Nutrition is a critical factor in reproductive health for both females and males. The optimal intake of protein and key micronutrients within an overall healthy dietary pattern for fertility supports hormone balance, ovulatory function, egg and sperm quality, and early pregnancy outcomes.^1-4

Healthcare providers may need to support their patients by dispelling common myths, such as the misconception that a single “superfood” or supplement alone can resolve infertility.¹ Many patients may not realize that lifestyle-focused fertility strategies apply equally to both females and males. In the United States, infertility affects 11% of females and 9% of males.^1,5 While infertility is sometimes linked to lifestyle problems (a poor diet, high or low body mass index, excessive exercise, etc), there are also underlying health conditions and medical issues that affect fertility for both sexes, so it’s critical to seek medical care and professional guidance with any fertility challenges or questions.^2,6,7 If medical problems are ruled out or a patient is preparing for a fertility journey, health care providers can guide patients toward evidence-based dietary patterns, and supplement strategies can improve fertility outcomes.

Dietary Patterns and Nutrients to Support Fertility

A Western-style dietary pattern high in added sugar, red meat, ultra-processed foods, and low in whole foods and fiber has been shown to negatively impact fertility.^1,7,8 Conversely, a plant-forward and flexitarian diet rich in vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, cereals/whole grains, and low-fat dairy, poultry, and fatty fish (depending on the type of plant-based diet and whether a person includes dairy, poultry, or fish) offers benefits for fertility by improving nutrient density, fiber, and antioxidant intake, and reducing chronic disease risk.^1,7,8 

Evidence supports the Mediterranean diet as particularly beneficial for reproductive health, with associations to higher rates of conception and improved outcomes in assisted reproductive technologies.^1.2.7 For males, plant-rich diets are linked to better semen quality and reduced oxidative stress, possibly in part due to being lower in saturated fat and higher in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).^1,8,9 High levels of saturated fat have also been shown to negatively impact ovulation in females.¹

Potential challenges of plant-based eating include ensuring adequate intake of vitamin B12, iron, zinc, iodine, and omega-3 fatty acids. Healthcare providers should encourage diets that offer food sources of these nutrients in adequate amounts, supplementing when necessary. Micronutrients will be discussed in more detail later in this brief. 

Dietary quality also matters in relation to metabolic health. Balanced blood glucose and insulin sensitivity are linked to improved ovulation and hormonal balance in females.¹ Some studies have also shown that male hyperglycemia harms sperm motility as well as the fertilization process.¹ Counseling patients on consistent meal timing and balanced, low-glycemic snacks can support both energy regulation and reproductive hormones in females and males. Patients may benefit most when adopting fertility-supportive dietary patterns before conception, allowing time to optimize nutrition status.¹

Protein and Fertility

Protein is essential for hormone production, tissue repair, and the development of healthy eggs and sperm. Both plant and animal proteins can play a role in a fertility-supportive diet, with research indicating that replacing some animal protein with plant protein is associated with a lower risk of ovulatory infertility in women.^7,10 An older, yet landmark, Nurses’ Health Study II on 18,555 women over a period of 8 years found that replacing animal sources of protein with vegetable sources of protein may reduce ovulatory infertility risk.^10,11 Additionally, for males, adequate protein supports testosterone production and sperm quality. Low-protein diets are linked to reduced reproductive organ size and testosterone, affecting sperm quality and influencing reproductive outcomes.^1,8

Increasing protein intake may help restore carbohydrate-insulin balance in infertility related to anovulation (the absence of ovulation, where the ovaries do not release an oocyte/egg during the menstrual cycle), while also promoting satiety, supporting thermogenesis, and preserving muscle mass.⁷ Providers should counsel patients to distribute protein intake throughout the day rather than concentrating it in a single meal or two. Aiming for moderate, consistent portions supports satiety, muscle maintenance, and reproductive function. Protein needs should be individualized, but ranges of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults (0.8-1.0 g/kg/day) are appropriate for females and males planning conception, with higher targets for active individuals.¹²

Key Micronutrients for Reproductive Health

Nutrients play a role not only in immediate fertility outcomes for both sexes but also in nutriepigenomics, where maternal and paternal nutrient status can influence gene expression in offspring.¹⁰ Personalized nutrition and nutrigenomics have started to influence the way healthcare providers can help their clients. For example, couples carrying methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene variants may benefit from methylated folate supplementation rather than the more standard folic acid. Nutrients that modulate DNA methylation by acting as donors (choline, folate, methionine) rely on cofactor nutrients like vitamins B2, B6, and B12.¹⁰ Because more research is needed to understand nutriepigenomics and its role in fertility, health care providers can start with the basics – making sure their clients are meeting key nutrients that are proven to support fertility. 

