Alcohol abuse during all stages of the menstrual cycle threatens to reduce the chances of getting pregnant, according to the results of a new study conducted by scientists from the USA. And in the second half of your cycle, before your period, even three glasses a week can reduce your chances of conceiving by almost half, according to scientists.
The fact that alcohol is undesirable during pregnancy is well known, but its use while trying to conceive is less studied. In many countries, doctors generally do not recommend alcohol for women and men who are actively trying to conceive. However, contrary to these recommendations, there is a belief that a few glasses of alcohol at a certain stage of the menstrual cycle will not affect a woman’s attempts to conceive. For example, a few years ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published data showing that three out of four American women who want to get pregnant as soon as possible do not refuse alcohol.
In their new study, scientists from the University of Louisville in Kentucky decided to investigate how women’s chances of conceiving are affected by drinking different amounts of alcohol at different stages of a menstrual cycle. To conduct the study, which was published in the prestigious journal Human Reproduction, they used data on female office workers collected by the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York from 1990 to 1994. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what will happen next.
Episodes End of story. Podcast advertising. Women between the ages of 19 and 41 recorded the amount of alcohol they consumed during a maximum of 19 menstrual cycles and were periodically checked for pregnancy. To account for other factors that may affect fertility, the Kentucky researchers used data from 413 participants in the Mount Sinai Observational Study.
“We found that excessive alcohol consumption at any stage of the menstrual cycle was significantly associated with a decreased likelihood of conception compared to those who did not consume alcohol at all,” said Associate Professor Kira Taylor, who led the new study. “And at the stage of the cycle that precedes menstruation, even moderate alcohol consumption indicates a sharp decrease in the likelihood of getting pregnant,” the specialist emphasized.
A large amount of alcohol was defined as more than six servings per week, equivalent to 0.33 liters of beer, 148 ml of wine, or 44 ml of strong alcoholic beverages. Three to six such servings per week was considered a moderate amount, and four or more per day was considered a very high amount. “During the luteal phase – the last two weeks of the menstrual cycle before the onset of bleeding – not only high but also moderate alcohol consumption was strongly associated with a reduction in the chances of conception,” says Taylor. The odds were 44% lower compared to non-drinking women.
During ovulation, usually around the 14th day of the cycle, consuming large amounts of alcohol was associated with a 61% decrease in the chances of conception compared to non-drinkers. At the same time, the scientists emphasize that although the results of their research clearly indicate a link between attempts to conceive and alcohol consumption, even in moderate amounts, only a few hundred women participated in the study. According to the authors of the scientific paper, “more in-depth research is needed in this area before clear recommendations can be given to those who wish to become pregnant”.