Six foods to improve cervical mucus

Ever heard of cervical mucus? This often-overlooked discharge that you see in your underwear is actually an important marker of your cycle and fertility.

Let’s dive into how you can improve the health and production of your cervical mucus.

Cervical mucus is a gel-like discharge released from the cervix, with the thickness and quantity of mucus changing depending on what stage you are at in your menstrual cycle.

It is most prominent around the time of ovulation and is normally thin and watery – a similar consistency to egg whites – to allow sperm to swim through it and fertilise the egg.

Fertile cervical mucus actually helps sperm move along the cervix to reach the egg and keeps the sperm healthy as they travel.

Thick or low-quality mucus can prevent sperm from reaching the egg, therefore, impacting your ability to fall pregnant.

Cervical mucus defects or dysfunction are responsible for around three per cent of subfertility cases, however, the good news is there are foods you can include in your diet to support the health and production of this mucus.

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids have been found to improve female fertility by increasing good quality cervical mucus and promoting ovulation.

Examples of food rich in omega-3 fats include hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, salmon Eggs (the yolk!) Sardines.

Regularly eating foods rich in vegetarian protein has been found to improve ovulatory fertility and vaginal mucus.

Foods rich in vegetable protein include beans, Lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Dark green leafy vegetables are so important to include in the diet to keep the body healthy, and this translates to the health of your cervical mucus.

Vegetables such as spinach and broccoli are rich in zinc, potassium, iron and other essential minerals, helping keep the body healthy and cervical mucus fertile.

Estrogen changes the texture of cervical fluid, making it more able to support fertility.

B Vitamins play an essential role in supporting the production of estrogen in a woman’s body.

Incorporating foods rich in these vitamins can benefit cervical mucus.

Great sources of Vitamin B include whole grains, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy; legumes, nuts and seeds.

Vitamin D also plays a key role in estrogen synthesis, making it essential for healthy cervical mucus.

Foods rich in Vitamin D include salmon, sardines, egg yolks and mushrooms.

While technically not a food, water is essential for the health of your cervical mucus, 96 per cent of your mucus is actually water, so it makes sense that drinking more water is the easiest way to increase the production of this mucus.