10 HOME REMEDIES TO OVULATE (NATURAL) - NUTRITION - 2024

Some of the best home remedies to ovulate are consuming plenty of water, eating fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, eliminating habits such as drinking alcohol or smoking, and others that I will explain to you below.

Correct ovulation is important not only to conceive a baby, but it is also a warning indicator of how the body is functioning. If there is a hormonal imbalance, the presence of polycystic ovary syndrome, or factors such as being overweight, lack of sleep, stress and harmful habits (alcohol, tobacco), the presence of problems in the ovulation process are more likely.

Some visible symptoms are irregular menstrual periods, menstrual periods longer than 8 days, and problems conceiving. The best thing is that you visit a doctor who can diagnose what is the cause of these problems.

And if what you are looking for is to get pregnant, remember that ovulatory disorders are the most common cause of female infertility, but they are not the only reason, so you should receive a complete medical advice and as a couple.

Nutrition is included within the medical advice we recommend. The positive effects of nutrition on both female and male fertility have been shown. In this article you will find some nutritional guidelines to follow to contribute to your reproductive health.

Best foods to increase ovulation

1- Eat foods rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids

A diet with an appropriate content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega 3 and omega 6), favors the production of hormones such as prostaglandins and the metabolism of steroids in our body.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are used as input for the correct development of the ovum and its preparation for conception.

As food sources of these nutrients we have fish, flaxseed, seeds and nuts. The adequate consumption of these foods, and the reduction of the consumption of trans fatty acids, present mainly in industrially produced cakes and sweets, potato chips, food, fast food, powdered soups and hard margarines, can be effective in preventing infertility in the women.

2- Maintain a healthy weight

Scientific studies have studied the risk of infertility due to ovulation disorders in young women, discovering that very thin women and women with obesity are those who are more likely to present this problem.

The biggest problem, however, tends to be overweight and obesity. In these cases, because it is associated with insulin resistance and, in some cases, with polycystic ovary syndrome.

These situations are usually accompanied by ovulation disorders. Overweight and obese women have a 32% higher risk of infertility due to ovulation disorders than women of normal weight.

All these alterations caused by excess weight are due to an alteration in the function of adipose tissue. Now it is known that accumulated fat is not only an energy reserve but also has a hormonal role in the body.

For this reason, it is important to maintain an appropriate weight for age and height. Neither in excess, nor in deficit.

3- Eliminate harmful habits from your life

Female fertility can be negatively affected by alcohol consumption and high caffeine consumption.

A study conducted in Swedish women found that women who consumed alcohol in an amount of at least 2 drinks a day had a significantly higher risk of infertility, while women who consumed less than 1 drink a day had a significantly lower risk in compared to study participants who drank moderate amounts of alcohol.

It is also noteworthy that a large consumption of caffeine can significantly lengthen the waiting time for the onset of pregnancy.

The European Infertility and Subfertility Study shows that high caffeine consumption (> 500 mg per day, that is, greater than about five cups of coffee) can increase the risk of infertility by 45%.

4- Eat foods like soy

Soy is popular on the Asian continent. Originally from China, it has been a part of the diet of its population for a long time. In the 1980s, the consumption of soybeans was introduced in America and Europe.

The studies revealed the benefits of soy in women in the cardiovascular, sexual and reproductive health of this food.

The compounds thanks to which the benefits in the regulation of ovulation are granted are isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, ipriflavone, glycitein). These compounds have an action similar to that of estrogens.

That is why soy has become in recent years, a food used in herbal treatments for menopausal symptoms and for the prevention of climacteric disorders.

Recipe to prepare a homemade soy drink

Ingredients: 1 cup of soy + cinnamon + cloves

Preparation: One night before, let the soybeans soak in a bowl with cold water until it covers the content. The next morning, process the soaked soybeans with extra water in a blender.

Pour into a pot and boil for 45 minutes, with cinnamon and cloves. Pass the content through a strainer and that's it. You will have a delicious and nutritious soy drink. You can use a sweetener to taste.

5- Maca, a Peruvian food for the world

Bruise. Source: Vahe Martirosyan / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

Maca is a Peruvian tuber, which has become popular for its invigorating and stimulating effects on reproductive health. It is a food native to the Andes, which is marketed in natural form, flour, packaged drinks, and others. It is a product that is visiting international tables thanks to its proven benefits.

The Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (Peru) conducted research on this food, and showed that it had a similar effect to the drug used to induce ovulation (Clomiphene Citrate).

