Giving up alcohol and caffeine 'as good as IVF'
Women trying to get pregnant could be as likely to conceive by giving up alcohol and caffeine as by going to a fertility clinic, says a new study by MMU’s Dr Emma Derbyshire.
The maternal nutrition specialist claims that while IVF treatment such as intrauterine insemination and ovarian stimulation gave a success rate of 33% in conception, dietary advice was virtually as effective, with 32% of those having trouble conceiving becoming pregnant after giving up stimulants.
Unhealthy lifestyles
Dr Derbyshire said couples should tackle their unhealthy lifestyles first before choosing expensive fertility treatment.
‘Women wanting to get pregnant stand nearly the same chance of conceiving if they cut out alcohol and caffeine as they would by attending an IVF clinic for fertility treatment,’ she said.
Reduce alcohol and caffeine intake
When it comes to alcohol, it seems that regular drinking can alter the levels of female hormones, prolong the time taken to conceive and increase the chances of miscarrage.
Dr Derbyshire explained that the chances of falling pregnant dropped from 60% in women who consumed one to five alcoholic drinks a week to 30% for those consuming more than ten, with a “drink” defined as half a pint of lager, one shot of spirits or a 125ml glass of 8% alchohol wine.
Similarly, caffeine may lessen the fertilised egg’s ability to plant itself in the lining of the uterus. Having more than 500mg of caffine a day particularly prolongs the time it takes to conceive and the best advice is to drink less than 200mg of caffeine a day. The average mug of coffee has 100mg of caffeine, whilst the average mug of tea has 50mg.
