By Scott McLeod
Caffeinated Products
* Higher levels of caffeine on the range of 300 mg and more a day have shown to be associated with lower fertility rates. What is 300 mg of caffeine? About 3 cups of coffee. Each cup of coffee is equivalent to approximately 100 mg of caffeine. Caffeinated soda drinks (which should be avoided anyway) such as Coke and Mountain Dew contain around 50 to 80 mg of caffeine per 20 oz bottle. Avoid the caffeine altogether if you can... if you need your fix, just make sure you are monitoring your intake and not exceeding 200 mg of caffeine a day at the most.
Pasteurized Juice, Sodas and Sugar
* Spikes of sugar from candy, soft-drinks and juices have a negative impact on fertility. There is an interconnected hormonal system that is in play and so you want to eat low-glycemic index carbohydrates (i.e. complex carbs such as spaghetti, oatmeal, quinoa, etc) rather than refined sugars found in pastries, candy bars and the previous mentioned offenders. Avoid artificial sweeteners. Aspartame in particular is a bad bad player in the fertility game and your health in general. Safe alternative sweeteners are agave nectar, stevia, maple syrup and honey.
Drinking Alcohol
* Current studies on alcohol and fertility rates show that women drinking two alcoholic drinks per day contribute to a significant ( 60% ) decrease in fertility. You may have thought not to drink during pregnancy but if you're having problems conceiving you may just want to give up 'the bottle' early. Men should also avoid alcohol as it decreases sperm count. It may entice men to know that alcohol lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen levels.
Smoking
* Research strongly indicates decreased fertility amongst couples who smoke. Women smoking decreases the odds of conceptions but also their male counterparts contribute to a lower fertility rate if they smoke. Smoking reduces sperm count in men as well as causes DNA damage.
Soy Products
* Research shows that soy is an estrogen analog. In other words, your body will perceive soy as estrogen and try to counterbalance its hormone levels in response. This can obviously affect the delicate hormonal balance we want to achieve in fertility riddled individuals. Avoid processed soy foods such as soy milk, burgers, cheeses, protein powders... you catch my drift. Men are also affected hormonally by soy.
GMO Foods
* GMO or Genetically Modified Organism foods are laboratory experiments without a significant body of research proving their safety despite FDA approval. More and more GMOs are found or highly suspected to cause a growing body of unforeseen health consequences. Research GMO free food and do your best to find products that do not contain genetically modified ingredients. GMO foods are highly suspected as a predator on your fertility ability.
Fat Free Food
* I thought fat-free was good? Well, fat-free foods are processed and usually result in higher sugar content that once again affects blood sugar levels negatively. Aside from this, Harvard studies show that women who consumed full fat dairy products as opposed to their non-fat compatriots actually increased their fertility. It is an important biopsysiological concept that hormones are primarily synthesized from fats and hormones regulate fertility. Women needs to eat good fats throughout conception and pregnancy.
About the Author:
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