Farmers give their cattle antibiotics to speed their growth as well as hormones to increase the supply of milk per cow. A generation ago, an individual cow would produce approximately 9 liters (2 gallons) of milk per day; now it yields 56 liters (12 gallons) per day. These hormones must surely end up in the milk. At a time when you are trying to boost your fertility you don’t want excess hormones coming from outside, as it is crucial that your own and your partners hormones are within the normal range.

So, if you are buying dairy products, again buy organic in order to reduce your intake of chemicals and hormones. Organic dairy produce is available in most supermarkets.

Of all dairy foods, yogurt containing the culture Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is a natural inhabitant of our gut, is the most beneficial. When yogurts are heat treated they lose their original culture so no benefit is gained from eating them. Buy natural yogurt that is ‘live’ and organic. This can be marketed in different ways, so read the labels carefully. ‘Bio’ usually means ‘live’, and ‘bio’ yogurts will contain a culture like Lactobacillus. Avoid fruit yogurts which can have very high sugar content.

Taking Lactobacillus acidophilus as a supplement (available in capsule form from all good health food shops) can also be beneficial, as it lowers the level of the enzymes which reabsorb ‘old’ hormones. Each month your body should eliminate all the hormones it doesn’t need. But, unfortunately, it sometimes reabsorbs some of them, creating an imbalance. This imbalance can affect your fertility so anything that helps your body to excrete more efficiently is useful.

Margarine versus butter

Hydrogenated vegetable oil is listed in the ingredients of most margarines and also many fast foods, crisps, biscuits and crackers. The process of hydrogenation changes the essential unsaturated fats contained in the food into trans-fatty acids which have been linked to problems with absorption of essential fats and an increased risk of heart attack.

So I would recommend using moderate amounts of organic butter (most supermarkets now sell it) or unhydrogenated margarine (obtainable from health food shops) rather than ordinary margarine. Although margarine is manufactured from polyunsaturated fats it is made into a solid form through hydrogenation. Because these trans fats are not natural in such high levels and have a plastic-like quality, your body has great difficulty getting rid of them. Why put yourself under extra pressure to deal with a substance that you do not really need to eat? It’s better to make things easy for your body so that it functions efficiently and, in doing so, has the resources to heal itself and increase your fertility.

Semen is rich in prostaglandins which are produced from essential fatty acids so it is also important for men to avoid trans fatty acids. It is thought that the prostaglandins help to make the sperm motile and are crucial for their survival.

Health risks of saturated fats

1.     Becoming overweight

The more saturated a fat becomes, the harder it is to digest. So it ends up being stored in the body. Butter, coconut oil and palm oil are the saturated fats most easily assimilated by the body, so they are less harmful. Fat from beef, lamb and pork are the hardest to digest because they are hard at body temperature. And being overweight reduces fertility.

2.     Blocking nutrients

Saturated fats also interfere with your body’s absorption of the essential fatty acids which are vital for health and fertility. Trans fatty acids, often contained in fried foods and in margarines under the name ‘hydrogenated fats’, are the biggest culprit and should always be avoided.

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