• Folate is essential for DNA synthesis and early fetal development, reducing neural tube defects. Adequate intake is important for both women and men because it supports sperm health and healthy cell replication. The RDA for folate is 400mcg/day, and rich food sources include spinach, asparagus, lettuce, avocado, broccoli, and beans.¹³
  
  
• Iron supports ovulation and reduces the risk of ovulatory infertility in females. Iron deficiency is a factor in male infertility as well.¹⁴ Both heme (animal-based) and non-heme (plant-based) sources are valuable, though absorption from plant sources improves when paired with vitamin C-rich foods like citrus, berries, or vegetables such as tomato or broccoli, since vitamin C helps convert iron into a more absorbable form. The RDA for iron is 18mg for adult females (pre-menopausal) and 8mg for males. Food sources include all meat, poultry, and seafood, spinach, beans, tofu, and fortified breakfast cereal.¹⁵
  
  
• Vitamin D has been linked to reproductive hormone function and implantation success.^7,12 Though the RDA is set at 600IU for adults, deficiency is common and should be assessed clinically via blood test.¹⁶ Food sources include trout, salmon, sardines, egg yolks, UV-exposed mushrooms, and fortified dairy and non-dairy alternatives.¹⁷
  
  
• Zinc is critical for egg maturation, sperm motility, and hormone regulation in a fertility journey. The RDA for adult females is 8mg and 11mg for males. Food sources include beef, pork, shellfish, pumpkin seeds, cheese, and lentils.¹⁸
  
  
• Other nutrients, including selenium, iodine, and vitamin B12, also support fertility and may require supplementation, particularly in plant-forward diets. For many people, a high-quality multivitamin (in addition to meeting the RDA of nutrient needs within a balanced dietary pattern) may benefit fertility. A retrospective, case-control study (N=70 infertile couples) found that a multivitamin supplement improved biological outcomes in in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, including greater follicle and oocyte yield, higher fertilization rates, and reduced gonadotropin use compared with folic acid alone. However, these benefits did not translate into higher pregnancy rates.¹⁹ Evidence suggests that multiple micronutrient supplementation before conception may modestly improve fertility outcomes, though larger randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these effects.^19.20 

Key Takeaways for Providers

Fertility counseling should emphasize that nutrition matters for both partners, with a focus on plant-forward diets such as the Mediterranean diet. Nutrient status before conception can influence gene expression in offspring, highlighting the importance of early intervention. Providers can add value by correcting common myths, guiding patients toward balanced protein distribution and whole-diet approaches, and considering targeted supplements for nutrients that impact fertility that the diet may be lacking, or counsel on high-quality pre-natal multivitamin/multimineral options.

References

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3. Alesi S, Villani A, Mantzioris E, Takele WW, Cowan S, Moran LJ, Mousa A. Anti-inflammatory diets in fertility: an evidence review. Nutrients. 2022;14(19):3914.
4. Moazamian A, Gharagozloo P, Aitken RJ, Drevet JR. Oxidative stress and reproductive function: Sperm telomeres, oxidative stress, and infertility. Reproduction. 2022;164(6):F125-33.
5. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). How common is infertility? NICHD. Last reviewed February 8, 2018. Accessed September 4, 2025. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/infertility/conditioninfo/common
6. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). What lifestyle and environmental factors may be involved in infertility? NICHD. Last reviewed May 4, 2022. Accessed September 4, 2025. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/infertility/conditioninfo/causes/lifestyle
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15. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron. Health Professional Fact Sheet. Last reviewed September 4, 2025. Accessed September 8, 2025. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
16. van Tienhoven XA, Ruiz de Chávez Gascón J, Cano-Herrera G, et al. Vitamin D in Reproductive Health Disorders: A Narrative Review Focusing on Infertility, Endometriosis, and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(5):2256. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26052256.
17. Office of Dietary Supplements (NIH). Vitamin D: Health Professional Fact Sheet. Updated June 27, 2025. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional
18. Office of Dietary Supplements (NIH). Zinc: Health Professional Fact Sheet. Updated September 28, 2022. Accessed September 11, 2025. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/
19. Gullo G, Zaami S, Streva AV, Burgio S, et al. Multivitamin Supplementation and Fertility Outcome: A Retrospective Single-Center Cohort Study and the Clinical and Medicolegal Value of Nutritional Counseling. Life. 2025;15(1):48.
20. Schaefer E, Nock D. The impact of preconceptional multiple-micronutrient supplementation on female fertility. Clinical Medicine Insights: Women’s Health. 2019;12:1179562X19843868.