Caffeine & Fertility

The Mom Experts — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 10:33:16 +0000

Relation between Caffeine and Infertility

It is a tradition in most parts of the world and in India to consume a cup of tea or coffee in the morning. It energizes us and helps us go about our day. But did you know that high amounts of this caffeine may be affecting your fertility?

Coffee and various types of tea( green and black),energy drinks and some soft drinks have a high caffeine content. As long as you’re not consuming high amounts, it is unlikely to affect your chances of getting pregnant. However, it is advised that those who are on the journey of embracing parenthood curb their intake to a bare minimum.

According to researchers who did various prospective studies on caffeine intake and fertility, came up with the following possible conclusions:

Women regularly having more than 200mg of caffeine a day may have a higher risk of having a low birth weight baby or even stillbirths. There is also evidence that regular intake of lots of caffeine in pregnancy increases your risk of miscarriage.
Women who drank soda were less likely to conceive than those who did not drink soda. Women who drank three servings of soda per day had the worse fertility rates than women who drank one soda serving per day.
High doses of caffeine might affect the quality of sperm but it’s unclear if this affects men’s fertility.

Certain other researches found out strikingly contradicting results with respect to caffeine and infertility:

Women who consumed more than 300 mg of caffeine per day (more than 1 cup of coffee) had similar fertility rates compared to women who drank less than 100 mg to none per day.
Women who drank two or more servings of tea per day were slightly more likely to conceive than those who drank no tea.

Not every study has ample data regarding the caffeine intake and the fertility rates leading to such contradictory results. However, majority of the studies looking at the dose-related effects of caffeine have pointed out that:

Drinking 300 mg of caffeine increased the risk of early pregnancy loss or spontaneous abortion .
Drinking 600 mg of caffeine more than doubled the risk of miscarriage.
Caffeine did not, however, impact the time it took for couples trying toconceive naturally to get pregnant.
Caffeine intake also did not seem to negatively impact pregnancy rates for couples receiving fertility treatments.

Safe limit for caffeine consumption while trying to Conceive

There isn’t a particular guideline drawing a limit for safe consumption of caffeine without any ill effects on fertility. However, a 200mg limit, including all sources of caffeine has been recommended.

It is prudent to be extra careful when going to a coffee shop, as it is likely to serve much stronger drinks than those you make at home.

Common foods and beverages and their caffeine levels:

Food/Beverage	Average Caffeine Content	Permissible Limit amounting to 200mg
200ml cup of instant coffee	90mg	Two cups
200ml cup of filter coffee	120mg	One cup
200ml cup of tea	43 mg	Four cups
200ml cup of green tea	50mg	Four cups
Can of cola	40mg	Five cans
Can of energy drink	80mg	Two cans
50g bar of plain chocolate	50mg	Four bars
50g bar of milk chocolate	25mg	Eight bars

Alternatives for caffeine containing Foods/Beverages

If you need to cut down on caffeine, switch from filter coffee to instant coffee as it’s slightly lower in caffeine. You could also make it weaker by using only half a teaspoon of coffee per mug.

Decaffeinated coffee is also a good and safe option, and it tastes almost the same as normal coffee. You may be able to trick yourself that you’re getting a caffeine hit!

You could also try these alternate beverages for coffee to reduce the caffeine intake:

Green Tea
Saffron milk
Smoothie with the natural sweetness of fruits.
Hot lemon tea
Ginger Tea

Don’t forget that, even though few of the beverages have caffeine, your cup of coffee provides fluid too, so it is prudent to replace it with good hydration when completely cutting down on coffee. Once you stick to the lower limit of caffeine consumption, it would not adversely affect fertility. Consult with your Obgyn for further apprehensions regarding your caffeine intake.

Diet For Mom To Be

The Mom Experts — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 10:20:57 +0000

Some women prefer to abstain from alcohol and other substances to improve their chances of conceiving, but did you know that some foods might boost fertility? While the term “fertility foods” may be unfamiliar, the way you nourish your body is crucial while attempting to conceive. Many women are unaware that their lifestyle, stress, and diet can all contribute to infertility. Whole foods, a good proportion of lean protein, healthy fats, and fibre in a ‘fertility supporting diet can help enhance your gut microbiota, regulate hormones, and lower stress levels—all three are crucial to prepare your body for pregnancy. There are a few natural techniques to improve your fertility, fortunately. In fact, changing your diet and lifestyle can help you become more fertile. Let’s have a look at them without further delay, keep scrolling peeps!

Have A Blast With Anti-oxidants

Both men and women may benefit from antioxidants such as folate and zinc. They help to neutralize free radicals in the body, which can harm sperm and egg cells. Greater folate intake was linked to higher chances of implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth in a study of 232 women conducted by True Source.

Antioxidants including vitamins C and E, folate, beta carotene, and lutein are abundant in foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains. It shouldn’t harm to eat more of these healthful foods as part of the endeavour.

Change Your Lifestyle Choices

Cut down on alcohol and caffeine if you are trying to get pregnant. Both of them may sound so appealing and irresistible. You might be thinking once in a while won’t hurt but the truth is caffeine has proved to lower fertility rates for both men and women so does the consumption of alcohol. And say a big no to smoking. Smoking kills and harms your ovaries.

