce fertility and cause impaired fertility.
What are those foods? No surprise if you're listening to me: ultra-processed foods—basically, foods that contain ingredients you wouldn't have in your kitchen and that are made in factories. They are deconstructed science projects. You do not want to eat those, even though they may look like food; they're not actually food by definition. Refined grains, refined flours, and added sugars are all bad. Think potato chips, crackers, pretzels, candy, microwave popcorn, muffins, donuts, sandwich bread (which isn't even really bread), cookies, flavored yogurts, and puddings.
Why are these foods bad? They contribute to the epidemic of metabolic dysfunction, which affects 93% of the population and is somewhere on the trajectory of insulin resistance. They lead to oxidative stress, reduce the chance of fertility, increase PCOS, and cause sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction. Yep, that's true, guys—that's what happens when you consume these foods. They also contain a lot of forever chemicals—endocrine-disrupting chemicals that you don't want in your body, like BPA and others. You want to get rid of all those; they are significant endocrine disruptors.
We call this whole class of chemicals endocrine disruptors because they disrupt your hormone system. They also contain a lot of bad stuff: chemical additives, artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, and thickeners that all contribute to inflammation by damaging the gut lining, leading to a leaky gut. They often contain low-quality fats like trans fats and inflammatory oils, such as soybean oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and vegetable seed oils. GMO corn and soy are also problematic. Sugar-sweetened beverages are definitely a no-no because they drive insulin resistance, including sodas and diet sodas. Although artificial sweeteners work in a different way, fruit juices and green juices are often just as bad. Many of them are just jackfruit or pineapple juice and sugary fruit stuff, which is just as bad.
Of course, there may be more antioxidants and other good stuff in there, but it's a lot of bad stuff. Obviously, you should avoid soft drinks, lemonade, sweetened iced teas, alcohol, sports drinks, meal replacement drinks, and protein drinks like Boost, Fairlife, and Core Protein. These are all garbage. There are good plant proteins and good animal protein products out there, but just be careful. Also, be cautious with plant milks; they can be flavored and sweetened, and they may have emulsifiers and thickeners. There can be some good ones, but make sure they have simple ingredients like almonds, water, and salt, for example.
Definitely avoid energy drinks; those are full of colors, dyes, and artificial sweeteners. Flavored coffees—if you go to Starbucks, you're probably getting tons of sugar, sometimes as much as a can of Coke or more, depending on what you're getting. Creamers that are weird should also be avoided.
You also want to stay away from conventional dairy. Dairy is a hugely hormonally disruptive food, and unless you're eating sheep or goat cheese, which is less problematic, most conventional dairy has antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, and a lot of hormone-disrupting compounds in it. It's one of the things I very strongly recommend women avoid if they have menstrual or hormonal issues. Caffeine can be fine, but be careful of too much; it can wear out your adrenal glands. Alcohol is definitely not good for fertility; it affects your liver and your ability to regulate hormones through your liver, which can cause dysregulation of estrogen, testosterone, and many other hormones.
Now, alcohol consumption in men can lead to lower testosterone levels and higher estrogen levels, which can cause all sorts of issues like lower libido and fertility issues. It can increase breast size in men and cause loss of body hair. It's just not a good thing.
So, what are the practical dietary adjustments for enhancing fertility? Let's go through them one by one. What are the practical tips for creating a diet that incorporates fertility-boosting foods into your everyday meals? Build your meals around protein, veggies, and fiber, which makes you feel full and less likely to overeat. Try food stacking. Start the day with protein and fat for breakfast. You can have a savory breakfast or a protein shake; that's really fine to do.
I don't know why we've gotten to a place in America where we think sugar for breakfast is a good idea, but it's the worst possible thing that's ever happened to us. So, what can you have for breakfast? Eggs are great; they're rich in vitamin D, B12, and protein, which are great for hormone balance. You can have an omelet with spinach and tomatoes for added folate and vitamin C. You can have poached or hard-boiled eggs. I like shakshuka, which I buy in a jarred version, and I put the eggs in there and cook it in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes—pretty quick!
Don't eat those quick-cooking oats; get rid of those. If you're going to eat oats, only have steel-cut oats, but you want to add protein and fat, such as flax seeds, chia seeds, or nuts. You can also put in some grass-fed butter or another kind of oil like flax oil. You want to get protein, fat, and fiber in there. Chia seed pudding is a great breakfast, as is a coconut yogurt berry smoothie with protein powder. I like that one; it's my favorite.
What about snacks? Well, I don't really snack that much, but if you're hungry, nuts and seeds are great. A handful of almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds are great snacks that have zinc, selenium, and lots of good fats. Meat sticks are great; I like the Maui Nui and Paleo Valley brands. Raw veggies with homemade hummus are also an option. Low-glycemic fruit is fine—berries, apples, cherries, and citrus fruits.
What about lunch and dinner? Salads are great! You can put a base of leafy greens like arugula or dark leafy greens, mixed greens, spinach, or kale to increase folate intake. You can add avocado for healthy fats and sprinkle some sunflower seeds for vitamin E. I usually use olive oil, so you get a fat salad with nuts, protein, and fat. You can even add a can of sardines or salmon on there; it's also great. You can include fatty fish like salmon and mackerel. I get some canned salmon or mackerel; I love that with my salad. It helps boost your omega-3s, which helps sperm quality and your reproductive health.
If you're having desserts or treats, fine, but choose something that's good for you, like dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher). It has lots of antioxidants, improves mood, doesn't give you too much sugar, and benefits your hormones. Melt dark chocolate and coat blueberries, raspberries, or almonds; you can freeze them to make a healthy dessert. You can also sign up for my recipe newsletter, Mark's Kitchen, where I always have healthy recipes and desserts like fudgy almond butter brownies and chocolate olive oil mousse with candied walnuts. Yum!
There's going to be a link in the show notes for the recipes and to sign up for my Mark's Kitchen newsletter, featuring new recipes every week delivered straight to your inbox. You can also go to my website, drhyman.com, to sign up as well. My new cookbook, "Young Forever," has a ton of recipes in it as well, and we'll put the link in the show notes.
For women, it's important to supplement to fill nutrient gaps. For example, a prenatal vitamin is important even before you get pregnant; you're just preparing to get pregnant. There are a lot of them out there, like Thorne's great prenatal vitamin, which has methylated B vitamins, folate (5-methyl folate, not folic acid, which is the less effective form found in most prenatal vitamins).
About 35% to 40% of the population has a mutation in a gene called MTHFR that affects your ability to utilize the synthetic folic acid found in prenatal supplements. So, you're not even getting the benefits. You want to take the pre-formed methyl folate, which also contains methylcobalamin (B12, the right form). Omega-3s are really important—at least 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of EPA and DHA every day. I like the Omega-3 Rejuvenate from Big Bold Health.
For men, you also want to take supplements—not just for women. It helps fertility for men too, so you guys aren't out of the picture. A multivitamin, mineral, vitamin D, and omega-3s are good. It's important to get the right foods, not eat the wrong foods, take the right supplements, and optimize your metabolism to help you achieve a healthy pregnancy.
We have a lot more control over our hormones and the regulation of our reproductive life than we think. It's important for you to take control of that, and that's really why I did this podcast today. I hope you found it helpful. Whether you're just getting started on your health journey, trying to have a baby, or one day want to have one in the future, by understanding how different foods and nutrients affect your hormonal balance and reproductive health, you can make better choices that support your reproductive health and fertility.
If you loved that last video, you're going to love the next one. Check it out here!