Vitamins for fertility

Being fit and healthy is not only important in ensuring your own well-being, but it also maximises the chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy. By eating a nutritionally rich, varied, healthy diet(whole grains, nuts, legumes, fish, fruits, vegetables, and healthy oils), low in red meat and unhealthy fats, you should find that you are getting many of the vitamins and minerals you need for good fertility. However, there are some vitamins and minerals that are especially important for fertility.
Folic Acid: Also known as Vitamin B9, folic acid plays a key role in building DNA, the building block of the human body, which carries genetic information. In this way, folic acid is essential for cell division and the production and maintenance of new cells (particularly red blood cells). Women who get too little folic acid during pregnancy increase the chances that their baby will be born with spina bifida. It is therefore important to take the right amount of folic acid before and during pregnancy.Although folic acid is traditionally recommended for women of child-bearing age, new scientific findings suggest that what men eat may also affect reproductive health. Taking folic acid can help to boost the quality and quantity of sperm in men suffering from partial infertility.
Zinc:This key mineral and antioxidant plays a crucial role in keeping us healthy. Zinc is essential for cell and tissue renewal. It is also important for sperm production, and the formation of the male sex hormone called testosterone. Research has suggested that inadequate zinc in the dietcan cause male infertility
Zinc may also be important for female fertility. New research has revealed that healthy eggs need a tremendous amount of zinc to reach maturity and be ready for fertilization. Zinc essentially improves the quality of the egg, improving its chances of becoming a healthy embryo.
Vitamin E:Vitamin E is a powerful fat-soluble antioxidant. Antioxidants have the ability to neutralize, or quench, damaging free radicals. Because of this, vitamin E may help to protect against sperm damage and sperm immobility.
Selenium:This mineral is important for male reproductive functions. It is also a constituent of sperm. Giving selenium to sub-fertile men has been shown to significantly improve sperm motility. Selenium is also a very powerful antioxidant, and may help to protect against free radical-induced DNA damage in human sperm cells.