Can Diet Really Make You Infertile? Researchers have reported that diet can cause infertility or increase the chances of getting pregnant . These are some eating habits that you should follow according to studies, if you are in the process of conceiving a child.
12 dietary tips to treat infertility
These are 12 factors that include diet, which may be intervening in problems that you may be having to conceive. Pay attention to each one and draw your own conclusions.
Diet tips to treat infertility
These are some important tips to keep in mind if you are undergoing treatment for infertility. You must take into account that one of the factors that influence the possibility of conceiving lies in the toxins to which we are exposed in the diet and in the manufacture of its packaging.
1. Drink cola soda
Men who drink at least one liter of cola a day have 30 percent lower sperm counts than men who don’t drink cola.
A Danish study that produced this statistic suggests that it is the caffeine in cola that causes the drop in sperm. “However, in a Petri dish, caffeine improves sperm movement,” says obstetrician Niels Lauersen, “so don’t discount the high fructose corn syrup found in these drinks as the possibly real culprit. . First, studies show that too much sugar can lead to insulin resistance, impairing fertility.. Second, potent pesticides (including Atrazine) used in cornfields have been shown in studies to be endocrine disruptors. It was found that the number of spermatozoa of male maize producers who work regularly with atrazine, are lower ”.
2. Dairy products
Women who consume a high amount of low-fat dairy face an 85 percent higher risk of ovulatory infertility than women who eat little or no low-fat dairy.
Ovulation difficulties is a common cause of infertility . The Harvard-affiliated study that produced this statistic found this surprisingly high in women who consumed two or more servings of low-fat dairy products per day. Since previous fertility studies on milk were inconclusive, “we have compared whole, low-fat dairy products as a rigorous exercise,” says Jorge Chavarro, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard University and co-author of this study. “These findings are extremely surprising,” says Chavarro, given that the US government’s Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults consume three or more servings of low-fat dairy products a day.
3. Veganism
Vegan women are one-fifth as likely to have twins as are vegetarian and omnivorous women.
Published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, the study that produced this statistic suggests that the difference is driven by insulin-like growth factor (IGF), a protein released by the liver in response to growth hormone. IGF levels are much lower in vegans than in non-vegans. “Diets that include dairy products, especially in areas where growth hormone is given to cattle, appear to improve the chances of multiple pregnancies,” writes the study author.
Note: This data can generate a debate. While dairy products are not recommended for many reasons, they are low in fat or not, let alone those who are animal treated with hormones -in this also studies already exist and for that we recommend you read our article: Dangers dairy – with this information, you have both sides of the balance, from two studies, to assess a certain situation. You can draw your conclusions and that is why we recommend you continue investigating and forging your own criteria in this regard.
4. Soy
Men who eat large amounts of soy-based foods produce 32 percent less sperm per milliliter than men who do not consume soy-based foods a.
The Harvard University-based study that produced this statistic examined the effects of 15 different soy-based foods on men whose partners were trying to get pregnant. “The same reason that menopausal women find soy-based foods helpful because they have mild estrogenic effects is the same reason that they can be detrimental to male fertility,” Lauersen says. “While including some soy-based foods in your diet will not affect most men, if a man’s sperm count is low, or even below normal, soy foods could tip the balance from estrogen / testosterone in the wrong direction and further reduce the sperm count. ” We invite you to read our article:Why avoid soy , where you will know some important risk factors for health if you are a soy consumer.
Bisphenol-A (BPA)
Men who are exposed to large amounts of bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical used in the manufacture of canned foods, have about 23 percent lower sperm counts than men without BPA exposure.
When used in can liners, BPA seeps into food. A University of Michigan-affiliated study that produced this statistic also found a 10 percent increase in sperm DNA damage in men exposed to large amounts of BPA. Widely used in many products since the 1960s, BPA is now the subject of research by the Food and Drug Administration as the agency seeks to calculate risks, reduce human exposure, and support the shift to alternatives. For more information about toxins in food, see our article: Top 10 Toxic Ingredients in the Food Industry, where you will learn about some of the toxins that are commonly consumed in processed foods.
6. Trans fatty acids
Men with high concentrations of trans fatty acids in their semen have 96 percent fewer sperm than men with low concentrations of trans fatty acids in their semen .
The trans fatty acids commonly found in fast food and junk food; their presence in a man’s semen shows that he ate the foods that contain them. The Harvard-affiliated study that produced this statistic confirms previous studies suggesting that “trans fatty acids can profoundly affect spermatogenesis,” the authors write. Whether high TFAs (trans fatty acids) drastically lower sperm numbers in men raises tough questions, as the researchers were unable to determine the length of time TFA accumulates in the testes and / or how long they stay there. Potentially, they could last a lifetime.
