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admin2024-05-27 23:06:592024-05-27 23:30:55Can I Get Pregnant if I Have PCOS?Diet & Fertility
Fertility Diet: You Are What You Don’t Eat Too!
We all know the old saying “you are what you eat.” And, nowhere is that more true, than when it comes to fertility! Many of our Austin area patients who are trying to become pregnant are already following “fertility diets” that provide the essential nutrients that will help their body conceive a child and carry a pregnancy to term. Foods rich in Vitamins D, E, C B6 & B12, as well as iron, selenium and of course folic acid are well known to improve reproductive health.
But, in addition to eating the right foods, the other side of the coin when it comes to eating for fertility, is avoiding certain foods that can disrupt the body’s balance and interfere with ovulation and conception. And, fertility disrupting foods not only affect a woman’s ability to conceive, but can also make her partner less fertility!
Fertility Disrupting Foods in Women
In this article Austin Fertility expert Dr. Ruthie Harper discusses some of the most common fertility disrupting foods that women and men should avoid when trying to get pregnant.
Alcohol Disrupts Fertility in Women
Women who consume just one alcoholic drink per day have almost a 50 percent greater risk of ovulatory infertility than women who do not drink alcohol while trying to conceive.
A Harvard-based clinical study revealed this statistic after following 18,555 women over a period of eight years while they tried to become pregnant.
This is because alcohol interferes with the liver’s ability to metabolize hormones – a condition called “hepatic congestion” – that causes hormonal build up in the blood that can interfere with ovulation
PFOAs Disrupts Fertility in Women
Snacking is a big part of a western diet – and most people think that a bag of popcorn is a relatively healthy snack compared to sugary treats. But the synthetic chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) that is found in candy wrappers, fast-food wrappers, and pizza boxes, is also prevalent in microwave popcorn bags.
A UCLA study revealed that women who are exposed to large quantities of perfluorooctanoic acid have a risk of infertility that is 70% to 134% higher than that of women with low PFOA exposure. This is because perfluorooctanoic acid exposure causes irregular menstrual periods. And, PFOAs have also been linked to increased risks of breast cancer and prostate cancer – showing just how dangerous they really are.
Soy Disrupts Fertility in Women
Soy products are generally considered to be good for health – but they may not be good for fertility. Certain plant elements derived from soy called “isoflavones” mimic estrogen in the body. This is called “phytoestrogen activity” – which confuses the body into thinking it has enough real estrogen in supply when it does not.
So, since the body believes it has a sufficient amount of estrogen, it produced less of it – and this estrogen deficiency can effectively shut down ovulation.
Fertility Disrupting Foods in Men
When it comes to fertility “it takes two to tango” – and so the intended biological father of the child should also avoid fertility disrupting foods than can reduce sperm count and/or make the sperm “poor swimmers”.
Soy Disrupts Fertility in Men
Another Harvard-based study examined the effects of 15 different soy-based foods on men whose partners were trying to conceive. They determined that men who ate large quantities of soy-based foods produced 32% less sperm per milliliter than men who did not eat any soy-based foods.
Once again the culprit is the “estrogenic effects” of soy isoflavones. Men need testosterone to produce sufficient quantities of healthy, viable sperm. But the “phytoestrogen activity” of soy can put the estrogen/testosterone balance out of whack in a man and reduce his sperm count.
BPAs Disrupt Fertility in Men
Bisphenol-A – commonly called BPAs – are chemicals used in the manufacturing of canned foods, water bottles and microwave dinner containers. BPA can can leach from these containers into the food or beverage itself. Men who are exposed to large quantities BPAs have been shown in clinical studies to have sperm counts that are approximately 23% lower than men with no BPA exposure.
Further, a University of Michigan-affiliated study revealed that there was also a 10% increase in sperm DNA damage among men who consumed large quantities of BPA.
Trans-Fatty Acids Disrupt Fertility in Men
Trans-fatty acids (TFAs) are commonly found in fast food and other “junk foods” (like donuts and chips). And after they are absorbed by the body, TFAs actually become present in a man’s semen.
A Harvard-affiliated study found that men with high concentrations of trans-fatty acids in their semen have a whopping 96% fewer sperm than men with low concentrations of trans-fatty acids in their sperm! Obviously, this is a huge disrupter of fertility in a man.
And, the authors of that study noted that it is unknown over what kind of timespan TFA accumulates in the testes, how long it stays there, or if it is even a permanent condition. This means that spermatogenesis problems from TFAs could potentially last for the man’s entire lifetime.
Fertility Diet | Top Austin Fertility Doctor
As you can see, eating for fertility also means that a woman (and her partner!) NOT consume certain fertility disrupting foods. Avoiding the items discussed above – including canned foods, junk foods, candy, alcohol and soy products – can help the body maintain the optimal health and balance necessary to become pregnant.
Ruthie Harper MD, specializes in using integrative, holistic and natural fertility treatments to help women get pregnant. In addition to focusing on diet, Dr. Harper helps women conceive naturally by balancing their bodies through lifestyle, mindfulness and stress reduction, and hormone rebalancing.
If you have tried to become pregnant without success, Dr. Harper opens her practice doors to you with compassion, and more than twenty years of natural fertility experience. Discover your personal path to total health, wellness and balance. Through the science of personalized integrative medicine she can help you become pregnant and achieve your dream of growing your family.
FERTILITY BLOG
Thank you for visiting our Blog, where Dr. Harper keeps you updated on the latest treatments, technologies and information in the field of natural fertility medicine.
Dr. Ruthie Harper opened her internationally recognized medical practice in Austin, Texas, in 1999. Since that time, she has consulted with more than 10,000 patients, offering the most advanced techniques in natural, holistic and integrative health and wellness.
Check back often for new and informative articles, as well as special offers and exciting events. Or call us today to schedule your fertility consultation … and take the first step toward having the family of your dreams!
512.343.9355
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