Women who are struggling to conceive are inundated with information on what foods to avoid and what foods to eat, and it can often be tough to keep up to date on the latest research. Unfortunately, this can often lead to new discoveries not receiving the attention they deserve.

One such discovery is that of soy foods.

Soy foods are generally healthy for both men and women to eat. In fact, women have been encouraged in the past to increase their soy food intake since they contain phytoestrogens, a plant form of estrogen that affects the body similarly to the estrogen that is produced naturally in the body.

Increasing soy foods intake, and therefore increasing phytoestrogen intake, can be very beneficial in combating the symptoms of menopause. For women who are trying to conceive, however, soy foods are not such a good idea.

Many recent studies have shown that the phytoestrogens found in soy foods can cause excess estrogen, which in turn produces a hormonal imbalance. Any hormonal imbalance can potentially interfere with ovulation and egg production.

For women who are lucky enough to be extremely fertile, the imbalance caused by eating soy foods will probably not be great enough to make conceiving a difficulty. However, for women who have been struggling to get pregnant for some time, the soy foods in their diets can be extremely damaging to their fertility levels.

Despite being good for women's general health, soy foods should be cut back or stopped altogether while trying to conceive. To maximize fertility, it is advisable to cut out all soy foods from the diet three or four months prior to trying for a baby.

For women who decide to cut out soy foods from their diet, care should be taken not to mistakenly consume food that contains soy. Soy comes in many forms, and it is often hidden in products where it may not be suspected. Flour, milk, lecithin, oils, and tempeh can all contain soy, for example. Make it a habit to read the ingredients label on foods you buy to ensure no soy is contained, as even trace amounts of soy can lead to diminished fertility levels.

Textured vegetable protein is also soy-based and is frequently found in fast foods. These should be avoided while you try to conceive, along with tofu, which is found in many imitation meat products.

The elimination of soy foods from your diet is one of the simplest and most effective ways to boost your fertility levels in the short term.