Modifying your nutritional intake can promote fertility in both men and women. A few changes in your diet can boost your chances of conceiving.

How can I raise my chances of getting pregnant by eating right?

• Folic acid: This B vitamin, also called B9 and folate, has been known to protect against serious birth defects of the brain and spine called neural tube defects (such as spina bifida). You can find folic acid in fruits, leafy greens, whole grains, and fortified breads, cereals, rice and pasta. Most women don't get enough of this vital nutrient, so you may want to talk to your doctor about taking a prenatal supplement.
• No alcohol and caffeine: Research suggests that excessive alcohol consumption can disrupt your menstrual cycle and interfere with conception. Caffeine may be even more of a problem, as even one cup of coffee a day has been shown to reduce your chances of getting pregnant. Studies suggest that caffeine, a stimulant, affects ovulation by causing fluctuations in hormone levels.
• Prenatal vitamins: Beware of fertility diets that recommend mega-doses of vitamins. Excesses of certain nutrients may be harmful to your baby if you do become pregnant, so talk to your doctor about the proper supplements.
• Healthy weight: Being too thin or obese can impede your ability to ovulate, conceive and carry a child to term. So maintaining a proper body weight ? without fasting or restrictive dieting ? is a critical step. Women with eating disorders, strict vegetarians and women on low-calorie diets are especially susceptible to infertility problems.

While there's no magic potion you can take to boost your chances of becoming pregnant, you can improve your eating and dietary habits to make conception a little bit easier.

What if I'm a vegetarian?

• Calcium: Many plant foods, such as sunflower seeds and broccoli, are high in calcium. Most soy-based products are good sources of calcium as well.
• Vitamin D: The body can synthesize its own vitamin D from sunlight. About 30 minutes of sun exposure, two to three days a week, is enough for your body to produce all the vitamin D you need. Food sources of vitamin D include eggs, fatty fish, fortified milk and cereals.
• Vitamin B12: Foods like breads and cereals are routinely fortified with it. Yeast is also a good source of B12.
• Iron: You?ll find iron in many vegetables, including pumpkins, spinach and other leafy greens. After conception, your doctor may recommend taking a dietary supplement to compensate your pregnancy's additional iron requirements.

While a vegetarian diet won't decrease your fertility, it sometimes may delay conception. On average, vegetarian women have low levels of body fat. This may make them candidates for amenorrhea, the absence or delay of the menstrual cycle. However, the cycle will return to normal once body fat levels increase. Research also indicates that vegans may have longer menstrual cycles than other women. Consequently, ovulation is delayed. This doesn't mean that the women are less fertile, but that they have fewer chances each year to become pregnant.

Vitamin intake also can be supplemented, though not replaced, with a pill. It's especially important that all women of childbearing age, regardless of their diet, take a folic acid supplement. But check with your doctor first to learn about recommended dosages.

As a future father, how can I increase my fertility?

• No alcohol and caffeine: Research suggests drinking caffeine and alcohol regularly prevents your body from receiving and absorbing nutrients, resulting in a lowered quantity and quality of your sperm.
• Vitamin C: Seminal fluid normally contains antioxidants that destroy free radicals. Men with low sperm counts have been found to have higher levels of free radicals than normal. Vitamin C helps protect your sperm against free radical damage. You can find vitamin C in oranges, grapefruit, fresh pineapple, kiwi fruit, blackcurrants, strawberries, new potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and peas.
• Zinc: The zinc level in seminal fluid is directly related to sperm mobility. Studies have shown that zinc deficiency reduces the volume of seminal fluid and the sperm count. Eat lean red meats, liver, poultry, baked beans and oysters.
• Calcium: Calcium improves the vitality and longevity of your sperm. Calcium can be found in milk, yogurt, cottage or ricotta cheese, canned fish (with bones -- salmon, tuna), soy milk (check the label for added calcium), broccoli, hummus, almonds and sesame seeds.
• Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium from the food you eat. Vitamin D is made when your skin is exposed to the sun, so get out there in the sunshine! Food sources of vitamin D include eggs, liver, fatty fish, and milk and cereals fortified with vitamin D.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is a simple, inexpensive way to improve your fertility and increase your chances of having a baby. You may enjoy an added bonus of improved overall health! Aim to change your diet at least three months before you plan to try for a baby.