New diet 'can freeze biological clock'

Staff writer, Herald Sun
July 29, 2008 12:00am

DRASTIC changes in diet boost a woman's chances of giving birth into her 40s and 50s, it is claimed.

Alterations from cutting out alcohol and sugar to eating more organic foods allow women to hit the "snooze button" on their biological clocks, maximising their chances of having a baby, says a new book on fertility.

Sarah Dobbyn, a nutritionist and author of The Fertility Diet, said the influence of diet on fertility was often overlooked in an age in which IVF often seems the only answer to pregnancy problems.

"Huge amounts of money are being spent on assisted conception techniques by hopeful couples who do not know that alcoholic and caffeinated beverages are liquid contraceptives, sweeteners can prevent ovulation and seemingly innocent foods such as peas, rhubarb and soya all inhibit fertility," Dobbyn, 43, said.

Aimed at those trying to conceive naturally, as well as those going through IVF, The Fertility Diet sets out a diet and lifestyle plan to be followed by both partners.

It advises cutting out smoking, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, caffeine and soya in the first month.

Peas and rhubarb are also banned, following studies linking them to infertility.

By month two, couples should have given up all meat and cut out sugar and dairy products. Come the third month, consumption of eggs and fruit juices should be reduced.

But it is not all about cutting back, with couples allowed unlimited quantities of beans, pulses, organic herbs, spices and nuts from day one.

Fruit and vegetables should be eaten raw whenever possible to help balance the body's hormones.

But IVF doctors have questioned how effective the meat and dairy-free diet would be.

Prof Bill Ledger, a fertility expert from Britain's Sheffield University, said lifestyle did not have a major effect on fertility and he was unaware of any evidence that vegetarians went through menopause at a different time to other women.

"We tend to create a lot of guilt in people these days," he said.

"The worry is that some gullible young woman will read this book and start living that life and miss out on a lot of fun and normality." DAILY MAIL

hmmmm, interesting study.

it distresses me that someone who's not educated themselves may take this on board as being gospel, and, if suffering something like PCOS, have a majorly detrimental impact on themselves!! PCOS has a side effect in some of extreme insulin resistance, which is controlled with a low GI, high protein diet.

i would think encouraging a balanced, healthy diet, not an exclusionary diet such as this, would be, long term, more healthy...

thanks for posting Kel - it's interesting to read what research is going on - even if we don't agree with it :lol: