Did you know that what you DON’T put into your body is as important for your fertility as what you do put into your body?
Just as there are nutrients that benefit and support healthy fertility, there are also anti-nutrients that can negatively impact your fertility.
Anti-nutrient: A compound or effect from something that either takes more nutrients from the body to process or takes more nutrients from the body to fight the effects from it. Basically, a compound that is causing more harm than good.
Here is a list of 5 anti-nutrients you should avoid at all costs (in no particular order, they are all very important to avoid):
1. Soy
Soy foods contain compounds which mimic estrogen in the body. Unopposed estrogen or estrogen levels that are too high can cause many fertility issues and create challenging issues for a developing fetus and growing baby. Soy foods should be avoided by both men and women, especially during preconception, pregnancy and childhood.
There are many studies that have shown a link between consumption of soy foods lowering sperm counts in men, and effecting female fertility due to the phytoestrogenic actions that soy produces. A majority of fertility issues are estrogen dominate conditions. For instance, it is strongly considered that 40-50% of infertile women have endometriosis, an estrogen dominate condition. Other common causes of fertility issues are PCOS, which is also caused by hormonal imbalance, and lack of ovulation, another hormonally affected condition..
Interesting Fact: Did you know that feeding 2 bottles of soy baby formula to your baby is equivalent to taking 4 birth control pills? Imagine what soy milk contains?
By consuming soy foods and exposing yourself to xenohormones, (soy is not the only estrogenic food or substance that we are exposed to) estrogen levels can get higher than they should be, causing other hormones to become deficient. One of the best ways to avoid this is to avoid soy.
You can replace soy milks, soy meats, soy cheeses, soy cereal etc. With healthier, less processed foods. For instance almond milk and rice milk can replace soy milk.
2. GMO
GMO is another anti-nutrient that is very important for you to be aware of. GMO is not a food or nutrient, but instead it is something that is done to our foods.
Definition (Wikipeadia): Genetically modified organism (GMO)
“A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes.”
GMO foods are foods that have been altered by science to grow bigger, have herbicide tolerance, and be insect resistant, amongst other things. They have been altered from their natural, nutritious state into a food that studies now show can negatively impact your fertility amongst causing other health issues.
One of the few long-terms studies (there are not many long-term studies done on GMO foods) showed that mice fed GMO corn over a period of 20 weeks had greatly impaired fertility compared to the mice fed non-GMO corn. In addition the offspring of the GMO mice also suffered from lower fertility rates
Another food that is generally GMO is soy. In the U.S., approximately 54% of all soybeans cultivated in 2000 were genetically-modified, in 2010 93% of soybeans are genetically modified. Yet another reason to avoid soy foods.
While soy, corn and potatoes are the most prevalent GMO foods, there are many others that you should be aware about as well, such as:
How to avoid GMO foods
In the US there are currently no labeling laws requiring that the inclusion of GMO foods be placed on the label. The best ways to avoid GMO foods are to buy organic and shop at the farmer’s market.
- If it is a 5-digit number beginning with an 8, it is GM. However, do not trust that GE foods will have a PLU identifying it as such, because PLU labeling is optional.
- If it is a 5-digit number beginning with a 9, it is organic.
3. Pesticides, herbicides, hormones
The pesticides and herbicides sprayed on our foods and lawns have been shown to negatively impact fertility. Studies have shown that these chemicals affect both male fertility (lower sperm count) as well as female fertility (causing hormonal imbalances).
In men pesticides have been shown to effect:
In women pesticides affect fertility in many different ways by disrupting
While pesticides and herbicides are not the only chemicals that should be avoided, they are some of the most prevalent. The best way to avoid ingesting these anti-nutrients is to buy organic foods including organic fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, etc. Conventional animals are fed grains and feed that contain a lot of pesticides. Chemicals such as pesticides are stored in the fat of the animals body, and when they are eaten or their milk is drank, the consumer is getting a concentration of these chemicals.
If you are switching from a conventional diet to an organic one and are concerned about the chemicals and toxins left from your original lifestyle, you may want to look into doing a Fertility Cleanse to help support the liver in cleansing out these compounds. In addition, if you are overweight, losing weight and sweating are the best ways to get rid of the chemicals that are stored in the fat.
