An Epidemiologist On The Best Diet For Reproductive Health

If there’s one eating plan Swan loves for reproductive health, it’s the Mediterranean diet (and given its plethora of health benefits, we’re not surprised). You know: “Lower in meat, higher in fruit and vegetables, olive oil instead of butter, and so on and so forth,” she adds. Research backs it up, too: One study found that “Mediterranean-type” eating patterns were associated with enhanced reproductive health when compared to “Western-type” patterns. For men, in particular, one study shows that a high MedDietScore (which measures how closely they followed the Mediterranean diet) was associated with a higher sperm concentration, total sperm count, and sperm motility.

As we mentioned up top, many of the factors that help support reproductive health are also ones that optimize overall longevity, so it makes sense a Mediterranean diet (which is associated with increased life span) would tick both boxes. And if you do eat animal products—hat-tip to Mediterranean diet staples, like omega-3-rich fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt—Swan recommends finding less-processed options, if you’re able.