A Harvard study has discovered that soft drinks - whether caffeinated, non-caffeinated, sugared or diet - may interfere with female fertility, especially annovulation extending the time it takes to conceive.

The study was based on data from the extensive Nurses Health Study which followed 18,555 married women over an eight year period. Information regarding diet and beverage consumption was collected along with the frequency with which women experienced ovulatory infertility. At the conclusion of the study the researchers noted that:

"...intake of caffeinated soft drinks was positively related to ovulatory disorder infertility."

And surprisingly it did not matter what kind of soda was consumed, caffeinated or non-caffeinated, sugar or no-sugar it all had an adverse effect upon ovarian function:

"...Similar associations were observed for noncaffeinated, sugared, diet, and total soft drinks."

Exactly how soft drinks interfere with fertility is still remains a mystery but the message is clear: It may be a good idea to remove soft drinks - of all kinds - from your diet while trying to conceive especially if you have trouble ovulating regularly. The researchers of this study concluded that:

"The association between soft drinks and ovulatory disorder infertility seems not to be attributable to their caffeine or sugar content, and deserves further investigation."

Interestingly, many American-made soft drinks actually contain a flame retardant which is used to suspend flavor throughout the beverage and to add a cloudy appearance. This particular flame-retardant is banned in Europe because of it's harmful effects upon the body, particularly fertility and thyroid health!


This article is intended for informational purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose, offer treatment or replace medical advice for which you should consult a suitably qualified physician.

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Reference:
Epidemiology. 2009 May;20(3):374-81. Caffeinated and alcoholic beverage intake in relation to ovulatory disorder infertility. Chavarro JE, Rich-Edwards JW, Rosner BA, Willet WC.