It's the usual scare tactics again, as a research team concludes that a moderately high protein diet can impair a woman's ability for becoming pregnant. But is this total hype?

Let's start with the study. It was done in mice, who are known for their low protein intake, since they prefer grains and your fuzzy bunny slippers to a good juicy steak. Second, the moderately high protein diet was only 25% protein based. Granted, this may be high for a mouse, who is lucky to get even 14% protein in his or her diet, but it is average for a human, let alone a woman. When the researchers studied the fetuses, they found that fewer embryos developed who came from "moderately high protein" diet mothers. In an astonishing jump to conclusion, the researcher declared:"It would be prudent for women planning to conceive to limit their protein intake to less than 20% of their total energy consumption." Can you hear the flashbulbs popping?

There is no question that diet can manipulate a woman's hormone status. In my books I discuss the various studies which show consuming 40% protein or more in a woman's diet shifts her estrogen metabolism into the GOOD pathways rather than the carcinogenic ones, which are stimulated by high fat and high carb intake. Numerous studies have shown that women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, a known cause for infertility, can decrease their insulin resistance and improve their fertility by consuming a low carbohydrate diet. So why all the "sky is falling" press on this tiny study in mice?