Much Ado about Dairy and Fertility
By Drew Nesbitt BA, TCMP, Ac., ROHP • Filed under Fertility Health • January 6, 2010
Recent evidence from the Nurses’ Health Study suggest that certain dairy foods can negatively affect your fertility. Are you eating the right ones?
In North America, dairy products like milk and cheese can be found in just about every kitchen refrigerator. Despite this popularity, is dairy beneficial when it comes to fertility health? According to some studies, the more dairy you consume the less fertile you may be. [1, 4]
Because cows are sometimes milked while pregant, cow hormones can make their way into the milk supply, causing hormonal balance for humans who ingest milk. Cow’s milk is only produced after cows give birth, usually until two years after pregnancy. Two facilitate milk production, farmers intervene and artificially inseminate the cows to start the process all over again. For a period of time, the cow is being milked while it is pregnant. Pregnancy brings hormones which make their way into the milk supply. [2]
This “skimming” process may have a negative effect on your hormonal balance. Some research is suggesting that if you are consuming milk products while trying to get pregnant, try to consume full-fat dairy foods instead of low-fat [3].
Whether you are pregnant or not, it is best to avoid large quantities of high-fat (as opposed to “full-fat”) dairy products which contain saturated fats. Any food with saturated fats should be consumed sparingly, especially if you are trying to conceive, or if you are pregnant.
If are worried about your fertility health but still want dairy in your life, choose plain, organic yogurt with full fat, or try sheep’s and goat’s milk products. Also, be sure to stay away from yogurts in the little cups as they are often high in sugar and low in beneficial probiotics.
You can switch back to lower fat choices after your pregnancy. For a more detailed look into why skim milk may influence your fertility health, pick up Drew’s free report on Foods and Fertility.
1. Cramner, D et al. 1994 “Adult hypolactasia, milk consumption, and age-specific fertility”, American Journal of Epidemiology, Feb 1, 139(3), 282-289.
2. Boost Your Fertility, Marilyn Glenville, PH.D., Fair Winds Press, 2008.
3. The Fertility Diet, Jorge Chavarro, MD, ScD, Walter Willett, MD, DrPH., McGraw Hill, 2008.
4. Chavarro, J. et al. 2007, “A prospective study of dairy foods intake and anovulatory infertility”, Human Reproduction, May, 22(5), 1340-1347.
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