Unlock the Surprising Truth About Vegetarian Diets and Fertility: What You Need to Know!

For couples trying to conceive, diet is an increasingly important factor to consider. While key factors like maternal age cannot be changed, there is growing evidence that modifiable factors, such as diet, can impact fertility. Vegetarian and vegan diets have gained momentum in the modern world, driven by ethical, health, and religious reasons. Understanding the impact of a vegetarian diet on fertility is crucial for those who have chosen this dietary path.

The Appeal and Potential Pitfalls of Vegetarian Diets

A properly balanced plant-based diet can offer health benefits like better heart health, weight management, and reduced cancer risk. To maximize these benefits, it's essential to choose a variety of healthy plant-based foods, such as whole fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts, and whole grains, while cutting back on less healthy choices like sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juices, and refined grains.

However, a vegetarian diet can also present challenges, particularly when it comes to obtaining key nutrients that can boost fertility. Sticking to a vegetarian diet during pregnancy can be trickier than it seems. While you can adjust your diet to cover the basics like protein and carbs, the real struggle is with key micronutrients like vitamin D, iron, vitamin E, sodium, and choline. Even adding prenatal supplements doesn’t always close the gap-vitamin D and choline are particularly tough to get enough of. This shows one of the biggest downsides of a vegetarian diet during pregnancy: it just doesn’t naturally provide everything your body needs.

Key Nutrients for Fertility and How to Obtain Them on a Vegetarian Diet

Here's a breakdown of essential nutrients for fertility and how vegetarians can ensure they're getting enough:

Protein: Essential for sustaining and building tissue for both the mother and the developing baby. A good general rule is 0.9 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. High-quality vegetarian protein sources include lentils, chickpeas, black/kidney/pinto/lima beans, nuts and seeds, nutritional yeast, spirulina, sprouted grains, or a plant protein powder.
Vitamin B12: Crucial for sperm health and production in men and for the health of the endometrial lining and normal ovulation in women. Plant foods don’t contain vitamin B12, which is one reason why an average of 62% of vegetarian mothers-to-be are deficient. Because B12 is mostly available from animal sources like red meat, poultry, dairy products and eggs, vegetarians may need to rely on B12-fortified foods or supplements. B12 is available in small amounts in seaweed (also a good source of iodine which can be deficient in vegans), barley grass, blue green algae like spirulina, fortified nutritional yeast, almond and hemp milk, and cereals. If you struggle to get enough B12 (many people do), a vegetarian B-12 supplement, around 1000 mcg daily is a good choice.
Iron: Low iron levels can lead to ovulation issues and decreased oxygen flow to the ovaries and uterus. Plant sources of iron include blackstrap molasses, dulse, lentils, chickpeas, beans, beets, dark greens like spinach and kale, pumpkin seeds and dried fruit like apricots, raisins or figs. Be sure to also include high Vitamin C foods to enhance iron absorption: berries, peppers, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and citrus fruits. If your iron levels are still low (plant source iron can be hard to absorb), a good food source, non-constipating iron supplement like Blood Builder by MegaFood may be necessary.
Zinc: Important for sperm health, hormone regulation, menstrual cycle health, and libido. Plant-based sources include pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, oats, tofu, and cashews. If you’re not sure you’re getting enough zinc, a supplement can shore up your levels. A general dose is 15-30 mg daily. If you need zinc long term, make sure your supplement contains copper.
Vitamin D: Vital to cell growth, immune response, fibroid protection, hormone balance, and normal ovulation. Vitamin D is available in fortified dairy, cheese, eggs, and mushrooms. For vegans, D3 supplements are now available from lichen sources. Note: Many D3 supplements are derived from lanolin (from sheep’s wool).
Calcium: Important for preconception, sperm function, and embryo development. Vegetarians and vegans can find calcium in foods like: root vegetables, broccoli, nuts and seeds, dark greens like kale or turnip greens, figs, white beans, whole grains, blackstrap molasses, spirulina, and organic carrot juice. Carrot juice is an excellent source of calcium. One 8-oz glass of fresh, organic carrot juice has 300-400 mg of bioavailable calcium. (An 8-oz. FertilicaTM Coral Calcium supplement may be a good choice if you struggle to get enough calcium on your Fertility Diet.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Essential fats for heart health, hormone balance, cervical mucus production, and fetal/maternal brain health. Omega-3s are available in plant foods like flax seed, chia seed, hemp seed, perilla oil, sesame seed, and tahini.
Choline: Research indicates that choline is absolutely vital for fertility, especially egg health and supporting fertilisation and implantation. During pregnancy, it’s essential for brain development and protecting against the risk of neural tube defects. Because it’s a nutrient that’s largely found in animal products, it can be very lacking in a vegetarian diet.
Vitamin A: Vitamin is available in two forms: retinol and carotenoids. Retinol is the active form that is ready for the body to use and it’s only found in animal foods. Vitamin A is essential for fertility. It can encourage cervical mucus to provide a receptive environment for fertilisation and helps the follicles to mature and function in the right way. It’s important for male fertility too.
DHA: When it comes to fertility, DHA is a nutrient you can’t ignore. Studies have shown that women who consume plenty of DHA are more likely to conceive, especially as they get older. DHA is involved in every cell in the body and during pregnancy, it supports healthy brain, heart and eye development.
Glycine: During pregnancy, glycine helps to build skin, nails, teeth, hair, skeleton and internal organs. Glycine is found in abundance in poultry (especially with the skin on) and bone broth but it’s much harder to come by if you’re vegetarian.

