Key Lifestyle Factors that Affect Your Fertility
Planning to conceive? If yes, you should start making sure that you are living a healthy lifestyle. Vast researches have shown that several factors affect our health and fertility. They include nutrition, exercise and stress management.
Whilst some things about our health are unchangeable, like our genetic profile, there are many factors that we can control to ensure good health and fertility. Here are the lifestyle factors that affect fertility in both men and women.
Exercise
Exercise is crucial for healthy pregnancy. Many studies suggest that regular exercise may boost reproductive function. In one study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynaecology, it was found that women who exercised 30 minutes or more daily had a reduced risk of infertility due to ovulation disorders. Meanwhile, researchers from Harvard School of Public Health found that exercise may boost a man’s sperm count, and therefore may increase chances of conception. By being active, you are strengthening your heart as well as your muscles, improving your blood flow, and lowering your stress levels. All these contribute to health and fertility.
Nutrition
A diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts, essential fatty acids like that from fish, monounsaturated fats like that from avocado and olive oil, and lean protein, supports reproductive health, reduces oxidative damage and inflammation, and creates a healthy functioning system that is ready to support a new life. Experts agree that establishing a healthy eating pattern is a great initial step for women who are planning to conceive. A healthy diet is equally important for men. Male obesity has been shown to affect fertility by altering testosterone and other hormone levels.
Weight Management
Being overweight affects both the male and female fertility. Excess fat can be especially problematic for men because adipose tissue produces oestrogen hormones and can thus disrupt the high testosterone levels that promote the growth of virulent and highly mobile sperm. Meanwhile, in the 2007 study carried out by the Amsterdam’s Academic Medical Centre, it was found that severely obese women were 43 per cent less likely to achieve pregnancy than women who have normal weight.
Drug Use
There are drug types, including some antibiotics, antidepressants, antiepileptics, opiates and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that may negatively affect fertility. Antidepressants have been shown to affect sexual health as a result of several symptoms like loss of libido, lowered sperm count, erectile dysfunction and menstrual irregularities. The use of steroids, including anabolic steroids, can have permanent negative effects on both the male and female reproductive systems. In high doses, steroids can reduce sperm production, increase the number of abnormal sperms, and cause erectile dysfunction and atrophy. In women, steroids may inhibit the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which are needed for ovulation and facilitate the menstrual cycle.
Tobacco and Alcohol Use
Many people understand that smoking during pregnancy can cause serious health effects to both the mother and the child. But few people know that smoking may also affect the couple’s ability to conceive. In men, smoking can lead to low sperm counts and poor sperm motility, and in women, it can cause reduced ovarian reserve and chromosomal abnormalities, which lead to miscarriage or stillbirth.
Environmental Factors
Exposure to pollution, toxic irritants, heavy metals, and products which contain toxic chemicals may cause inflammation, DNA damage, hormonal imbalance, and metabolic problems, which all can impact pregnancy.
Psychological Health
While doctors may not know the exact association between stress and fertility, a series of studies shows the impact is hard to ignore. In a study published in the journal Human Reproduction, researchers found that pregnancy is more likely to occur during times when couples reported feeling “good”. Another study, published in 2005 in the journal Fertility and Sterility suggests that stress may play a role in the success of infertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization (IVF).
By paying attention to these lifestyle factors, you are greatly improving your health and boosting your chance of a healthy pregnancy.
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