Soda can decrease chances of being able to conceive a child, according to a new paper. This goes for both men and women, and for any sugar-sweetened drinks.
Results of the study showed that drinking at least one soda per day reduced fecundability -- the probability of conceiving a child in a single menstrual cycle.
Reducing Chance Of Pregnancy
Researchers in Boston University's Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO) published a study in Epidemiology showing the adverse effect of drinking sugar-sweetened beverages while trying to get pregnant.
"We found positive associations between intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and lower fertility, which were consistent after controlling for many other factors, including obesity, caffeine intake, alcohol, smoking, and overall diet quality," said Elizabeth Hatch, lead author of the paper. She added that these beverages might also be avoided by couples due to their adverse health effects in other areas.
Results of the study found that men and women who drink sugar-sweetened beverages were associated with 20 percent reduced fecundability.
Soda lowered chances of pregnancy even more. Women who consumed at least one soda per day had 25 percent lower fecundability and men had 33 percent lower fecundability.
Energy drinks led to more decrease in fecundability but the results were only based on a small sample. The study didn't find a link between lower fertility and drinking fruit juices or diet sodas.
Study Conditions
The researchers used PRESTO, which is already studying North American couples. They surveyed 3,828 women ages 21 to 45 in the United States and Canada and 1,045 of the women's male partners. People were also asked to complete a comprehensive baseline survey for their medical history, lifestyle factors, and diet. Women completed a follow-up questionnaire every two months for up to 12 months or until they became pregnant.
Studies have found that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages leads to weight gain, diabetes, early onset of periods, and poor sperm quality. In the conclusion, the authors of the study cite the high consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks consumed by couples in North America as a factor for the importance of the study.
The Infertility Problem
The National Institutes of Health says that 12 to 15 percent of couples are unable to conceive after one year of having unprotected sex. Results decline with time, as after two years of having unprotected sex, 10 percent of couples still haven't had a live-born baby.
Fertility declines with age in both men and women. Women in their 30s are half as fertile as they are in their early 20s.
About 9 percent of men and 11 percent of women who are of reproductive age in the United States have experienced infertility. In couples facing infertility, the man is the problem one-third of the time, the woman is the problem one-third of the time, and it is not determined what the problem is the remaining one-third of the time.
