If you and your spouse are contemplating having a baby, this is for you. Research suggests that better nutrition (eating more fruits and vegetables and less junk food) could significantly enhance the odds of conception by improving a man’s sperm quality.

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Two studies published in “Fertility and Sterility” point to diet’s profound impact on male potency. Researchers compared the diets of 30 men with poor sperm quality with an equal number of men with normal sperm quality. Turns out the former ate more meat and full-fat dairy — while the latter ate more vegetables and lean protein.

“In our practice we have seen men with sub-fertility who start actively to improve diet improve sperm count,” said Dr. Singh.

One factor may be the hormones given to commercial livestock, while another may be the lack of nourishing and protective nutrients in a junk-food diet. The second study, in fact, linked increased intakes of fiber, folate, vitamin C and lycopene with higher quality sperm.

Antioxidant vitamins in particular may help shield sperm from free-radical damage, improving sperm volume and movement. Preliminary research has underscored the lycopene-sperm quality connection, which would recommend adding watermelon and tomatoes to the diet.

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“In our practice we have seen men with sub-fertility who start actively to improve diet improve sperm counts  and pregnancies result,” Dr. Anita Singh, the director of Lifestart Fertility Center, said in an interview with LifeZette. In her Agoura Hills, California practice, she actively counsels both men and women to drop the junk food and eat more fruit and vegetables if they’re serious about conceiving.

“Nutrition is important for optimal male fertility. Poor nutrition can lead to obesity that can lower a man’s fertility. Also, eating a diet rich in antioxidants is beneficial in improving sperm quality when it is reduced.  Good nutrition for both men and women desiring fertility is important.”

While full-fat dairy may hamper male fertility, it may increase a woman’s odds of multiple births.

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Registered dietician Paulette Lambert agrees. “It’s beneficial to do everything to improve the health of the sperm.” As director of nutrition at the California Health and Longevity Institute, she has counseled men who are looking forward to fatherhood. She recommends the Mediterranean Diet, which helps lower inflammation in the body. “Also men need to keep (their) weight healthy to keep hormones in balance.”

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Men aren’t the only ones whose diets impact their reproductive status. While full-fat dairy may hamper male fertility, it may increase a woman’s odds of multiple births. Again, scientists posit that bovine hormones may play a role.

Birth control hormones, on the other hand, have another surprising effect on dietary status: Nearly 80 percent of women on the pill have low levels of vitamin B6, while deficiency is virtually nonexistent in the female population at large. It’s one reason women on birth control may want to eat more bananas, potatoes, wild salmon, and other B6 sources.

On the other hand, diets laden with fat and sweets lead to obesity — which make it far more likely oral contraceptives will fail.