A new study has shown that women who have a diet of fast food will take longer to conceive
The report, which appeared in the Oxford Academic, and was conducted by the University of Adelaide, Australia, looked at the diet of 5, 598 women, who were trying to conceive.
The women were asked to remember what they had eaten in the month or so before they conceived, which was a challenge for some
They were visited about four months into their pregnancy and asked how often they ate green leafy vegetables and fish, fruits – and foods such as burgers, pizza, fried chicken and chips, from fast food restaurants.
Women who ate fruit more than three times a day had an increased chance of becoming pregnant sooner than those who ate less than that
The study concluded that women who regularly ate a diet of junk food were less likely to conceive within a year.
It stated: “These findings underscore the importance of considering preconception diet for fecundity outcomes and preconception guidance. Further research is needed assessing a broader range of foods and food groups in the preconception period.”
Fertility Babble nutritional expert Melanie Brown said it is crucially important to eat a well balanced diet when trying to conceive.
She said: “Perhaps another stating ‘the obvious’ report, but the fact that this has been investigated and published is a huge step forward in raising awareness of the importance of pre-conception care. The findings are a bit puzzling; fruit not folate-rich greens appears to be the food that counts and fish didn’t figure at all. Although the researchers have tried to account for potential confounding factors like smoking, it is almost impossible to separate all of these from diet.
“People who tend to eat a high level of fast food, in this case counted as burgers, fried chicken, hot chips and pizza most probably do have lifestyle habits that could affect their fertility.”
