Fertility benefits of nuts and seeds
Looking for a super simple way to boost your fertility? Try adding more nuts and seeds to your diet!
Though they may be small, nuts and seeds pack a mighty nutrition punch! They’re an excellent source of anti-inflammatory monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and are packed full of fertility-supporting nutrients. Different nuts and seeds provide different nutrients, so including a wide variety is a great way to help meet nutrient needs:
- Just 1 Brazil nut daily meets your selenium needs to support thyroid health as well as sperm health and female fertility: from follicle development to the implantation environment
- Walnuts, chia seeds and flaxseeds provide plant-based Omega 3 fatty acids, which are important for both male and female fertility
- Pepitas, chia seeds, hemp seeds, almonds can help you build your iron stores to support fertility and prepare for increased demands in pregnancy
- Pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, pinenuts, cashews, almonds and sunflower seeds are just some of the nuts and seeds that are great for providing zinc, which is needed for healthy egg and sperm.
- Walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds and brazil nuts are particularly rich in antioxidant properties
And while nuts and seeds are a worthy inclusion for both male and female fertility, if you’re Looking to boost sperm health it’s definitely time to go nuts!
Research has shown that daily nut consumption improves sperm health parameters – in fact a study comparing the impact on sperm health of daily walnut consumption versus a male-fertility-focused multivitamin found that the walnuts resulted in greater improvements to sperm motility (movement) and morphology (normal shape). If you’re not a big walnut fan, don’t fret: similar results have been found for mixed nuts.
Inspired to up your nut and seed game for fertility? Try my Super Seedy walnut power bars – a delicious and nutrient-packed fertility-friendly snack!
Super-seedy power bars
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups whole rolled oats
- ½ cup raw walnuts – roughly chopped
- 1 very packed cup of medjool dates – pitted
- 3Tbs chia seeds
- 3 Tbs sunflower seeds
- 2 Tbs Hemp Seeds
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup natural or lightly salted peanut butter (other nut butters like almond butter would work well too!)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to ~180 degrees
- Start by toasting your oats and walnuts in the oven until slightly brown – check on them after 10 minutes but may take a couple more minutes.
- In a food processor, process your dates for about a minute – until it forms a “dough-like” consistency
- Add your oats, walnuts, dates and all of the seeds to a large mixing bowl.
- Now heat your peanut butter and honey in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring to mix together and then pour over the oats, walnuts, dates and seeds. Mix thoroughly and ensure you disperse the dates evenly throughout the mixture.
- Transfer your mixture to a lined pan – Make sure you press the mixture down firmly/ flatten as much as you can (you can cover with baking paper etc and then press down with a book or something heavy to really pack it in tightly)
- Chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up
- Slice into bars and Enjoy mindfully!