Eat your way to becoming a mom

Drastic changes in diet boost a woman's chances of giving birth into her 40s and 50s, it is claimed.

Alterations from cutting out alcohol and sugar to eating more organic foods allow women to hit the "snooze button" on their biological clocks, maximising their chances of having a baby, says a new book on fertility.

Sarah Dobbyn, a nutritionist and author of The Fertility Diet, said the influence of diet on fertility is often overlooked in an age in which IVF often seems the only answer to pregnancy problems.

"Huge amounts of money are being spent on assisted conception techniques by hopeful couples who do not know that alcoholic and caffeinated beverages are liquid contraceptives, sweeteners can prevent ovulation and seemingly innocent foods such as peas, rhubarb and soya all inhibit fertility."

The Fertility Diet sets out a diet and lifestyle plan which should be followed by both partners.

It advises cutting out smoking, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, caffeine and soya. Peas and rhubarb are also banned, following studies linking them to infertility.

But, it is not all about cutting back, with couples allowed unlimited quantities of beans, pulses, organic herbs, spices, nuts, fruit and vegetables. - Reuters

• This article was originally published on page 9 of The Pretoria News on August 06, 2008

Source : Babynet