Recipe for an energizing maca shake

Two servings, to be taken as a couple:

Ingredients: 2 bananas + 1 teaspoon of peanut butter + 2 tablespoons of maca flour + 5 drops of vanilla + 2 cups of fresh milk.

preparation:

Place the peeled and chopped bananas and the other ingredients in a blender. Beat until creamy. Serve and enjoy. If you want you can add honey or panela.

6- Lentils and other legumes

These foods provide iron to the diet. It is advisable to consume them with a source of vitamin C, so that iron can be assimilated in greater quantity.

Iron prevents anemia in women of childbearing age. One of the causes of anovulation is anemia in women. When the body detects that there are not adequate iron stores, it stops this process to prevent an anemic pregnancy, which would not be favorable for the baby.

Legumes, such as beans, beans, chickpeas, are also a vegetable source of protein. Research confirms that women who consume a good supply of plant-based proteins in their diet have a lower risk of having fertility problems.

7- Açaí, a fruit from which many benefits are discovered

Açaí. Source: PS Sena / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

The Açaí is a plant of great economic importance that is widely found in the Amazon region of Brazil. Scientific studies showed that açaí exhibits a diverse composition of hydroxybenzoic acids and antioxidants. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects, due to its high level of phytochemicals.

This fruit has activity that favors the fight against female infertility. Its compounds are favorable for the good maintenance of ovarian function. All these benefits are making its consumption popular in other latitudes, now being outside Brazil, in Latin America and Europe.

Acai smoothie recipe

Ingredients: 100 g of Acai + 1 cup of fresh strawberries + 1 ripe banana + 16 almonds + 2 teaspoons of grated coconut + 3-4 mint leaves +2 cups of milk.

Preparation: Add all the ingredients of the smoothie in the blender and process until you obtain a creamy mixture.

8- Avoid high consumption of added sugar

Added sugar is what is added in processed products, industrialized drinks, sweets, snacks and what we use as table sugar. This type of sugar produces negative health effects, unlike the sugar that is naturally found in fruits, which does not cause damage to the body.

Diets high in added sugar cause metabolic changes, such as hyperinsulinemia. This condition is a previous step to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Hyperinsulinemia is related to anovulation and fertility problems. For this reason, it is important that you control your sugar intake and add lots of fruits and vegetables to your diet.

The maximum amounts of added sugar consumption per day are 5 teaspoons. However, if you consume a carbonated drink with sugar, you can consume up to 12 teaspoons in a single instant.

If the daily intake of a person who consumes many processed products and sweets is calculated, it can reach between 30 and 40 teaspoons a day, thus damaging their health.

9- Consume 8 glasses of water a day

The function of water in the human body is vital. That the body percentage of water is so high, has its reasons. The body needs water as a medium to carry out the chemical reactions that give us life. And also, as a means of transporting nutrients and hormones.

In the aspect of reproductive health, it contributes to the maintenance of ovarian functions in correct condition. It contributes to the proper transport of hormones by sending the necessary signals for good health.

10- Include many colors in the diet

Includes red, orange, purple, white, green fruits and vegetables. The more colors your diet has, the more antioxidants you will be ingesting. This is very favorable for your reproductive health.

Antioxidants protect the eggs from possible damage by free radicals and thereby increase their lifespan. It is therefore essential that your diet is rich in antioxidants.

Ideas for you to combine foods

• Blue or purple: beet, aubergine, black grape, blackberry, plum, blueberry, purple corn, figs.
• Red: strawberries, watermelon, tomato, apple, cherries, pomegranate, raspberry, pepper.
• Green: chard, parsley, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, kiwi.
• White: onion, garlic, turnip, cauliflower, pear, mushrooms.
• Orange: carrot, orange, grapefruit, mango, tangerine, peach, medlar, pineapple, passion fruit, pumpkin.

References

1. Dorota Szostak-Węgierek. Nutrition and fertility. Department of Preventive Medicine and Health, Institute of Social Medicine, Warsaw Medical University.
2. Joan Martínez G uijarro. Phytohormones under review. A scientific and current vision. Biological Sciences. Natura Medicatrix 2001.
3. Antonia Expósito, Ana I. Expósito, Roberto Matorras. Obesity and oocyte quality. University of the Basque Country.
4. Marín M. Arroyo J. Bonilla P. Effect of lipid fractions of lepidium Meyenni Walpers "Maca", in the reproductive system of mice. Science and Research. Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry. National University of San Marcos. 2003.