High-Fat Dairy Products Linked to Improved Fertility

An interesting new study has determined that women that are trying to conceive may improve their chances by drinking whole fat milk and eating ice cream. Apparently, women following diets that include low-fat dairy products are actually reducing their chances of conceiving.

This latest news was recently published in a reproductive medicine journal in Europe. But, researchers in the United States have also discovered a similar link between following a low-fat dairy diet and an increased risk for infertility. It appears that following a low-fat dairy diet decreases ovulation and, in fact, women that consumed two or more servings of low-fat dairy foods increased their risk of decreased ovulation by 85% when compared to women that ate only one serving of low-fat dairy foods per week.

Conversely, the research in the United States demonstrated that women who ate at least one serving of high-fat dairy foods every day had a 27% reduced risk of infertility due to problems with ovulation when compared to women that ate one or less high-fat dairy servings per week.

As a result of this study, some doctors are recommending that women trying to conceive should change their low-fat dairy products out for those that are high in fat. But, women need to take into consideration that consuming high fat dairy products will also increase their calorie intake. Therefore, they need to cut back on calories elsewhere in order to prevent gaining weight.

“They [women trying to conceive] should consider changing low-fat dairy foods for high-fat dairy foods; for instance, by swapping skimmed milk for whole milk and eating ice cream, not low fat yogurt.” – Dr. Jorge Chavarro, research fellow in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health

This research sheds new light on the Dietary Guidelines currently being recommended to Americans, which includes consuming three or more servings of low-fat dairy products. Obviously, following these guidelines could be detrimental to a woman trying to conceive.

Of course, women that are not trying to conceive should continue to consume low-fat dairy products, as they are far healthier in terms of limiting the amount of fat the woman consumes. In addition, after the woman successfully conceives, she should resume consuming low-fat dairy products rather than high-fat products.

The exact connection between high-fat dairy products and improved fertility are still not completely understood. Researchers believe, however, that a fat-soluble substance is present in high-fat dairy products and that this substance helps to actually improve ovarian function.