Caffeine

Post Reply
Winterbliss

Caffeine

Post by Winterbliss »

Hi Dr. Wisot,

On my last visit I was reminded of no caffeine, not even decaf coffee... Can you explain the connection to abstain from caffeine to ivf please? Also are there other foods to avoid with high caffeine content other than coffee and tea.

Thank you!
Dr. Wisot
Site Admin
Posts: 1208
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2005 11:16 am

Re: Caffeine

Post by Dr. Wisot »

Here is one of the better summaries of this issue I have seen:

Caffeine use is associated with a decreased potential to produce a pregnancy. Studies show link between caffeine and infertility .

In a 1999 study of 100 women who abstained consumed less than one cup of coffee or its equivalent per day conceived 26.9 pregnancies per 100 menstrual cycles compared with 10.5 per 100 menstrual cycles among those who consumed more than one cup of coffee per day.

In another study from 1989, 104 healthy women who had been attempting to become pregnant for three months were interviewed about their use of caffeinated beverages. In their subsequent cycles, women who consumed more than the equivalent of one cup of coffee per day were half as likely to become pregnant, per cycle, as women who drank less. The more a woman drank, the lower her chances for becoming pregnant.

The effects of caffeine intake from different sources on fertility were assessed in a national survey of 423 Danish couples. Couples were recruited to the study in 1992-95 through a mailing to 52,255 female trade union members seeking women who were 20-35 years old, lived with a partner, had no previous pregnancies, and intended to discontinue contraception in order to become pregnant. Compared with women with a very small caffeine intake, those with a moderate intake of caffeine had a lower chance for conception while those with a higher consumption had a much lower chance for pregnancy. The relationship held up after adjustments for weight, alcohol intake, diseases of the female reproductive organs, semen quality, and duration of the menstrual cycle.

In early 2005, a study published in the journal Diabetes Care demonstrated that caffeine makes it more difficult for insulin to control blood sugar. This problem, known as insulin resistance , can play an important role in some women. Insulin resistance can cause a woman not to ovulate. Women who already have insulin resistance include those who are obese and those with a problem called PCOS.

There has also been concern of an increase in miscarriages in women who consume large amounts of caffeine.

In addition to coffee and tea, cola drinks and power drinks often contain caffeine. Read the labels.

So, less is better; none is best.

Good luck.

Arthur L. Wisot, M.D.
Reproductive Partners Medical Group, Inc.
Redondo Beach, California
Winterbliss

Re: Caffeine

Post by Winterbliss »

Very informative, thank you for the great reply!
Post Reply