Low fat dairy food cause infertility in women

In a significant development that could send doubts about the potential health benefits of low fat dairy food, a new US study claimed that eating low fat dairy food could result in infertility in women by suppressing ovulation.

The results published in Human Reproduction quoted researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston tracked 18,555 married, pre-menopausal women in the age group 24 to 42. They had no family history of infertility and their attempts to become pregnant were studied over an 8-year period from 1991 to 1999.

The diet of these women over the past 8 years was assessed and they were asked questions about the type and frequency of dairy food intake. The women were questioned about the regularity of their menstrual cycle, any diagnosis of ovulation failure and whether their attempts to become pregnant were ever hampered.

438 women stated their infertility was linked to ovulatory disorders during the study. Women who ate low fat dairy foods in more than two portions a day had 85% more chances of infertility due to anovulation.

Women who ate full-fat dairy foods including ice creams in more than two large servings a day had less than 25% risk of infertility due to ovulatory disorders than those who had only one serving a week.

Although earlier studies had linked ovulation disorders to intake of dairy food, the results had been inconsistent. This is the first time researchers attempted to correlate the fat content in women’s diet with infertility due to anovulation.

Dr. Chavarro, the lead author of the study, from the Department of Nutrition of the Harvard School of Public Health, stated consuming low fat dairy food increased the risk of anovulatory infertility while high fat dairy foods reduced the risk.

He said,” Women trying to conceive should change their diet for a while. They should switch over from low fat skimmed milk and yogurt to whole milk and ice creams.” He also added that they could switch back to low fat foods after they become pregnant.

It is however necessary to balance the overall calorie intake and consumption of saturated fat. Normal intake of lactose, vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus did not adversely affect ovulation.

There are several explanations about the manner in which full fat aids ovulation. The fat-soluble substance in the full fat dairy foods is believed to improve ovarian function and this factor is removed when full fat dairy produce is converted to low fat.

The other reason could be the altered hormone balance under the influence of additives in low fat food. During the processing of full-fat milk into skimmed milk, whey protein is added to improve taste and color. Tests in mice have shown whey protein increasing testosterone-like effects.