Consuming low-fat dairy products may significantly increase a woman's risk of infertility, according to a recent study published in
Human Reproduction, Europe's leading journal of reproductive medicine. Researchers in the United States found that women who ate two or more servings of low-fat dairy products daily had an 85 percent higher chance of infertility due to lack of ovulation than other women.
What you need to know:
• Researchers studied the diet and lifestyle habits of 18,555
women between the ages of 24 and 42, from 1991 to 1999. None of the women had a history of
infertility.
• Four hundred and thirty-eight of the women studied developed anovulatory infertility, which was strongly correlated with low-fat
dairy intake. Women who ate at least one serving of high-fat dairy daily, however, had a 27 percent lower
risk of anovulatory infertility.
• Lead Researcher Dr. Jorge Chavarro advised that women seeking to conceive eat only full-fat dairy foods, but that they switch back to low-fat versions once they have become pregnant.
• According to University of Birmingham Professor Chris Barratt, scientists do not understand the mechanisms by which dietary intake affects
fertility. He also said that age is a much more significant factor in infertility risk than
diet.
• Quote: "The key thing here is that this is a big study. I think you can take some confidence in that. We've known for some time that
patients with low body weight have very significant problems ovulating, and patients overweight also have problems ovulating." - Chris Barratt
Bottom line
• Eating low-fat
dairy products may increase a woman's risk of infertility.
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