There are several beverages that can affect your reproductive system and make it harder for you to conceive. Below we discuss three beverages you should leave the out of your diet if you’re trying to get pregnant. 

Diet Drinks

In females, drinking diet drinks may raise the levels of a hormone known as prolactin. This hormone is linked to inhibiting ovulation. Obviously if there is no egg then there is no chance of getting pregnant. This is why prolactin may be contributing to infertility. Try swapping out diet drinks with a healthier option like fruit juice, natural lemonade or good old plain water. 

Milk

Although there is some controversy around whether milk is healthy or harmful for fertility, there is significant research that indicates the latter.  A large study by Harvard University found that in countries where the most milk was consumed there was a corresponding increase in age related infertility in women. 

In milk there is a sugar called galactose. This sugar may be potentially harmful to unfertilized eggs and is linked with an increased risk of ovarian cancer too. After infancy most of us lose the ability to digest galactose sugar in milk, because nature intended us only to drink milk when we were babies. As we grow up our body stops producing the enzymes necessary to break down galactose. So when we continue drinking the breast milk from a cow we get galactose circulating in our body. This galactose is suspected to interfere with the ovaries and may be linked to infertility. Also, on many farms cows are given hormones to increase their milk production. When these hormone enter our bodies they may be damaging to our sensitive hormone balance that is key for fertility. 

Luckily since we are not baby cows we have no need for drinking cow’s milk. It’s also easier than ever nowadays to find delicious plant based alternatives for all your favourite dairy products. Plant based milks are both healthier for your fertility, plus you save many animals’ lives and help protect the environment by no longer supporting this destructive industry.

Tonic Water

One of the key ingredients found in tonic water is called quinine and is not something you should be consuming if you want to have a healthy baby. Quinine has been linked to birth defects, and may be implicated in miscarriages as well. Sorry, but you’d better steer clear of tonic water too to give your baby the best chance.

Conclusion

Diet drinks, cow’s milk and tonic water are three more beverages that are best  avoided if you’re trying to protect your fertility and want to optimize your chance of conceiving. But don’t worry, there are plenty of alternatives to choose from, so cutting out these potentially harmful beverages may not be as hard as you thought. Plus it always pays to keep the benefits in mind! See our previous article “Diet for Fertility Part 5” for more beverages you should avoid if you’re trying to get pregnant.

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.