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Diet for Fertility Part 4

Diet for Fertility Part 4

This article is a continuation from Diet for Fertility Part 3 and discusses more foods that are potentially damaging for your fertility. The foods you eat can have a significant impact on your fertility, and while many foods and supplements are beneficial and can improve your chances of conceiving (see Diet for Fertility Part 1), there are also foods you should avoid. Many of these “infertility foods” are ones which are already recognised as unhealthy, like processed “junk” foods and products high in saturated fat. While these contribute to other health problems (e.g. heart disease) they are also harmful to your fertility. Without further ado, here’s a few more foods you should steer clear of in order to optimize your fertility.

Monosodium glutamate 

Monosodium glutamate or MSG is a flavour enhancer added to things like junk food and often Chinese takeaways. Always check the label for MSG, which also goes by the code 621. MSG has been thoroughly linked to infertility issues in both men and women and should definitely be avoided.

Peas

Diet for Fertility Part 4

Although you wouldn’t guess it, peas actually contain a natural contraceptive with the unpronounceable name m-xylohydroquinone. While you would have to eat a lot for it to have the full effect it’s still best to avoid peas when you’re trying to have a baby. Instead opt for vegetables such as carrots, spinach and other leafy greens, kumara, broccoli and cabbage. These all enhance your fertility instead of impairing it.

Sugar & White Flour

Biscuits, cakes, lollies, donuts and other junk foods like these are not a good idea if you care about having healthy fertility. The sugar and complex carbohydrates in these foods cause a spike in blood sugar and consequently a spike in blood insulin levels. It’s this spike in sugar and insulin in the blood that has been associated with lower quality of both sperm and egg cells. This in turn is linked with a lower chance of conceiving and having a successful pregnancy. These processed foods also lead to weight gain, and excess fat in the body is another contributing factor to infertility.

Diet for Fertility Part 4

Junk Food

Everyone knows junk food isn’t healthy, and it’s not healthy for your fertility either. Artificial additives and high amounts of sugar and fats make junk food not a good option when it comes to protecting your fertility. These foods are also best avoided.

Meat and Dairy

There are multiple problems with consuming meat. One, it’s common for animals to be given hormones and these hormones then enter our bodies and wreak havoc with our own delicate hormone system. The second reason to avoid meat is because it’s filled with saturated and trans fats. This also goes for dairy products. As mentioned previously these can clog the blood vessels to reproductive organs which can cause problems, and they also lead to weight gain. Excess body fat in turn leads to elevated oestrogen levels because of a certain type of oestrogen which is produced by fat cells. Being obese is known to increase infertility in women.

Diet for Fertility Part 4

The third reason to leave meat and dairy out of your diet is because they contain harmful toxins called dioxins. Dioxins come from air pollution and are found in animal products. These dioxins are hardly found in plants because they are not water soluble. However, they are fat soluble which is why they accumulate in animals’ fat. Dioxins are linked to problems with sperm in men, and with failure to ovulate, endometriosis and miscarriage in women. Even small amounts of dioxins have been shown to affect women’s fertility. This is why it’s important to give up all meat and dairy products when trying to conceive.

Conclusion: 

While some foods support your fertility, others can significantly impact your hormones and reproductive organs making it much harder for you to conceive. Knowing what foods to avoid is an easy way you can naturally increase your fertility and support your reproductive system to be as healthy as possible. You can learn about ore foods to avoid by reading the previous article “Diet for Fertility Part 3”.

References:

This article was based off the book “The Fertility Diet” by Sarah Dobbyn

Dobbyn, S. (2008). The fertility diet: And how to maximize your chances of having a baby at any age. Simon & Schuster. 

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Monica

I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.

I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions.
As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results.
I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method.
I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment.
From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas.
Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills.
My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms.
In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions.
In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.