They followed 17,544 married women at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA. They examined the lifestyle factors and diets of the women using a specially devised scoring system to see if lifestyle or diet could contribute to or cause disorders in ovulation, leading to infertility.
Factors they looked at in the study included:
- The amount of trans fat in the diet
- How many carbohydrates the person consumed
- How much protein she consumed and from which source, i.e. animal or vegetable
- What her iron levels were
- What her body mass index (BMI) was
- How much physical exercise she did
They found that the women who had less trans fat in the diet, less sugar and more vegetable protein were more fertile than women who ate more trans fat.
Fertile Women Take More Multi-Vitamins
In addition, having a higher iron count, exercising more, being slimmer and taking more vitamin supplements was also associated with greater fertility.
As the women introduced each new healthy factor into their lives, such as eating more vegetables, the risk of ovulatory infertility decreased.
A sixfold difference in ovulatory infertility risk was found between the women following five or more lifestyle and dietary changes and those didn't take up any changes.
Having only a 2% increase in trans fats in the diet increased the woman's risk of infertility by a staggering 73%!
What Foods Should I Avoid?
Trans fats are contained in biscuits, cakes, puddings, anything ready made and sugary, processed ready meals such as frozen pies and microwave dinners. Even fries and takeaways can have bad fats in them.
What Can I Eat Instead?
You should:
- Eat more fresh vegetables, particularly raw ones as they contain more vitamins.
- Eat less red meat.
- Cut out fries, burgers and other processed meals and cook your own meals using recipe books, it's far healthier!
- Cut out cakes, biscuits and puddings and make your own with reduced sugar or buy reduced sugar and lower fat brands.
- Swap your potato chips for a packet of raisins or some other healthy snack.
- Don't use margarine. If you have to use a sandwich spread, pick butter. Although it is fattening, at least it is natural fat.
- Swap your vegetable cooking oil for olive oil. Olive oil is actually good for you and may even prevent heart attacks!
- Cut down on coffee - this can inhibit your absorption of vitamins and can cause miscarriage. Drink lots of water instead.
Also consider walking instead of using the car or take up a new active hobby, such as swimming, and this could restore your ovulation.
Men were not included in this study but it has been suggested that they too may be affected by poor diet and lack of exercise and future studies on their lifestyle and sperm counts may have similar results as seen in women.
Source
'Diet and Lifestyle in the Prevention of Ovulatory Disorder Infertility', Jorge E. Chavarro, Janet W. Rich-Edwards, Bernard A. Rosner, and Walter C. Willett. Obstetrics & Gynecology. Vol. 110, No. 5, November 2007.
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