Women receiving infertility treatment may benefit from consuming soy, according to new research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

The natural food may offer protection to women attempting to get pregnant from the effects of bisphenol A, a chemical used in plastic water bottles and food containers, Medical News Today reports.

BPA can mimic estrogen, one of the two main female sex hormones, and interfere with fertility.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 96 percent of Americans have BPA in their bodies. Research shows BPA leads to health problems, and some suggest that it contributes to reproductive disorders and hinders fertility treatment.

Soy beans contain isoflavones, a type of plant-made estrogen known as phytoestrogen. Soy-based foods have been recommended to combat cholesterol, cancer, osteoporosis, hot flashes, and obesity.

The findings are based on an analysis by Dr. Jorge E. Chavarro — of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School in Boston — and colleagues, who examined data linking BPA exposure, diet, and in vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates in 239 women.

Compared with women who had a low BPA in their urine, those with a high levels of BPA and who did not eat soy foods had fewer successful pregnancies and live births than those who consumed soy as part of their regular diet.

"Although it is recommended that women trying to get pregnant reduce their exposure to BPA, our findings suggest that diet may modify some of the risks of exposure to BPA, a chemical that is nearly impossible to completely avoid due to its widespread use," said Dr. Russ Hauser.