Sue Bedford (MSc Nutritional Therapy)
Every day, we all make decisions about what to eat. But how often do we pause to consider the impact our diet has on our general health, including our ability to conceive?
We are what we eat, and impacts all aspects of health, including reproductive health. Consuming fast food – which is often high sugar and trans-fats – has been linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, inflammation, and ovulation-related fertility issues, while processed foods have also been found to have a negative impact on fertility. The state of health of both the mother and father at the point of conception has a huge impact on the wellbeing of a developing child and it’s long-term health and many do not have any idea about a host of nutrients that are vital to the development of a baby/child. It is never too late to start taking a good look at what you eat and make modifications where needed.
What exactly do we mean when we talk about whole foods, processed foods and ultra-processed foods?
Whole foods are foods that have not been processed or have only been lightly processed to retain their vitamins and nutritional value. The food is in its natural state, or very close to it. To make these foods suitable for storage and safe to eat, inedible parts may be removed, they may be dried, crushed, roasted, boiled, frozen, or pasteurised. Examples of foods that are unprocessed or barely processed include carrots, pears, apples, raw chicken, melon, and unsalted raw nuts.
A food is altered during processing from its original state. In essence, adding salt, oil, sugar, or other ingredients results in processed foods. Examples include fruits in syrup, freshly baked bread, canned fruit and vegetables, and canned fish. Two or three ingredients make up the majority of processed foods.
The concept of Ultra-processed foods was first introduced in 2018 by Monteiro a Brazilian scientist. The definition of these foods originates from his team of scientists -the term ‘ultra-processed’ referred to industrial formulations manufactured from substances derived from foods or synthesised from other organic sources. They typically contain little or no whole foods, are ready to consume or heat up, and are fatty, salty or sugary and depleted in dietary fibre, protein, various micronutrients and other bioactive compounds.
Ultra-processed foods often contain a lot of extra ingredients, including salt, sugar, fat, and synthetic colouring or preservatives. These foods are often relatively cheap, convenient, and heavily marketed, often as healthy options. Additionally, they might have additives like stabilisers or artificial colours and flavours. Frozen meals, soft drinks, sugary cereals, hot dogs and cold cuts, fast food, packaged biscuits, cakes, and salty snacks are a few examples of these foods. These foods are often tasty to many people and make them feel full and this is a vicious circle as it can lead to cravings for more of these foods which often lead to a nutrient gap and also a piling on of calories to occur.
How can ultra-processed affect our health and fertility?
There is now increasing evidence from studies that these ultra-processed foods are leading to health problems (with may also affect reproductive health both directly and indirectly) including:
- Inflammation – leading to hormone imbalances (implications for conditions such as endometriosis). Inflammation can also affect male fertility by causing damage to the cells that produce sperm, leading to a decrease in both quantity and quality of sperm. Obesity, often a result of a poor diet and excess food intake, can also contribute to infertility by decreasing testosterone levels and impacting the function of reproductive organs.
- Brian health
- Weight gain- obesity can affect both female and male fertility. In men, excess weight can lead to an increase in oestrogen levels, which can decrease sperm count and impair sperm function. Obesity can also contribute to erectile dysfunction and lower testosterone levels. Additionally, it can increase the risk of conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, which can further affect fertility and sexual function. In women, in studies it has been found that overweight women have a higher incidence of menstrual dysfunction and anovulation. The risk of subfecundity and infertility, conception rates, miscarriage rates, and pregnancy complications are increased in these women.
- Diabetes (type 2) and heart disease
- Certain cancers – including ovarian, breast and brain cancer
- Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage (fizzy drinks) has been linked to lower fertility for both men and women. Additionally, studies have shown that women who consume large amounts of fast food and little fresh food can take longer to become pregnant that women with healthier diets.
- PCOS – insulin resistance
My top tips on what to include in your diet to avoid consuming ultra-processed food
- Start reading labels. Don’t buy anything with more than 4-5 ingredients in it- max! Make your own salad dressings, cakes, mayonnaise etc.
- Think about breakfast- what are you eating? How much sugar is in it? You can’t go wrong with good old-fashioned porridge sprinkled with berries or start your day with an egg on seeded toast.
- Buy fresh local food – go to your local butchers/farmers markets and fishmongers – buy food seasonally.
- Look at buying an organic fruit and veg box to be delivered weekly if you are short on time so you don’t miss out.
- Eat whole foods in their natural state. Focus on fresh vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, pulses, seeds, nuts, organic meats and fish. Introduce more smoothies, juices, homemade soups and stir-fries into your diet and ensure that they contain vegetables where possible.
- Avoid fast foods- chips, hamburgers, fried food.
- If you can’t pronounce it- don’t eat it!
- Cook from scratch at home where possible – if you are short on time try batch cooking so you can pull homemade food out of the freezer for after a busy day as this is where it can be tempting to opt for an easy takeout alternative.
- Don’t eat it if sugar is one of the top three ingredients and watch out for artificial sweeteners.
- Don’t eat anything your grandparents wouldn’t have recognized as food! Why not reintroduce your fish on Fridays and Sundays lunch with 3 or more vegetables(or equivalent)?
- Aim for 30 portions of different coloured fruit and vegetables per week.
Want to read more?
Jessica A Grieger, Luke E Grzeskowiak, Tina Bianco-Miotto, Tanja Jankovic-Karasoulos, Lisa J Moran, Rebecca L Wilson, Shalem Y Leemaqz, Lucilla Poston, Lesley McCowan, Louise C Kenny, Jenny Myers, James J Walker, Robert J Norman, Gus A Dekker, Claire T Roberts, Pre-pregnancy fast food and fruit intake is associated with time to pregnancy, Human Reproduction, Volume 33, Issue 6, June 2018, Pages 1063–1070, https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dey079
Chang, Kiara et al. Ultra-processed food consumption, cancer risk and cancer mortality: a large-scale prospective analysis within the UK BiobankeClinicalMedicine, Volume 0, Issue 0, 101840
Dağ ZÖ, Dilbaz B. Impact of obesity on infertility in women. J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc. 2015 Jun 1;16(2):111-7. doi: 10.5152/jtgga.2015.15232. PMID: 26097395; PMCID: PMC4456969.
