7 Foods Destroying Your Fertility (and What to Eat Instead

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If you’re trying to get pregnant and you’re eating certain foods regularly, you could be working against your own fertility every day — and some of the worst offenders are marketed as “healthy.” Over more than two decades helping thousands of women conceive naturally, one of the first things I address in the HOPE Program is what’s on your plate, because your diet is either supporting your fertility or undermining it. Below are the seven foods I ask my patients to reconsider, why each one matters for hormones and egg quality, and exactly what to eat in their place.

1. Does sugar affect fertility?

Yes. Processed sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are hidden in “healthy” yogurt, salad dressings, granola bars, and low-fat products. Excess sugar drives sharp insulin spikes, and chronically elevated insulin can raise testosterone in women, disrupt ovulation, and contribute to PCOS. Sugar also fuels body-wide inflammation, which impairs egg quality and implantation.

What to do instead: Read labels closely — added sugar hides under 50+ names (corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, cane juice). Aim for under 25 g of added sugar per day. Satisfy cravings with berries (rich in egg-protecting antioxidants) or a small amount of dates, raw honey, or pure maple syrup.

2. Is dairy bad for fertility?

Conventional, non-organic dairy can be problematic. Cows are often given synthetic growth hormones and antibiotics that end up in milk and cheese, adding external hormones that compete with your own hormonal balance. Many women also have undiagnosed dairy sensitivity; A1 casein, the main protein in most conventional dairy, has been associated with increased inflammation and immune responses that can affect fertility.

What to do instead: If you’re not ready to drop dairy, switch to organic, grass-fed products. Better still, try eliminating dairy for 60–90 days and track your cycle, energy, and bloating. Replace cow’s milk with unsweetened almond or cashew milk (no added sugars or gums), and get calcium from dark leafy greens, sesame seeds, and small wild fish with bones like sardines.

3. Is soy bad when trying to conceive?

Processed soy is the concern — soy protein isolate, textured vegetable protein, and the soy packed into fake meats and protein bars. Soy contains phytoestrogens that mimic estrogen. In large or processed amounts, they can interfere with your natural estrogen balance, which is especially problematic if you already have estrogen dominance — common in women with fertility challenges, fibroids, or endometriosis. About 95% of U.S. soy is also genetically modified and heavily sprayed.

What to do instead: Cut processed soy. If you eat soy, choose small amounts of organic, fermented forms — tempeh, miso, or natto. For protein, lean on wild-caught fish, pastured eggs, grass-fed meats, and plant proteins like lentils, chickpeas, and hemp seeds.

4. How do trans fats affect ovulation?

Trans fats and hydrogenated oils are among the most inflammatory substances you can eat, and they directly impair ovulation. A landmark analysis from the Harvard-based Nurses’ Health Study found that every 2% increase in calories from trans fats (in place of healthier fats) was associated with a 73% higher risk of ovulatory infertility.^[1] Trans fats also blunt insulin sensitivity and interfere with the omega-3s your body needs for hormone production.

What to do instead: Eliminate anything listing “partially hydrogenated oil” (labels can claim “0 g trans fat” under 0.5 g per serving). Avoid fried restaurant food, packaged baked goods, and margarine. Use extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, grass-fed butter or ghee, and eat omega-3-rich foods like wild salmon, sardines, walnuts, and flax.

5. Which fish are unsafe for fertility?

Fish is one of the best fertility foods — except when it’s high in mercury. Mercury bioaccumulates in your tissues, disrupts hormone production, damages developing eggs, and can impair thyroid function, which is essential for conception. High levels also cross the placenta and can affect fetal brain development.

What to do instead: Avoid swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, shark, and bigeye tuna, and limit albacore tuna. Choose low-mercury, omega-3-rich fish — wild sockeye salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, and Pacific halibut — 2–3 servings a week. Not a fish eater? Use a third-party-tested omega-3 supplement screened for heavy metals.

6. Does alcohol affect getting pregnant?

Even moderate alcohol can work against conception. Alcohol disrupts estrogen metabolism and forces your liver to prioritize clearing alcohol over clearing excess hormones, which can contribute to estrogen dominance. It also depletes key fertility nutrients — folate, B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium — and worsens sleep, inflammation, and blood-sugar control.

What to do instead: During your preconception window, the most supportive choice is to eliminate alcohol. Swap the evening wind-down for herbal tea, gentle movement, meditation, or time with friends — habits that support your cycle rather than tax it.

7. Do pesticides in produce hurt fertility?

Pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides used in conventional farming act as endocrine disruptors. Glyphosate, one of the most common, has been linked to disrupted gut bacteria and reproductive issues. These chemicals build up as a “toxic burden,” and research shows women who eat more pesticide-laden produce tend to have lower conception and IVF success rates, while higher organic intake is associated with better egg and embryo quality.

What to do instead: You don’t need everything organic — prioritize the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen”:^[2] strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, and potatoes. The lower-residue “Clean Fifteen” (avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, onion, and others) can be conventional. Always wash produce well.

What should you eat to boost fertility naturally?

Fertility nutrition isn’t about restriction — it’s about nourishment. When you remove the foods above, replace them with foods that actively support egg quality and hormone balance: plenty of organic vegetables (especially dark leafy greens), low-mercury wild-caught fish rich in omega-3s, organic pastured eggs, grass-fed meat in moderation, healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds, low-glycemic fruit such as berries, legumes and lentils for plant protein and fiber, fermented foods for gut health, and plenty of filtered water. I’ve seen women in their early forties meaningfully improve egg quality within 90 days by making these changes consistently.

Frequently asked questions

What foods should I avoid when trying to conceive?

Dr. Marc Sklar recommends limiting or avoiding processed sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, conventional dairy, processed soy, trans fats and hydrogenated oils, high-mercury fish, alcohol, and non-organic “Dirty Dozen” produce, because each can disrupt hormones, ovulation, or egg quality.

How long does it take to improve egg quality through diet?

Eggs develop over roughly a 90-day window before ovulation, so dietary and lifestyle changes generally take about three months to influence egg quality. Many women notice more regular cycles within 60 days of changing what they eat.

Can what I eat really affect whether I get pregnant?

Yes. Diet influences insulin and blood sugar, inflammation, hormone balance, and the nutrients available for healthy ovulation and egg development — all of which affect natural conception and even IVF outcomes.

Is it safe to keep drinking alcohol while trying to conceive?

Dr. Sklar advises eliminating alcohol during the preconception period, as even moderate intake can disrupt hormone metabolism and deplete fertility nutrients.