Take Note! Frequent Consumption of Sweets Prevents “Stripes”
Consuming a lot of sweet foods can lead to insulin resistance and hormonal disturbances.
Who doesn’t like sweet food? Almost everyone enjoys consuming this type of food. Usually, sweet foods are consumed as desserts or snacks to accompany daily activities. In fact, these types of foods are often consumed to improve mood.
However, Moms and Dads surely know that excessive consumption of sweet foods can affect health. Sweet foods can cause various health problems, such as increasing insulin resistance, weight gain, lowered immunity, and hormonal disturbances.
Is Sweet Food Consumption Harmful to Fertility?
As mentioned above, sweet foods can affect hormone levels. Hormones play a crucial role in fertility. If hormone levels become imbalanced, it can lead to fertility problems in women.
In addition, excessive consumption of sweet foods and drinks can also increase insulin resistance. When this happens, the body has difficulty breaking down stored fat for energy, leading to an increase in fat deposits in the body.
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As fat accumulates, the body releases more estrogen hormones, causing hormonal imbalances. This can affect a woman’s ovulation and lead to fertility issues, such as endometriosis.
When blood sugar levels rise and then sharply drop, it can lead to fatigue in the body, triggering a response in the adrenal glands. These glands will produce a lot of cortisol, which increases blood sugar levels.
Every time you consume high-sugar foods, the pancreas releases insulin to convert blood sugar into energy. If this condition persists, insulin resistance can occur. High insulin levels can inhibit the ovulation process in women, leading to metabolic disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Not only that, consuming sweet foods can also affect men’s fertility. Sweet foods can increase the risk of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, which can affect fertility. These diseases can disrupt hormone balance and pose a risk of damage to blood vessels, including those in the penis, making it difficult for men to achieve an erection.
Excess sugar can also have a negative impact on the immune system. However, a weakened immune system can affect the body’s ability to maintain a healthy reproductive system and fight infections that can affect fertility.
What Should Be Consumed During Pregnancy?
According to Dr. Beeleonie, BMedSc, Sp.OG, a consultant obstetrician-gynecologist and fertility endocrinology consultant at Bocah Indonesia, it is important for Moms and Dads to improve their lifestyle before starting a healthy pregnancy program.
Make sure to consume foods that contain balanced nutrients. There are several types of foods recommended for consumption during pregnancy, such as green vegetables, avocados, oranges, eggs, fish, and milk.
Green vegetables. Green vegetables contain protein, fiber, and vitamins. They also contain folate, antioxidants, and iron, which can improve fertility.
Fish. Salmon contains protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and amino acids that are good for fertility. There are other alternatives like tuna, mackerel, and swordfish.
Various types of oranges. Oranges contain vitamin C, calcium, folate, potassium, and antioxidants that are good for improving the quality of Mom’s eggs and regulating the menstrual cycle.
Avocado. Avocado contains folate, potassium, and vitamin K, which are good for the development of the baby’s brain and spinal cord and for improving fertility.
Eggs. Eggs contain protein, vitamin B6, and amino acids that improve the quality of follicles, where eggs grow.
Milk. Milk contains calcium, vitamin D, protein, fat, vitamin B6, folate, and phosphorus, which play an important role in fertility.
Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt has high calcium, vitamin D, and probiotics, which are good for helping follicles in the ovaries mature.
Now, Moms and Dads are allowed to consume sweet foods as long as it is within reasonable limits. Excessive consumption of sweet foods and drinks can disrupt health and fertility.
So, before starting a pregnancy program, improve your lifestyle to increase your chances of pregnancy.
Source:
- North America Analysis. What effect can sugar have on fertility?
- Efrat, M., et al. (2022). Sugar Consumption Is Negatively Associated with Semen Quality. Reprod Sci. 2022 Oct;29(10):3000-3006.
- Hatch, E.E., et al. (2018). Intake of Sugar-sweetened Beverages and Fecundability in a North American Preconception Cohort. Epidemiology. 2018 May; 29(3): 369–378.