7. Alcoholic beverages
Women who consume at least one alcoholic drink per day have a nearly 50 percent higher risk of ovulatory failure infertility than women who drink alcohol.
The Harvard University-based study that produced this statistic followed 18,555 women for eight years as they attempted to get pregnant. “Alcohol hinders the liver’s ability to metabolize hormones,” says licensed acupuncturist Randine Lewis and book author. “Most ovulatory failure infertility includes hormonal imbalances that are aggravated by liver congestion. Hormonal excesses in the blood require a clean and healthy liver to metabolize and excrete. The body cannot get rid of excess hormones when it is busy metabolizing alcoholic beverages. ”
8. Perfluorooctanoic Acid in Microwave Popcorn Bags
Women who are exposed to large amounts of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a synthetic chemical used in microwave popcorn bag liners, face a risk of infertility ranging from 70 percent to 134 percent. percent higher than women with the least amount of PFOA exposure.
It is also used in candy wrappers, fast food wrappers, and pizza boxes; PFOA has also been linked to breast and prostate cancers. The UCLA-based study that produced this statistic examined whether industrial pollutants could explain why “a marked decline in fertility rates has been observed in developed countries,” according to its authors, and found associations between high exposure PFOA and irregular menstrual periods, among other worrisome effects.
Eating tips that help fertility
9. Diet with more good fats to improve fertility levels
Men who eat a traditional Dutch diet have a sperm count almost double that of men who eat a diet based on fish and fish products.
A study affiliated with the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, examined the semen of men whose female partners were trying to get pregnant. A group of men, whom the study authors call “traditional Dutch,” ate the meat and potato diet; another group ate what the authors call a high “health-conscious” diet consisting of fish and fish products. The benefit factor for the Dutch diet “might not be the meat and potatoes,” Chavarro speculates, as “the Dutch diet is also very high in omega-3 fatty acids,” which many studies link to increased fertility. in women and men.
On the other hand, women who consume large amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids are 22 percent less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis, a common cause of infertility, than women who eat little or no omega-3s.
Omega-3s are powerful anti-inflammatories, “they are probably the most important fertility nutrient,” says Lauersen, adding that omega-3s “can not only help control the symptoms of endometriosis, but can also reverse some of the the fertility-related damage ”that endometriosis causes.
10. Iron to improve fertility
Women who consume large amounts of non-heme (non-heme) iron, which is the type found in lentils, spinach, and supplements, have a 40 percent lower risk of infertility from ovulatory failure than women who consume little or no non-heme iron.
” The type of iron found in meats is essentially not associated with fertility, ” says Chavarro, who led the Harvard study that produced this statistic. “Instead, the strong association is the type of iron that comes from either supplement or plant sources.” Can Lentils Help You Get Pregnant? No one knows for sure, yet. Of the many conditions that cause infertility, ovulatory disorders are the ones shown in studies to respond most strongly to changes in diet, says Chavarro.
11. Vegetable proteins, instead of proteins in meats
Women who consume at least 5 percent of their daily calories in the form of plant protein rather than meat protein have a 50 percent lower risk of ovulatory failure infertility than women who consume only meat protein.
Substituting chicken and red meat with plant sources of protein could reduce the risk of ovulatory infertility, write the authors of the Harvard-based study that produced this statistic. “Red meat contains arachidonic acid that can cause or worsen internal inflammatory reactions,” Lewis explains. “When the body is in a state of internal reactivity, it is in a state of ‘discomfort’, and has less energy available for maintenance functions, such as procreation.”
For more information on plant proteins, we recommend reading our article: 7 main sources of protein based on plants , where you will find information on plant-based foods with a significant amount of protein.
12. Antioxidants to improve fertility
The sperm of men who consume very low amounts of antioxidants is only two-thirds mobile than the sperm of men who consume high amounts of antioxidants.
The study, affiliated with the University of California at Berkeley that produced this statistic, found that high antioxidant intake increases not only sperm motility – your strength to swim – but also sperm count. Although it is tempting to think that drinking green tea leads directly to parenthood, “I don’t think there are foods that eat them to make you more fertile, nor are there foods that you can eat to be infertile,” says Domar. The best advice is to “eat exactly like your grandmother told you to eat. Eat foods full of good nutrients, lots of fruits and vegetables. Do not drink soda pop, do not eat processed, start eating organic, consume good quality supplements and seek peace of mind. “