Maintain a significant weight. Being both underweight or overweight reduces your chances of getting pregnant. Try meditation, yoga and exercising, it has multi-fold effects, it helps to reduce stress, gives your mind peace and helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Consult your health care provider if you’re thinking about getting pregnant and are concerned about the impact of your lifestyle choices on your fertility. He or she can assist you in determining how to optimize your fertility and increase your chances of becoming pregnant.

Iron

This mineral, which transports oxygen throughout your body, will be crucial in supplying oxygen to your kid as well. If you have a preconception exam scheduled, ask your doctor if you should be tested for iron deficiency, as too little iron can put your baby at risk of being underweight or early.

Good sources of iron are fortified breakfast cereal, lean meat and spinach.

Give Preference to Folic Acid

While it won’t make you more fertile, it’s critical for women who are trying to conceive to get 400 micrograms of folic acid per day from supplements (if you’re thinking about taking any supplements, including folic acid, consult your doctor first) and fortified foods like dark leafy green vegetables and fortified grains. Folic acid is required to prevent neural tube abnormalities during pregnancy.

Calcium is your BFF

Calcium keeps your reproductive system in good working order, and it may even help you conceive more quickly. Stock up immediately because you’ll need a consistent supply for your baby’s future dental and bone health and growth.

If your calcium levels are low while pregnant, your body will take calcium from your bones and provide it to the developing baby, thereby increasing your risk of osteoporosis (brittle bones). Obtain about 1,500 mg of calcium each day from sources such as :

Stay Away From Trans Fats

It is significant to consume healthy fats daily to improve fertility and general health.

However, because of their deleterious effects on insulin sensitivity, trans fats are linked to an increased incidence of ovulatory infertility.

Trans fats can be found in margarine, fried foods, processed foods, and baked goods, and are typically found in hydrogenated vegetable oils. Some are my personal favourites.

But, researchers have then and again proved that unsaturated fats have a bad impact on fertility.

PCOS & Carb Management

For women with PCOS, a low-carbohydrate diet (with carbs accounting for less than 45 per cent of total calories) is often recommended. Several studies have found that controlling carb intake can help with some of the symptoms of PCOS. Lower-carbohydrate diets can help you maintain a healthy weight, lower insulin levels, and promote fat reduction while also promoting menstrual regularity.

When it comes to carbs, it’s not just the quantity that matters, but also the type. Carbohydrates that have been refined may be particularly harmful. Sugary foods and drinks, as well as processed grains like white pasta, bread, and rice, are examples of refined carbohydrates.

These sugars are readily digested, leading blood sugar and insulin levels to increase. The Glycemic index is also high in refined carbohydrates (GI). If you eat a carbohydrate-dense item, the GI will inform you if it will considerably elevate your blood sugar.

Insulin has a molecular structure that is comparable to that of ovarian hormones. These hormones aid in the maturation of our eggs. Because the body believes it doesn’t require reproductive hormones, chronically increased insulin can cause the body to make fewer of them. This can cause egg maturation and ovulation to be delayed.

Refined carbohydrates can aggravate PCOS, which is linked to high insulin levels.

Protein is Kind Of A Frienemy

Reduce your intake of red meat and increase your intake of fish. Protein, zinc, and iron are all critical building blocks for a healthy pregnancy and can be found in trimmed chicken, turkey, pork, and beef. Avoiding blubbery portions can help you avoid gaining too much weight, which can upset estrogen levels and expose you to organochlorine contaminants.

Choose plant protein above animal protein when looking for nutrients that will help you become more fertile. Furthermore, plant protein (found in beans, nuts, seeds, and tofu) has healthy fats and is low in calories, making it a good choice for weight loss. According to the Harvard Public Health study- “Infertility was shown to be 39 per cent more likely in women who ate the most animal protein. Beans, as well as nuts, seeds, and other legumes like lentils and chickpeas, are excellent sources of iron.”

Your Go-To List Of Super Foods

Whole Foods: Rather than processed foods, choose whole foods. Ovulatory dysfunction may be prevented by eating a diet high in whole grains and vegetables and low in processed meat.
Avocados: Avocados are one of the most popular healthy fat sources. They’re also high in potassium, folate, and vitamin K, which help your body absorb other vitamins properly. Avocados, it turns out, are a fantastic fertility food. They’re a great source of vitamin E, which has been found to help improve the uterine lining in tests.
Beans & Lentils: Beans and lentils are high in fibre and protein, which can aid in ovulation improvement. Studies have indicated that substituting vegetable protein for animal protein reduces the incidence of ovulatory infertility. Both of these legumes are high in folic acid, a crucial nutrient that aids in conception and promotes good embryo development.
Sunflower Seeds: Sunflower seeds are a simple approach to help keep sperm levels in check without making major dietary adjustments. Vitamin E is abundant in roasted, unsalted sunflower seed kernels, a vital component that boosts sperm count and motility. Sunflower seeds also contain significant levels of zinc, folic acid, and selenium, all of which are important reproductive elements.
Salmon: Salmon contains Omega-3 Fatty Acids, which have been shown to influence the blood flow to reproductive organs.
Dark Leafy Vegetables: Folate, a B vitamin that has been demonstrated to increase ovulation, is abundant in dark leafy greens including spinach, romaine, arugula, and broccoli. Leafy greens are also known to boost a woman’s libido.

If you are trying to get pregnant, don’t put yourself under too much stress. It’s a natural process and takes time. Don’t believe in those Drama and movies where a one-night stand results in a pregnancy. It takes a lot of failed attempts to get those two red lines. So sit back and wait for your turn and don’t forget to comment below if you like our tips.

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