Female Infertility Diet

Consumption of one to one and a half cups of coffee per day in one study and about three or four cups per day in other studies has been associated with delayed conception in women trying to get pregnant. Caffeine consumption equivalent to more than two cups of coffee per day has been associated with an increased incidence of infertility due to tubal disease or endometriosis. In another study, women who consumed more than one cup of coffee per day had a 50% reduction in fertility, compared with women who drank less coffee.

Caffeine is found in regular coffee, black tea, green tea, some soft drinks, chocolate, cocoa, and many over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. While not every study finds that caffeine reduces female fertility, many doctors recommend that women trying to get pregnant avoid caffeine.

In one study, consumption of three cups of decaffeinated coffee per day was associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion. In another study, caffeine consumption compounded the negative effects of alcohol consumption on female fertility. Some researchers suspect that the tannic acid found in any kind of coffee and black tea may contribute to infertility.

Consumption of fish contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may reduce the ability of women to conceive. In one study, women who ate more than one fish meal per month of fish caught in Lake Ontario (known to be contaminated with PCBs) had reduced fecundity (meaning that it took longer for them to become pregnant) compared to women who ate less contaminated fish.