7 Foods / Substances To Avoid For Maximum Fertility

By Scott McLeod


Caffeinated Products

* Ingesting approximately 300 mg of caffeine or more per day has shown to decrease fertility rates. If you are asking what 300 mg of caffeine is, it can be related to about 3 cups of coffee. That's about 100 mg of caffeine per cup of coffee. Soft-drinks higher in caffeine such as Mountain Dew and Coca-Cola have roughly 50 to 80 mg of caffeine per 20 ounces. Avoid taking caffeine completely if possible. If not, monitor your intake and stay at 200 mg per day or less.

High Sugar Foods, Carbonated Soft-drinks and Pasteurized Juice

* Highly concentrated simple sugars like those found in soft-drinks, candy and pasteurized juices have a bad impact on conception rates. These sugars cause an elevated amount of sugars in the blood, causing insulin spikes and then other repercussions in the hormonal balance. Avoid artificial sweeteners like Splenda (sucralose) or aspartame especially. You may use safe alternatives such as stevia, agave nectar, honey and maple syrup.

Drinking Alcohol

* Research shows that alcohol can decrease fertility significantly in women. Women who had 2 drinks of alcohol per day were shown to have a 60% decrease in conception. All women plan to stay abstinent from alcohol DURING pregnancy but many are unaware that drinking while trying to conceive may be frustrating their chances. Abstinence for men is also advises if fertility is difficult as alcohol decreases the male sperm count... it also decreases testosterone and increases estrogen.

Cigarettes & Smoking

* Smoking decreases fertility rates for not only women but for potential fathers. So ladies, if your guy smokes and you are having problems conceiving, try to convince him to quit so he can get his 'swimmers' in full vitality and quantity.

Soy Foods

* It has been demonstrated that soy acts to mimic the hormone estrogen within the body. Your body tries to compensate for what it believes is higher levels of estrogen and then unwittingly causes hormonal imbalance that can retard the fertility process. Avoid foods that are of a processed soy origin. These products include soy burgers, proteins, milk, cheeses... the list goes on. Men, you are also affected by soy in regards to hormones.

GMO Foods

* GMO's or genetically modified organisms are humans attempt to use nature to manipulate nature and has resulted in some emerging health consequences. It has been strongly suspected that fertility rates are decreased with the increase of GMO foodstuffs in one's diet. Avoid eating GMO food and research these commonly modified foods and ingredients. Look for the Non-GMO label on relevant products.

Foods that are "Fat Free"

* 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.




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