Yes, Fruits and Vegetables are Part of a Healthy Diet
If you are among millions of women seeking help for infertility, a new study concludes that your diet may play a major part in your success. In fact, it also plays a big part in whether once conceived, a baby will be carried to full term. We have already heard how obesity affects fertility, but did you know that eating organic fruits and vegetables may also affect your chances?
Pesticides May Be Responsible for a Higher Rate of Pregnancy Loss
High amounts of pesticide residue is associated with a lower chance of pregnancy and a higher risk of pregnancy loss, according to a study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine on October 30, 2017. Pesticides are chemicals applied to plant based food during the growing process to protect against harmful mold, fungi, rodents, weeds and insects. There has been a lot of studies to determine whether these pesticides are harmful to our bodies and whether they cause disease like cancer, asthma, autism, diabetes and other disorders. But this new study concludes that pesticides reduce the chance of pregnancy itself, it lowers the rate of successful infertility treatments.
According the new study, women who ate 2.3 servings or more of high-pesticide-residue fruits and vegetables had an 18 percent lower probability of getting pregnant and a 26 percent lower probability of giving birth to a live baby. Researchers at Harvard studied 325 women between 18 and 45 who were undergoing infertility treatment. These women completed a diet assessment while the researchers ruled out other factors that may affect the the study’s outcome.
The “Dirty Dozen” Buy Organic When Consuming these Fruits and Vegetables.
The list of the “Dirty Dozen” – fruits and vegetables with a high pesticide residue are:
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Celery
- Grapes
- Cherries
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Sweet bell peppers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
You should either buy these foods organic, or wash them very thoroughly before eating them. These foods are considered Low Risk: Peas, Lima Beans, Dried Plums, Onions, Beans, Lentils, Avocado, Corn, Cabbage, Orange juice, Tomato Sauce, Tomato Paste, Apple Juice, Apple Cider, Cauliflower, Grapefruit, Cantaloupe, Tofu, Bananas, Eggplant, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Yam, Sweet Potatoes, Oranges, Broccoli, Carrots, Lettuce, and Celery. Consuming low-pesticide-residue fruits and vegetables instead of high-pesticide-residue foods is associated with higher odds of pregnancy and giving birth.