Fertility Fudge Swirl

by: AndreaDow
Total views: 553
Word Count: 402

Thursday, May 31st

Did you know that experts are now recommending a scoop of ice cream twice a week to increase your fertility? What? Did I just read that correctly? I am not sure I remember any other time where I have read about a study that encouraged eating full fat ice cream. For women trying to get pregnant, that pint of Ben and Jerry's in the freezer may be just what the doctor ordered.

Health magazine writer Libby Slate reports that the Nurses' Health Study showed that women consuming two servings of full fat ice cream per week may lower their risk of infertility by 38%. Scientists are still scratching their heads trying to figure out exactly why this is true. Jorge E Chavarro, MD, a research fellow at Harvard's School of Public Health says that a substance inside the milk fat may help the ovaries work better. Interestingly, Chavarro's study also found that low-fat or non-fat dairy products like skim milk and yogurt actually had the opposite affects. Two plus servings daily actually increased fertility risks by 85%. The standard guidelines recommend 3 servings of dairy daily to ensure adequate calcium intake, so be sure to take a calcium supplement if you decide to limit your daily dairy consumption.

Other foods to avoid include anything with caffeine as it my decrease blood flow to the uterus. Less blood flow to the uterus can mean problems with implantation. Chavarro also found trans fats to be problematic for women trying to conceive. Even a few grams of trans fats per day may double infertility risks. Apparently these unhealthful fats increase inflammation and produce problems with insulin regulation.

One last food to consider consuming more of is pasta. Are you kidding....first I tell you to eat ice cream and then pasta? Well our hero, Dr. Chavarro found that women getting iron from pasta (or cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables) had fewer infertility risks compared to those consuming their iron through chicken, beef and fish. The iron in pasta may help encourage egg development which is crucial prior to ovulation. It seems that the fat and protein in the meat sources prohibited iron absorption. If pasta does not work for you, then consider an iron supplement of 40 mg.

All of you ladies looking to get knocked up should consider a romantic dinner at home, pasta, ice cream, yada yada, you get the idea!

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