Uni of Adelaide media release

Wednesday 1 August 2021

Research Links Fast Food Diets to Infertility

Research from the University of Adelaide show a link between fast food diets and high rates of infertility in women.

The research showed the benefits of maintaining a healthy diet during early pregnancy, eating across the five core food groups including; lean, protein, oily fish, whole grains, and dairy.

With an obesity epidemic within Australia across life stages, the research from the University of Adelaide showed the risks unhealthy diets bring on people’s health, having an effect on the rates of heart attacks and strokes, as well as infertility rates in mothers.

“Women who consume hardly any fruit, lots of fast food, had higher rates of infertility”, stated Research Fellow in Nutrition, Jessica Grieger.

While it is obvious a healthy diet should be maintained as often as possible, mothers are suggested to prepare a diet that is purpose-built for pregnancy, one to three months beforehand.

“If you can aim to have a good quality diet in the one month to three months prior to pregnancy, when you’re planning pregnancy, that’s really ideal”, added Grieger.

Although the research did not comprehensively look into the diets of fathers, it is suggested they try and establish a healthy diet along with the mother, trying to reduce our intake of cakes, chips, muesli bars, pastries and other foods that fall out of five core food groups.

“We need a lot more research, but for men, still a good quality diet as well”, Jessica Grieger added.

The findings show a need to investigate the combination of both mother and father during pregnancy, with Jessica Grieger stating, “That’s a good direction that we really need to take forward in our research and looking at the combination of the man and women and how their combined diet impacts the pregnancy health”.

The research findings were released in the third episode of the University of Adelaide’s podcast series ‘The Discovery Pod’.

Media Contacts:

Liam Barry, The University of Adelaide

Mobile: 0459 575 246     Email: Liam.Barry200802@gmail.com

Research Fellow Jessica Grieger, Women’s and Children’s Health, The University of Adelaide

Mobile: (08) 8313 7697     Email: Jessica.grieger@adelaide.edu.au