In strict vegetarian diets, this circumstance, together with the possible lower quality of the ingested proteins, could explain why the same weight loss may affect the menstrual cycle more than in a conventional or ovolacteovegetarian check this site.

In male fertility:

Zinc, a mineral related to sperm function and number, as well as testosterone synthesis, is basic. For this reason, foods rich in zinc, oysters, shellfish, meat and fish, but also cheeses and whole grains – are adequate to maintain fertility.Antioxidants improve sperm parameters.

Proteins In Balance

In the case of women, excessive consumption of animal protein has been associated with a higher risk of ovulatory infertility compared to moderate consumption and a higher intake of protein of plant origin.

In the case of men, the data in this regard is less conclusive. Among the amino acids that make up proteins, arginine stands out, a precursor to nitric oxide, which improves blood flow. The penis is extremely rich in vascular tissue, so a good supply of arginine , which increases the presence of nitric oxide , would help improve and maintain an erection. Some foods rich in arginine are nuts, especially walnuts and peanuts.

Avoid Environmental Pollutants As Much As Possible

The hormonal system, through the glands, secretes substances that control essential body functions such as body growth, metabolism, and reproduction. Today it is known that there are natural and artificial foreign chemical substances that can disturb the hormonal balance and cause undesirable effects on the person or even on their offspring.

• These are endocrine disruptors, mostly residues of pesticides or other compounds used in the food industry and some plastics and cosmetics. They constitute a serious threat to health, both because they exert a direct action on the organism and because they can access it orally, cutaneously or respiratoryly.
• These substances can interfere with a hormone at any stage of its natural cycle, that is, in its synthesis, transport and fixation with the receptor, acting by mimicking the physiological action (agonists) or, conversely, inhibiting it (antagonists), or even preventing its elimination, which increases the blood levels of that hormone.

The data obtained so far comes mostly from experimental studies with animals or from epidemiological studies with human populations, the results of which have not always been conclusive or coincident. But the existing evidence requires extreme caution and further investigation of the effects of pollutants on general health and fertility.

In relation to fertility, various potential effects of endocrine disruptors have been described:

• Alteration of the production and quality of the sperm.
• Affections to the male reproductive system. For example, testicular dysgenesis syndrome, due to hormonal alterations during fetal life, cryptorchidism (absence of one or both testicles) or hypospadias (urethral malformation).