Research Findings on Vegetarian Diets and Fertility

While some studies have observed better sperm quality in vegan men compared to nonvegan men, others have indicated lower quality. On another note, in vegan and vegetarian men, different epigenetics and insufficient sperm hyperactivity have been reported. The latter may indicate an alteration in calcium membrane channels. Furthermore, changes in the sperm membrane, such as lower ω3 fatty acid levels, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been detected in young vegan men.

Research indicates that a higher adherence to a healthy plant-based diet (higher vegetable and fruit intake) is associated with a shorter time to pregnancy compared to women who follow an unhealthy plant-based diet (high intake of fast food and sugary drinks).

Practical Tips for Optimizing a Vegetarian Diet for Fertility

Prioritize Protein: Start by choosing your plant-based protein and build your meal around it. Great options include tofu, tempeh, natto, lentils, chickpeas, beans, hemp hearts, and quinoa.
Emphasize Variety: Including a diverse mix of vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds gives you a better chance of covering all your nutritional bases.
Incorporate Healthy Fats: They’re essential for hormone health and help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. Make sure you include a source of fat in each meal.
Plan Ahead: Instead of scrambling at the last minute, take time to write out a simple menu and prep your grocery list a few days in advance.
Balance Blood Sugar: Since many plant-based protein sources also contain carbohydrates, be sure each meal contains healthy fats, which slows the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, and prioritize high-fiber carbohydrates. Aim for consistent meal spacing, ideally eating every 4 hours to support blood sugar and the migrating motor complex (MMC), a key player in digestion.
Eat Your Non-Starchy Veggies First:
Boost Omega-3 Fats: (DHA and ALA) to reduce inflammation.

Supplementation Considerations

A well-planned vegan diet can meet many of your body’s needs, but there are certain nutrients essential for fertility and early pregnancy that often require supplementation.

Vitamin B12: Since B12 is found almost exclusively in animal products, supplementation with a high-quality, bioavailable form is a must for vegans trying to conceive.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Particularly DHA: While flax, chia, and walnuts provide ALA (a precursor to DHA), the body’s ability to convert ALA to DHA is low-and can be further impaired by nutrient deficiencies.
Other Nutrients: Common shortfalls include iron, iodine, zinc, vitamin D, and choline.

Seeking Professional Guidance

While many people can manage a plant-based diet on their own, certain situations call for expert guidance. If you’re trying to conceive, currently pregnant, or dealing with symptoms like nausea, food aversions, or digestive issues, working with a registered dietitian can be especially valuable. It’s also wise to seek support if you have a history of anemia, thyroid imbalances, irregular cycles, or complications in past pregnancies. Partnering with a functional medicine dietitian may offer even deeper insight.

Read also: Healthy Vegetarian Eating

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