Instead of seeking out mainstream infertility treatments, many people are now opting to make healthy lifestyle changes: quitting smoking, getting adequate sleep, managing stress, maintaining a healthy weight, and changing their diet.
A ketogenic (“keto”) diet is typically high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates (usually 20 grams or less per day). It puts your body into a natural metabolic state called ketosis. This way of eating usually includes meats, fish, seafood, vegetables, and low-sugar fruits. Dramatically reducing your carbohydrate intake forces your body to become highly efficient at burning fat for energy. The keto diet is known for enhancing weight loss, but a greater benefit is reducing inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation is not only responsible for many health concerns but also reduces fertility. The ketogenic way of eating reduces insulin levels and can better regulate reproductive hormone levels.
What Can Cause Fertility Problems?
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic and hormone disorder (primarily estrogen dominant) and a leading cause of infertility in women. According to Rashmi Kudesia, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist, “Using a ketogenic diet to improve body weight can definitely help women who do not ovulate – release an egg – regularly, including those with polycystic ovarian syndrome.”
A poor diet and being overweight can also affect men’s fertility. According to Dr. Will Cole, “The standard American diet, filled with refined carbohydrates and sugar, has been associated with poor sperm health, negatively impacting sperm motility, morphology, and shape count. Conversely, diets rich in healthy fats, like nuts, seeds, and omega fatty-acid-rich fish, have been shown to improve sperm health.”
How Keto Can Help
Dr. Robert Kiltz, MD, board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility and founder and director of CNY Fertility, advises that a well-formulated, high-quality, high-fat, animal-based ketogenic diet is ideal. The consumed micronutrients (highly absorbable iron, zinc, B vitamins, and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K) support ovulation, sperm quality, and uterine lining health. This ensures adequate antioxidants and phytonutrients that protect reproductive cells from oxidative stress. Insulin resistance can disrupt the hormonal process necessary for normal ovulation. However, by dramatically reducing carbohydrate intake, the ketogenic approach minimizes blood sugar spikes and excessive insulin release. This stabilization promotes more consistent follicle development in women and supports healthy testosterone regulation in men – both critical for conception.
The body produces these hormones (estrogen, progesterone, LH, FSH, and testosterone) from cholesterol, which is synthesized from fatty acids, including saturated fat. Without enough of these essential building blocks, the body cannot produce the hormones needed to support healthy conception. The stable energy supply from fats and proteins in the ketogenic and carnivore lifestyles prevents the hormonal fluctuations associated with high carbohydrate consumption.
A Fertility-Friendly Diet?
Dr. Kiltz suggests that an ideal fertility-friendly diet is void of highly processed vegetable seed oils (corn, canola, soybean, and cottonseed oils) and includes high-quality saturated fats that have nourished people for generations: fatty cuts of beef (look for hormone-free), grass-fed butter and ghee, pastured eggs, avocados and olives, coconut oil, and fatty fish (salmon and sardines).
Incorporating these foods into your diet will provide your body with the necessary raw materials it needs to create a healthy hormonal environment that supports conception and a healthy pregnancy. Of course, it is important to discuss any changes to your diet and any health concerns with your physician, as this way of eating may not be suitable for everyone.
Kristina Mozzicato is a Board Certified, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Hypnotist, and owner of Abundant Health Massage Therapy & Wellness in Farmington, CT. She has been a 10BEST Massage Therapy/Bodywork Winner for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 in Natural Nutmeg Magazine’s Readers’ Poll.