Sober October? Fertility Friendly
Sober October was started as a fundraiser by Macmillian, the cancer support charity, but could it benefit your fertility journey?
Alcohol and Egg health
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy has long been understood to be detrimental to the unborn baby, and congenital abnormality (birth defects) are a well known side effect. Alcohol consultation for pregnancy women is especially dangerous as alcohol can easily cross the placental, allowing it to accumulate in the amniotic fluid. But what about alcohol before pregnancy?
Recent studies have shown that alcohol consumption in females can negatively impact fertility, though it seems the exact mechanism of this is not well understood. A study in the US found that drinking alcohol at different times during the menstrual cycle can have varying detrimental effects. Heavy drinking was found to be linked to lower pregnancy rates, regardless of the phase of mentrual cycle. However, during the literal phase, even moderate ealcohol consumption was linked with reduced likelihood of pregnancy. It is thought that this could be due to alcohol consumption increasing estradiol (a form of oestrogen) which means that the menstural cycle is disrupted and the time frame in which implantation could occur is shifted or limited.
Alcohol and Sperm Health
A recent meta-analysis showed that alcohol consumption negatively affects male reproductive health. This has been agreed in many studies for years, but as the male factor infertility is becoming more recognised and spoken of, the topic of alcohol has gained more traction. This large review of over 23,000 participants found that alcohol consumption was linked to decreased semen volume per ejaculate, and lower testosterone. Some studies have found a link between heavy alcohol consumtion and reduced testifies size, which is thought to be associated with reduced spermatogenesis.
So why stop for October?
We know that it takes allprox 3 months for an egg to mature, and approx 72 days for sperm to be produced and matured. So stopping alcohol for October could constitute a third to a half of the maturation or development time. And if you’ve stopped for October, you’ll have created new habits, and perhaps find it easier to avoid alcohol for November too. That sounds like a great plan for the fertility journey. And, if you go sober for October, you could be supporting the MacMillan fundraising effort, and be going sober at the same time as many others in the UK - and we all know that new habits are easier to stick to with support from others!
Not sure where to start?
If alcohol is ingrained in your lifestyle, it can be hard to know where to start with cutting down or stopping, so here are some starter ideas:
make your favourite mocktail: you don’t have to miss out on the fun, maybe swap your spirit for an alcohol-free version, but enjoy the same taste of your favourite drink
start a new couples activity: if a Friday night G&T is your normal bonding, maybe play a new board game or card game together, find a new comedy night to visit, or try a cook along date night.
be proud of your choice: you don’t have to tell everyone that you have stopped drinking alcohol or why, but you can be proud of your choice to prioritise your health, it shows personal development and self care.
If you’d like to talk more about alcohol and your fertility, or have any questions about fertility nutrition, you can stalk to your doctor or dietitian. Or visit www.gosober.org or www.nhs.uk/better-health/drink-less/
References:
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15723
doi: 10.1186/s40738-017-0037-x
doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2013.05.008
doi: 10.1038/aja.2012.118
doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deab121