The recommendations are usually focused on the mother's diet, but not so much on the father's, who is logical to also take care of her diet if she is thinking of having offspring.
Fertilization is ultimately the result of the union of female and male gametes, in which each one provides their genetic information, therefore, responsibilities are matched when caring for conception, eliminating bad habits and choosing healthy food.
More and more research emphasizes that the father's diet before conceiving is also important to avoid defects in the baby.
The most recent, conducted by scientists at McGuill University in Canada, has focused on the vitamin B9 or folate (what we know by folic acid) and have found that the father's folate levels can be as important for the development and health of his children as those of the mother.
Folic acid is present in a wide variety of green leafy vegetables, cereals, fruits and meats, yet the mother is recommended to take a daily supplement of this vitamin from at least one month before conceiving to prevent birth defects such as anencephaly or spina bifida.
The research has been conducted in mice, but it is extrapolated to humans, and when comparing a group of parents with the adequate amount of folate in their diets with another with vitamin B9 deficiency in their diet, they found that a almost 30 percent increase in birth defects in the offspring generated by the second group.
Experts recommend a diet rich in vitamin B9 or folic acid, also for the father. Believe that sperm also have a memory of the paternal environment and possibly even your diet and lifestyle options. And that genetic information is transmitted to the embryo.
Via | ABC Health Photo | Nina Matthews Photography on Flickr CC More information | McGuill University In Babies and more | The diet of man is also important to achieve pregnancy
