Could Choosing Different Fruits and Vegetables Support Fertility?

When you’re trying to improve fertility, the conversation usually turns to hormones, supplements, sleep, stress, exercise, alcohol, and overall diet. There’s another piece worth considering, though: not just how many fruits and vegetables you eat, but which ones, and how they’re grown.

A Harvard-led study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that, among women undergoing fertility treatment with assisted reproductive technology, higher consumption of fruits and vegetables classified as having higher pesticide residues was associated with lower probabilities of clinical pregnancy and live birth. That doesn’t mean eating a conventional apple will prevent pregnancy. It does raise a reasonable question: if you’re already making choices to support reproductive health, could reducing dietary pesticide exposure be one relatively simple place to start?

What the Harvard Study Actually Found

Researchers affiliated with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Massachusetts General Hospital followed 325 women in the Environment and Reproductive Health Study, which covered 541 assisted reproductive technology cycles between 2007 and 2016. Diets were assessed before treatment, and pesticide exposure from produce was estimated using USDA residue surveillance data.

Women in the highest quartile of high-pesticide-residue produce consumption, at least 2.3 servings per day, had an 18 percent lower adjusted probability of clinical pregnancy and a 26 percent lower probability of live birth compared with women eating less than one serving per day. Replacing one serving of higher-residue produce with one serving of lower-residue produce was associated with 79 percent higher odds of clinical pregnancy and 88 percent higher odds of live birth. These are associations from an observational study, not proof that the substitution guarantees the same result for everyone.

This Was Not a Study of Fertility in Everyone

The women in the study weren’t simply trying to conceive naturally; they were undergoing fertility treatment. The study found an association between estimated pesticide exposure and reproductive outcomes in this specific group, and the authors noted that the findings may not generalize to the broader population. There’s a real difference between something being associated with an outcome and something causing it.

Why Would Pesticides Matter for Fertility

Pesticides aren’t neutral. They’re chemicals designed specifically to disrupt biological systems, that’s literally their job, and some have been studied for their potential effects on our reproductive and endocrine systems too, not just the pests they’re meant to kill. Diet is one of the biggest ways most of us come into contact with these compounds day after day, often without realizing it.

Yes, residues are regulated, and a detectable trace doesn’t automatically mean a specific food is unsafe. But regulation isn’t the same as zero concern. Researchers are actively investigating whether repeated, everyday exposure to mixtures of different pesticides, the kind most of us are getting from a normal grocery cart, could add up to effects that traditional safety testing on one chemical at a time was never designed to catch. That’s exactly why this study matters. It wasn’t looking at any extreme or unusual exposure. It was looking at the food most of us eat without a second thought, which is precisely why it’s worth paying attention to.

Higher and Lower Residue Produce

Researchers assigned pesticide residue burden scores to individual fruits and vegetables using USDA data. Fresh strawberries and raw spinach scored highest, followed by peaches or plums and sweet peppers. Grapes, green beans, potatoes, and apples or pears also ranked toward the higher end. None of that makes these foods bad; they’re genuinely nutritious. The point is finding ways to reduce exposure while still eating them.

Lower-scoring foods included avocados, onions, beans and lentils, corn, cabbage, and tomato products, as well as cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, bananas, oranges, sweet potatoes, and certain squashes. A food’s classification can shift depending on how and where it’s grown, so treat these as general categories.

A Simple Produce Swap Strategy

Think of this as a substitution:

Instead of conventional strawberries, try organic strawberries or lower-residue fruits like bananas, oranges, or grapefruit.

Instead of conventional spinach daily, rotate in broccoli, cabbage, or cauliflower, and choose organic spinach when practical.

Instead of conventional apples, try organic apples or rotate in bananas or oranges.

Instead of conventional sweet peppers, try organic peppers or build meals around broccoli, cabbage, and carrots.

Instead of conventional potatoes, try organic potatoes or rotate in sweet potatoes.

Don’t Stop Eating Fruits and Vegetables

This may be the most important point here. Fruits and vegetables are major sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds, and the Harvard researchers specifically recognized them as an important part of a healthy diet. Their concern was whether residues on some conventionally grown produce could offset some reproductive benefits in certain cases. The real question isn’t whether I should eat strawberries; it’s whether I can reduce pesticide exposure while still eating plenty of produce.

Washing and Organic Produce

Washing fruits and vegetables under clean running water removes some dirt and surface residue, though it doesn’t eliminate residues that have penetrated plant tissue. Combining washing with organic choices and a variety of foods is more effective than relying on a single method.

Organic is a straightforward option for reducing exposure to certain pesticides, but it doesn’t mean pesticide-free; organic farming can still use certain permitted substances. For a limited grocery budget, a targeted approach makes more sense: prioritize organic versions of the produce you eat most often, especially foods that tend to have higher residue levels.

What About Men

Fertility isn’t only a female issue. A cohort study of 244 men and 437 assisted reproductive technology cycles found that higher intake of high-residue produce was associated with lower fertilization rates. In contrast, lower-residue produce was associated with higher rates. That doesn’t prove causation, but it’s another reason for couples to treat environmental exposures as a shared issue.

The Bigger Picture

Pesticide exposure is only one piece of fertility. Sleep, nutrition, alcohol, smoking, activity, stress, medications, age, and reproductive conditions all play a role, and no single food swap overcomes every fertility challenge. This research is best treated as one potential risk-reduction strategy, not a fertility treatment. If you’re undergoing fertility treatment, dietary changes should complement medical care, not replace it.

Learn which foods have higher residue levels, prioritize organic when practical, wash your produce, and make lower-residue produce a regular staple.

The Bottom Line

A Harvard-led study found that women undergoing fertility treatment who consumed the most high-pesticide-residue produce had lower probabilities of clinical pregnancy and live birth than women consuming the least. It doesn’t prove pesticides cause infertility, and it doesn’t mean cutting out strawberries, spinach, apples, or potatoes. It’s a reason to think strategically about exposure, prioritizing organic versions of higher-residue produce when practical and filling more of your cart with lower-residue options. The goal isn’t a perfect fertility diet; it’s one built on nutrient-dense, whole foods with reasonable room to reduce unnecessary exposure along the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does eating produce with pesticide residue affect fertility? A Harvard-led study found an association between higher consumption of high-pesticide-residue produce and lower probabilities of clinical pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing fertility treatment, but this was observational and doesn’t prove causation.

Which fruits and vegetables have the highest pesticide residues? Strawberries and spinach ranked highest, followed by peaches, plums, and sweet peppers, with grapes, green beans, potatoes, and apples or pears also ranking toward the higher end.

Which produce is lower in pesticide residue? Lower-scoring options included avocados, onions, beans, lentils, corn, cabbage, tomato products, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, bananas, oranges, sweet potatoes, and certain squash.

Should I stop eating fruits and vegetables with high pesticide residue? No. Fruits and vegetables remain an important part of a healthy diet; the goal is to reduce exposure through swaps and organic choices, not elimination.

Does pesticide exposure affect male fertility, too? Emerging research on men undergoing fertility treatment found a similar pattern, with higher intake of high-residue produce associated with lower fertilization rates.

 

References:

1. Chiu YH, et al. Association Between Pesticide Residue Intake From Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables and Pregnancy Outcomes Among Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment With Assisted Reproductive Technology. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2017:https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2659557
2. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Pesticides in Produce Linked With Reduced Fertility in Women:https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/pesticides-produce-fertility-women
3. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Pesticide Exposure From Fruits, Vegetables Could Lower Male Fertility:https://hsph.harvard.edu/?p=175833