Nutrition can affect fertility and fetal development as well. Striving each day to consume the standard recommended daily intake levels of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that the body needs is an important part of the good health and proper functioning of the reproductive system. The nutrients that a child consumes while growing up can greatly affect the developing reproductive system. Zinc for example is essential to the development of the reproductive organs themselves. A deficiency in zinc can result in significantly delayed sexual maturity.

Zinc also serves in the regulation of male hormones and has a role in prostate functions and sperm production. Iodine helps to regulate thyroid function which in turn helps to regulate growth and body weight. Body weight has to do with the onset of puberty which will not begin until the appropriate threshold of body weight and fat has been crossed. The endocrine glands secrete hormones and hormones are essential to the ptoper functioning of the reproductive system. Thus the wellness of the endocrine gland is a precursor to mature reproductive functioning and health.

While several nutrients are directly associated with the production of hormones like manganese which serves to maintain the production of sex hormones many other vitamins and nutrients act as cofactors to a variety of complicated chemical reactions that carry out the tasks for the benefit of the reproductive system. Proper nutrition is essential in fetal development as well. Folic acid for example can serve as a way to prevent serious birth defects by reducing the incidence of neural tube defects such as the type that causes spinal bifida.

However, this defect occurs so early in fetal development that at the point at which it occurs when the woman has yet to find out that she is actually pregnant. Therefore it is best for any woman of childbearing age to be especially careful to get enough folic acid each day.

The vitamins that make up the Vitamin B complex have a primary role in red blood cell production. The developing fetus gets all nourishment and oxygen via the mother?s blood stream. Therefore, making sure to keep red blood cell production up to par is important to the reproductive system, particularly during pregnancy.