A new study published in the journal Epidemiology has found drinking soda and energy drinks daily may reduce fertility in both men and women.
To learn more about the link between soda and fertility, researchers from Boston University School of Public Health surveyed men and women between ages 21 and 45. The looked at medical history, diet and lifestyle factors and for the women, they gathered responses to questions either every two months until they became pregnant or the 12 months of research ended.
What the researchers found
The results showed that drinking soda was linked with a 20% decrease in the average monthly probability of conception for both sexes. For the women, those who drank a minimum of one soda per day had a 25% lower monthly probability of conception. For the men, those who drank a minimum of one soda per day had a 33% decrease in conceiving.
Energy drinks were even worse for fertility, though there were a smaller number of participants consuming energy drinks. Diet sodas and fruit juices didn’t seem to demonstrate a strong link to fertility.
The researchers controlled for other factors, such as caffeine intake, alcohol, obesity, smoking and overall diet quality.
Tips for giving up soda
Sugar is very addictive and most experts agree that soda is one of the worst things to drink and one of the hardest to give up. Still, it’s not impossible. And if you’re trying to conceive (or just give up soda), consider these tips:
- Drink water first. Sometimes people reach for soda simply because they’re dehydrated. As a baby step, if you want to drink a soda, drink an entire glass of water first to see if that helps reduce your craving.
- Try a similar but healthier drink, like kombucha. Ike soda, Kombucha is fizzy and it comes in plenty of flavors so you may find one that helps end, or at least reduce, your soda intake.
- Reduce your soda intake. Going “cold turkey” on anything–especially something with caffeine—can cause irritability and headaches. Try reducing the amount of soda you drink each day to work yourself up to eventually quitting altogether. Try tricking your brain by adding more ice than usual to your glass.
