Fertility diet do's and don'ts

If you are one of the 15 per cent of Singaporeans who have trouble conceiving, you might want to start altering your diet. Learn about the fertility diet and what to avoid.

Infertility is definitely a worrying problem. In Singapore, about 15 per cent of couples do not get pregnant successfully within 12 months of trying to conceive.

If you are one of the 15 per cent who have trouble conceiving, you might want to start altering your diet, and the first thing you might want to omit is peas.

Dos and don’ts of your fertility diet

According to the author of the Fertility Diet, nutritionist Sarah Dobbyn, peas are the enemy of women trying to conceive. And to a certain extent, eggs, fruit juices, meat, sugar, dairy and alcohol are also bad for fertility.

Dobbyn suggests the influence of diet on fertility is often overlooked and by making “drastic” changes in their diet, women in their 40s and 50s could increase their chance of having a baby.

She also encourages couples to eat unlimited quantities of beans, pulses, organic herbs, spices and nuts, and raw fruit and vegetables whenever possible. The aim of all this is to apparently help ‘balance the body’s hormones’.

Why avoid peas in your fertility diet?

Another author, Fern Reiss, has also linked peas to infertility. Reiss, who studied cooking and nutrition at the Culinary Institute of America and the Kushi Institute for Macrobiotic Studies, writes in her book, ‘The Infertility Diet’ that peas “seem to contain a national contraceptive (m-xylohydroquinine) which interferes with estrogen and progestrone: In a study of rats fed 20% of their diet in peas, litter sizes were reduced and 30% had no offspring.”

While there has been no conclusive studies that scientifically link peas to infertility, it’s best to err on the side of caution and consume peas in moderation.

If you are keen to know what’s best in your fertility diet, read these articles:

Recipes to increase fertility

Yoga poses for infertile couples

Fertility Boosting Foods

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