Like the rest of your body, your reproductive system is susceptible to the adverse effects of malnutrition. Insufficient calorie intake and deficiencies in specific nutrients can lead to impaired fertility, pregnancy-related problems and developmental abnormalities in babies born to malnourished mothers. Eating a well-balanced diet and maintaining a healthy body weight are the best tools at your disposal to prevent nutrition-related problems with your reproductive system.
Delayed Sexual Development
Severe malnutrition during late childhood and early adolescence may delay sexual development and puberty. This usually occurs in children who do not have access to adequate amounts of food and are unable to obtain the calories they need to grow and develop normally. In most cases, normal sexual development and reproductive function occur once adequate nutrition is made available.
Starvation and Impaired Fertility
Starvation caused by extreme dieting, anorexia nervosa or lack of access to food can lead to impaired fertility after you've reached sexual maturity. Normal functioning of your reproductive system relies on the interplay of hormones released by your hypothalamus and pituitary glands in your brain and your ovaries or testicles. Levels of other hormones in your body influence the release of these sex hormones, including one called leptin produced by fat tissue.
Prolonged fasting or severely restricting your caloric intake reduces the amount of leptin produced, which causes your body to shift into "starvation mode." Your metabolism slows and nonessential body functions, including reproductive system functions, are temporarily halted to conserve energy. During starvation, production and release of sex hormones drops. If you're a woman, your menstrual periods may stop or become irregular. If you're a man, your sperm count may decrease substantially. Strenuous physical exercise combined with severe calorie restriction often intensifies reproductive system malfunction.
Vitamins A and E
Adequate intake of vitamins A and E is essential for normal function of your reproductive system. If you're a man, these vitamins contribute to testicular production of sperm cells. For women, vitamins A and E are important for new cell production to support conception and pregnancy.
Good sources of vitamin A to prevent a deficiency include carrots, kale, spinach, pumpkin, liver, collards and other greens, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cabbage, sweet peppers, melons, tomatoes and papayas. Vitamin E rich foods include sunflower seeds, nuts, spinach, tomatoes, greens, broccoli, kiwi fruit, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and vegetable oils.
Nutritional Deficiencies and Pregnancy
A nutritious diet with sufficient amounts of protein, carbohydrates, healthful fats and all of the essential vitamins and minerals is critical to support a developing baby during pregnancy. A folic acid deficiency in early pregnancy, for example, increases the risk for neurological birth defects. Similarly, inadequate vitamin D during pregnancy may lead to abnormal bone development in your baby. Your nutritional needs increase during pregnancy because you must take in enough nutrients to support your own body and that of your developing baby. Early prenatal care can help ensure the nutritional needs of you and your baby are met.
References
- "Knobil and Neill's Physiology of Reproduction";Jimmy D. Neill, M.D.; 2006
- Endotext.org; Clinical Management of Male Infertility; H.W. Gordon Baker, M.D., Ph.D.; December 2008
- Endotext.org; Evaluation of Amenorrhea, Anovulation, and Abnormal Bleeding; Robert W. Rebar, M.D.; February 2010
- "Nutrition"; Paul Insel, Ph.D., et al.; 2011
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A and Carotenoids
- Colorado State University; Biomedical Hypertext; Vitamin E; Richard Bowen, D.V.M., Ph.D.; May 2003
