This article is a continuation from Diet for Fertility Part 3 and discusses more foods that are potentially damaging for your fertility. The foods you eat can have a significant impact on your fertility, and while many foods and supplements are beneficial and can improve your chances of conceiving (see Diet for Fertility Part 1), there are also foods you should avoid. Many of these “infertility foods” are ones which are already recognised as unhealthy, like processed “junk” foods and products high in saturated fat. While these contribute to other health problems (e.g. heart disease) they are also harmful to your fertility. Without further ado, here’s a few more foods you should steer clear of in order to optimize your fertility.
Monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate or MSG is a flavour enhancer added to things like junk food and often Chinese takeaways. Always check the label for MSG, which also goes by the code 621. MSG has been thoroughly linked to infertility issues in both men and women and should definitely be avoided.
Peas
Although you wouldn’t guess it, peas actually contain a natural contraceptive with the unpronounceable name m-xylohydroquinone. While you would have to eat a lot for it to have the full effect it’s still best to avoid peas when you’re trying to have a baby. Instead opt for vegetables such as carrots, spinach and other leafy greens, kumara, broccoli and cabbage. These all enhance your fertility instead of impairing it.
Sugar & White Flour
Biscuits, cakes, lollies, donuts and other junk foods like these are not a good idea if you care about having healthy fertility. The sugar and complex carbohydrates in these foods cause a spike in blood sugar and consequently a spike in blood insulin levels. It’s this spike in sugar and insulin in the blood that has been associated with lower quality of both sperm and egg cells. This in turn is linked with a lower chance of conceiving and having a successful pregnancy. These processed foods also lead to weight gain, and excess fat in the body is another contributing factor to infertility.
Junk Food
Everyone knows junk food isn’t healthy, and it’s not healthy for your fertility either. Artificial additives and high amounts of sugar and fats make junk food not a good option when it comes to protecting your fertility. These foods are also best avoided.
Meat and Dairy
There are multiple problems with consuming meat. One, it’s common for animals to be given hormones and these hormones then enter our bodies and wreak havoc with our own delicate hormone system. The second reason to avoid meat is because it’s filled with saturated and trans fats. This also goes for dairy products. As mentioned previously these can clog the blood vessels to reproductive organs which can cause problems, and they also lead to weight gain. Excess body fat in turn leads to elevated oestrogen levels because of a certain type of oestrogen which is produced by fat cells. Being obese is known to increase infertility in women.
The third reason to leave meat and dairy out of your diet is because they contain harmful toxins called dioxins. Dioxins come from air pollution and are found in animal products. These dioxins are hardly found in plants because they are not water soluble. However, they are fat soluble which is why they accumulate in animals’ fat. Dioxins are linked to problems with sperm in men, and with failure to ovulate, endometriosis and miscarriage in women. Even small amounts of dioxins have been shown to affect women’s fertility. This is why it’s important to give up all meat and dairy products when trying to conceive.
Conclusion:
While some foods support your fertility, others can significantly impact your hormones and reproductive organs making it much harder for you to conceive. Knowing what foods to avoid is an easy way you can naturally increase your fertility and support your reproductive system to be as healthy as possible. You can learn about ore foods to avoid by reading the previous article “Diet for Fertility Part 3”.
References:
This article was based off the book “The Fertility Diet” by Sarah Dobbyn
Dobbyn, S. (2008). The fertility diet: And how to maximize your chances of having a baby at any age. Simon & Schuster.