What foods should I avoid when I'm trying to fall pregnant?

For woman with endometriosis, diet plays an essential role in managing symptoms and supporting reproductive health.  When you trying to conceive, every little choice can feel important – especially what you eat.  While focusing on a nutrient rich diet can boost fertility, knowing which foods to avoid is equally important.   

Certain foods can disrupt hormone balance, increase inflammation or decrease your changes of conception. Here’s a look at what foods you should steer clear of when trying to fall pregnant.  

High sugar foods with a high glycaemic index^(1,2)  

Foods such as refined carbohydrates (white breads, pastries, cereals), foods with added sugars, sweets and sweetened carbonated beverages³ can be detrimental when trying to conceive. These foods not only contribute to increasing weight gain, but they also cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels.  Such spikes can lead to hormonal imbalances, which are particularly harmful for woman with endometriosis trying to fall pregnant.   

Furthermore, these foods also disrupt the environment of the gut, which further contributes to a negative effect on fertility.   

Foods high in trans-fatty-Acids (TFA’s) 

Trans fats are commonly found in fast foods, ready-made confectionary, salty and sweet snacks, hard margarines, fried foods and processed meats.  These types of fats seem to have the most negative impact on fertility ¹.  TFA’s have been found to negatively affect ovulation function in woman, promote insulin resistance and their increased consumption leads to an increase in inflammation¹.     

Processed meat  

Processed meats including sausages, bacon, polonies and deli meats are often high in preservatives, sodium and unhealthy trans and saturated fats.  These ingredients can trigger inflammation, a significant concern for woman with endometriosis.  Processed meats have been shown to have a negative effect on fertility¹.   

High mercury fish  

Certain fish such as Swordfish, Shark, King Mackerel and blue fin tuna contain high levels of mercury would accumulate in the bloodstream.  High levels of mercury exposure have been linked to negative effects on fertility and hormone balance⁴.  For woman with endometriosis and trying to fall pregnant, it is particularly important to avoid these high mercury fish and rather go for lower mercury options such as Salmon (wild caught), Sardines and Mackerel. 

Alcohol 

Alcohol consumption can interfere with hormone regulation and exacerbate inflammation⁵.  Alcohol can negatively disrupt hormones and fertility particularly in woman with underlying reproductive issues like endometriosis⁵.  Limiting alcohol intake or elimination it altogether when trying to conceive has the potential to improve conception.  

For woman with endometriosis trying to fall pregnant, avoiding certain foods can help manage inflammation and support hormone balance, both of which are critical for improving fertility. By steering clear of high sugar foods, refined carbohydrates, trans fats, processed meats, high mercury fish and alcohol, you can create a more favourable environment for conception.   

REFERENCES 

1. Lakoma K, Kukharuk & Śliż D. The Influence of Metabolic Factors and Diet on Fertility.  Nutrients. 2023 Mar; 15(5): 1180.  

2. Female Fertility and the Nutritional Approach: The Most Essential Aspects 

3. Hatch EE, Wesselink AK, Hahn KA, Michiel JJ, Mikkelsen EM, Sorensen HT, Rothman KJ, Wise LA. Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and fecundability in a North American preconception cohort. Epidemiology. 2018;29(3):369–78. 

4. Henriques M C, Loureiro S, Fardilha M & Herdeiro M T.    Exposure to mercury and human reproductive health: A systematic review.  Reproductive Toxicology. Vol. 85, April 2019, Pgs 93-103. 

5. Anwar M Y, Marcus M & Taylor K C.  The association between alcohol intake and fecundability during menstrual cycle phases.  Human Reprod. 2021 Sep; 36(9): 2538–2548.