Best Diet for Women Over 40 who are hoping to conceive

One of Australia’s leading fertility experts, has created a guide outlining the best diet for over 40s hoping to conceive. According to Dr David Knight using dietary polyamines can help increase the chances of conceiving as the body ages.

Infertility affects around one in six couples. In women, common causes include issues with the womb, ovulation problems, poor egg quality, ovarian cysts or blocked and damaged fallopian tubes. In men, it could be tube blockage, low sperm count or a sperm allergy.

At the age of 33 a woman’s natural fertility starts to decline, and by the age of 40, only around 20% of women can fall pregnant naturally.

Dr David Knight from Demeter Fertility has researched the role of polyamines in women over 40 who are unable to conceive naturally.

Polyamines are essential for cell renewal and essential to male and female reproductive systems and to embryo/foetal development. But as we age, the ability to make polyamines decreases because the enzyme that makes them (ODC) decreases.

Information collected by Dr Knight has shown that polyamines are essential regulators of cell growth and gene expression, and they have been implicated in both mitosis and meiosis. There is evidence for polyamine involvement in ovarian follicle development and ovulation, and polyamine synthesis is required for hormone production in the ovary.

“In general, as the polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine are essential for cell renewal, they are also needed to keep the body healthy. Having a fertile body requires having a healthy and balanced diet, and increasing the intake of polyamines may assist with your overall fertility if you are trying to conceive,” says Dr Knight.

The average daily polyamine consumption ranges from about 3.5-5mg/day with the major sources being fruit, cheese, and non-green vegetables. The key polyamines that are of interest to fertility improvement are:

• Putrescine: found in aged cheeses, potatoes, canned/frozen vegetables, oranges and frozen prawns.

• Spermidine: found in mature cheeses, soybeans, fermented tea, mushrooms, potatoes and fresh bread.

• Spermine: found in cereals, canned or frozen vegetables, meat products, particularly red meat and poultry.

Studies have shown that the standout foods with the highest measured polyamine levels include: fresh grapefruit juice, orange juice, sauerkraut and oranges.

The body’s organs require polyamines for their growth, renewal, and metabolism. Proper cell development depends on polyamines, which have a profound stabilising effect on a cell’s DNA. Polyamines are therefore thought to be essential to increasing chances for conceiving, and should be incorporated into the diet as much as possible, especially if you are over 40 and hoping to fall pregnant.

For more information visit www.demeterfertility.com