4. Sugar
Sugar may be the one thing that most people know is not good for them. But how does it effect fertility specifically? Let's clarify what type of sugar we are am speaking of. Processed sugars such as high fructose corn syrup, white sugar, corn sugar, etc are the bad ones, while the sugar found in fruits are healthy, natural sugars. What about honey and maple syrup you ask? In small amounts they are fine, but it is the processed sugars that are the culprits.
When someone consumes sugar it creates a spike in the blood sugar causing the body to release insulin, trying to balance the blood sugar levels. Over time, when sugar is consumed day in and day out, this can create an insulin resistance, where the body is not responding to the insulin being released. This can go on to cause many different health issues, one of the main fertility ones being PCOS. PCOS effects ovulation, implantation of the ovum as well as increasing the rate of miscarriage.
So avoiding processed sugars is one of the best things that you can do to eat a healthier, fertility friendly diet. Be clear that we are NOT recommending to eat sugar-free foods or diet sodas either, as they are also known to cause many health issues as well and should be avoided with as much vigour. What is being recommended is to eat a healthy, whole food, plant-based diet (you can include meat or not, it is up to you) as nature intended and avoid processed sugar.
Some alternatives to processed sugars are:
Stevia- steivia is an amazing herb that is sweet but contains no sugar whatsoever. It is very potent so start with a small amount, let the flavor grow on you. My favorite form is the powdered herb, which should be green, not white.
Honey - in small amounts honey is a good sweetener
Dates – Putting dates in almond milk recipes is a good idea because they are a natural sweetener but also contain essential minerals.
Maple syrup – Another natural sweetener that can be used in small amounts.
At first it seems like quitting sugar is a big deal, and it is because most of us are addicted to it, but if you cut out all sugar, after about 1-2 weeks your cravings will go away and you will feel so much better. Just say no to sugar! JUST SAY NO!
5. Plastic water bottles
The last on today’s list of anti-nutrients is plastic water bottles. Do not drink or buy water in plastic bottles. The thin plastic bottle that the water is in leaches chemicals called xenohormones into the water . These xenohormones mimic estrogen in the body, causing there to be too much estrogen and not enough of the other important hormones (in men typically not enough testosterone to oppose the estrogen and in women not enough progesterone to oppose the estrogen.). This in turn causes hormonal imbalance and fertility issues. While there are many toxins and pollutants that are xenohormones, bottled water seems to be one that everyone is exposing themselves to, purposefully, on a daily basis.
Some alternative to drinking bottled water:
1. Spring water. If you can find a natural spring where you live, that is the best water you can drink.
2. The second best would be Kangan water or reverse osmosis
3. Third would be a table top filter such as Britta.
Here are some actions steps that you can take today that can make all the difference:
1. Avoid all soy
2. Buy organic as much as possible, this includes produce, dairy, meat, and grains.
3. Avoid processed sugars
4. Stop drinking plastic bottled water
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Fogel call (678) 513-0095. All nutrition appointments are scheduled on Tuesdays only and are scheduled 2 to 3 weeks out.
References:
1. Soy again linked to male infertility. www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Soy-again-linked-to-male-infertility-Mouse-study
2. S. Morell. Soy Infant Formula: Birth Control Pills for Babies. www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/715-soy-formula-birth-control-pills-for-babies.html
3. New Study Links Genetically Engineered Corn to Infertility. GM Watch (EU), November 12, 2008 www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_15588.cfm
4. Austrian study shows GM corn negatively affects reproductive health in mice www.ages.at/ueber-uns/presse/pressemeldungen/klars…
5. Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S. www.ers.usda.gov/Data/BiotechCrops/
6. Genetically-engineered food: potential threat to fertility. Greenpeace International, 11 November 2008 http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/releases/ge…
7. Bretveld R, Brouwers M, Ebisch I, Roeleveld N. Influence of pesticides on male fertility. SScand J Work Environ Health. 2007 Feb;33(1):13-28.
8. Phillips KP, Tanphaichitr N. Human exposure to endocrine disrupters and semen quality. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2008 Mar;11(3-4):188-220.
9. Bretveld RW, Thomas CM, Scheepers PT, Zielhuis GA, Roeleveld N. Pesticide exposure: the hormonal function of the female reproductive system disrupted? Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2006 May 31;4:30.