A growing trend urging women to eat raw meat and unpasteurised milk to boost fertility is sparking a warning from doctors.
The new diet has gained traction across the globe, with videos promoting so-called “fertility-maxxing” racking up millions of views across social media.
The movement has been fuelled by so-called ‘Tradwife’ creators in the US, who promote traditional gender roles and “natural” living.
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One Instagram video by US-based 20-year-old content creator Cali (@christwithcali) has already clocked over 1.7 million views, promoting raw milk and meat as a way to boost fertility.
Now, their advice is spilling into Australian feeds, prompting urgent warnings from doctors the trend is both unsafe and scientifically unfounded.
Dr Stephanie Sii, a fertility specialist and obstetrician at Adora Fertility, told 7NEWS.com.au the viral advice is not backed by any medical evidence and could actually harm women trying to fall pregnant.
“There is no scientific evidence that consuming raw meat or unpasteurised milk improves fertility,” Sii said.
“These messages are coming from influencers promoting ideologies or anecdotes, not peer-reviewed research.
“That creates a genuine risk of misleading vulnerable people who are actively trying to conceive.”
What is ‘fertility-maxxing’?
If someone is trying to conceive, following unproven advice like fertility-maxxing could do real harm without any proven fertility benefit, Sii said.
“Fertility-maxxing” is a new subculture gaining traction online with mostly young women promoting extreme health behaviours in the hopes of boosting their fertility.
The trend borrows heavily from the “Tradwife” movement”, a short form for traditional wife, which romanticises 1950s-style gender roles and encourages women to focus on homemaking, submission to their husband, and traditional femininity.
Many Tradwife influencers in the US are now promoting a range of “maxxing” behaviours.
The term comes from online incel forums, where men who describe themselves as “involuntary celibates” use phrases like “looksmaxxing” and “statusmaxxing” to describe extreme efforts to improve their appearance or social standing in order to attract women.
In the fertility context, it means pursuing extreme diets or routines in the hope of becoming more fertile.
But Sii warns these raw-focused regimes can pose real health risks, particularly for women who may already be struggling with fertility.
“Fertility maxxing encourages unbalanced diets and unnecessary restrictions,” she said.
“It can deprive women of essential nutrients, cause stress and guilt, and delay proper medical treatment if there are underlying issues.”
Advise against raw meat and dairy
Food safety authorities strongly advise against raw meat and dairy during pre-conception and pregnancy.
“Eating raw or undercooked meat, drinking unpasteurised milk carries real and documented risks,” Sii said.
“Those risks are especially relevant for women trying to conceive or who may become pregnant.
“The risk of infection in early pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or serious harm to the foetus.”
Raw animal products can carry harmful bacteria and parasites including listeria, salmonella, E. coli and toxoplasma.
These bugs may not cause severe illness in everyone, but for pregnant women or those trying to conceive, they can be far more dangerous.
Listeria, in particular, is a bacteria found in unpasteurised cheese and undercooked meats.
In early pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or lead to life-threatening infections in newborns.
Toxoplasmosis, a parasite found in raw meat, can also pass to the baby during pregnancy, causing brain damage, vision problems or developmental delays.
Fertility clinics are increasingly seeing patients who have been exposed to social media trends like fertility-maxxing.
While the desire to take control of fertility is understandable, experts are urging people to think twice before trying unverified advice.
Balance is key
Sii advises eating a balanced diet rich in antioxidants.
Her recommendations include fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, lean sources of protein, and healthy fats found in nuts, seeds, oils and low-mercury fish.
“These foods provide the nutrients your body needs to produce healthy eggs and sperm and support reproductive health,” she said.
Sii also recommends prenatal supplements containing folic acid and iodine.
Health experts said women trying to conceive should choose cheese clearly labelled as pasteurised, as this process heats milk to a safe temperature to kill harmful bacteria.
“For men, reducing alcohol intake, avoiding heat exposure to the testicles, and a good diet also help sperm health,” Sii said.
While many patients are now arriving at fertility clinics influenced by online trends, Sii said there’s no shortcut when it comes to starting a family.
“Fertility can be complex, and it’s natural to want to feel in control. But there’s no quick fix.”
“I encourage people to seek professional, evidence-based guidance rather than relying on unverified trends.”
