Couples That Eat Fish Have More Sex and Get Pregnant Faster, but We're Not Really Sure Why

sushi
Eating more fish, such as the sushi depicted in this photo, is associated with more frequent sex and quicker conception. Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images

Couples that eat more fish tend to have more sex and get pregnant faster, a new Harvard study revealed. Although science can't really explain why eating sushi is more likely to get you laid, the study claims that the omega 3 in fish does increase both male and female fertility, which may explain why fish eaters have an easier time getting pregnant.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, looked at the diets of 501 couples who were actively trying to conceive and had enrolled in the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment Study (2005 to 2009). The couples were followed for one year, and made notes of sex frequency and whether they ate seafood in their daily diaries. Conception was determined by at-home pregnancy tests.

Results revealed that when both the man and woman consumed eight or more servings of seafood per fertility cycle they had more luck conceiving within a year when compared to couples who consumed one or less serving of seafood per cycle. For example, 92 percent of the couples who enjoyed fish and shellfish more than twice a week were pregnant by the end of one year, Men's Health reported. Couples with the highest seafood intake also were the most likely to get pregnant within the year.

This study did not set out to explain the reasoning behind this, but past research has suggested that people who eat more fish tend to be healthier all around. For example, individuals who eat fish also often live longer and have a lower risk of coronary heart disease, The Atlantic reported.

Couples who ate more fish also had more sex. Once again, the study was not designed to find the underlying reason for this, but the lead researcher suggested there may be a more obvious and less scientific explanation for this.

"It is also possible that couples who consume higher amounts of seafood together share more meals and thus more time together (including nights) which may be a behavioral explanation for the association we observed with sexual activity," Audrey J. Gaskins, research associate at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told Bustle.

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