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Fertility Truths and Myths

Dispelling Fertility Myths
and Half Truths

By Teri Brown

According to Dr. Miller, removing the stress, or learning to better cope with it, has a positive impact on fertility. "Is stress typically the sole cause of infertility?" he says. "No. But it is an irrefutable contributor to fertility problems in many cases."

At any rate, decreasing stress can only be a good thing for parents wanting to conceive and carry a healthy baby.

"White foods, like potatoes, rice and white bread, are loaded with carbohydrates and have a high glycemic index," Dr. Miller says. "This means that they cause a significant rise in blood sugar after they have been eaten, in turn, leading to spikes in the levels of circulating insulin. Insulin helps the body absorb sugar for fuel but also influences hormone production. In the ovary, insulin increases production of testosterone and other androgens (male-type hormones) that are released into the bloodstream."

It is important to remember that not all women will experience these effects when they eat white food, so therefore, cutting out these types of foods will only affect a few women. Individuals who are most prone to benefit from such changes in diet are those who are overweight or obese, have a family history of diabetes or have been diagnosed with polycystic ovaries. And keep in mind that most doctors believe the positive impact is due more to the weight loss that comes from such a change in diet than to cutting out those specific foods.

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