Trying to get pregnant? Pay attention to simple things -- diet, timing of sex, even your lubricant -- and you may conceive faster.
By Kathleen Doheny
Having intercourse as close as possible to ovulation can definitely help. But fertility experts say there are other ways men and women can boost their fertility. These simple measures can increase the chances that next month will be the month you'll squeal: "We're pregnant!"
Read on for the best suggestions culled from fertility specialists who often recommend these measures before turning to assisted reproduction.
See When You're Most Fertile During Your Monthly Cycle
1. Her Fertility Booster: Weight Control
Being underweight or overweight can delay the time it takes a woman to conceive, research suggests.
Preconception weight is often an overlooked factor in fertility, says William Gibbons, MD, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and president-elect of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. But research suggests keeping a healthy weight can help with conception. "I am not sure women think about it as an issue for their fertility," he says.
In one study, researchers evaluated the body mass index (BMI) of 2,112 pregnant women. A BMI of 18.5-24.9 is considered normal weight, 25-29.9 is overweight, and 30 or higher is obese.
Women in the study who had a pre-pregnancy BMI of 25-39 had a twofold increase in the time it took to get pregnant. A lower BMI is even worse, the researchers found. Having a BMI below 19 increased the time to conception fourfold. The study was published in Fertility and Sterility in 2004.
Gibbons tells women to stay at a healthy weight when trying to conceive.
2. His Fertility Booster: Protect Those Sperm
Over the years, researchers have investigated whether everyday exposures -- to such things as tight underwear, heated car seats, laptop computers, or cell phones -- may impair male fertility.
The idea that changing to looser underwear -- boxers instead of briefs -- will boost fertility by keeping genital temperatures down is now somewhat of an old wives' tale, says Dale McClure, MD, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. He is also a clinical professor of urology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
Although earlier studies seemed to point to boxers as the better choice for preserving fertility, McClure says, ''some of the more scientific data in the past few years didn't show a major difference.''
What about exposing the testicles to other sources of heat? The American Society for Reproductive Medicine says controlling temperature doesn't play much of role in boosting fertility. But some doctors, including McClure, do recommend staying away from certain sources of heat. Sitting in a hot tub day after day, even if a man has no known fertility problems, should be avoided, McClure says.
In a study published in the International Brazilian Journal of Urology, researchers found that repeated exposure to high water temperatures through hot tubs or hot baths did have an adverse effect on men's fertility.
Other exposures under investigation by researchers have yet to prove a link.
For instance, in a study published in Human Reproduction, researchers found that scrotal temperatures went up in laptop users who used the computer on their laps, and warned that long-term exposures to high scrotal temperatures may harm sperm.
Even though there isn't enough data to prove the link, McClure says he still wouldn't recommend that a man who wants to be a father keep his laptop on his lap for extended periods of time.
In another study, Cleveland Clinic researchers collected sperm samples and found that those samples exposed to the radiofrequency electromagnetic waves from cell phones for one hour were adversely affected compared to samples not exposed. In a report published in Fertility and Sterility, the researchers conclude: ''We speculate that keeping the cell phone in a trouser pocket in talk mode may negatively affect spermatozoa and impair male fertility."
Despite that finding from respected researchers at a well-regarded institution, McClure says he is "more concerned about hot tubbing."
3. Her Fertility Booster: Watch the Beverages
Drinking too much coffee or too much alcohol can impair a woman's fertility, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine says.
Experts say that more than five cups of coffee a day or the equivalent, about 500 milligrams of caffeine, are associated with lower fertility. In another recent study, the researchers who looked at body weight also looked at caffeine and tea intake. They found that drinking more than six cups a day had an adverse effect on fertility.
But don't give up your daily cup of coffee just yet. Moderate caffeine consumption, says Gibbons, seems to be OK. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, one or two cups a day is acceptable. His advice for women who are coffee or soda drinkers: "Stay under 200 to 250 milligrams of caffeine a day."
The studies on alcohol intake and women's fertility have produced mixed findings. But Swedish researchers reporting in Fertility and Sterility have found that women who drank two alcoholic beverages a day decreased their fertility by nearly 60%.
Once again, moderation is key, say experts. Although those higher levels of alcohol, such as two drinks or more a day, should be avoided when trying to get pregnant, "there is no evidence to indicate that more moderate alcohol consumption adversely affects fertility," according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. And, of course, once you find out you are pregnant, you'll want to cut out the alcohol completely because drinking can increase the risk of birth defects.
Smoking cigarettes can impair both a woman and a man's fertility, research suggests. Researchers from Portugal reviewed the literature on cigarette smoking and fertility. They found that it affects how receptive the uterus is to the egg. In men, smoking can reduce sperm production and damage DNA. The study is published in Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
For women, giving up smoking before pregnancy is wise, experts suggest, because smoking while pregnant has been shown to boost the risk of miscarriage.
Taking advantage of what doctors call the "fertile window" can boost your chances of pregnancy. It's best defined, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, ''as the six-day interval ending on the day of ovulation." And pregnancy is most likely to occur with intercourse within the three days before the day of ovulation.
Patients often wait until the day of ovulation or later to have intercourse, says Richard Paulson, MD, chief of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, and a professor of obstetrics and gynecology there. He tells them: "Err on the early side."
He also advises keeping close track of ovulation -- either by the calendar method, figuring ovulation occurs about 14 days before the menstrual period is due, or by using an ovulation predictor kit, widely sold online and in drugstores.
Delaying lovemaking -- or as some couples say, ''saving up'' -- isn't going to boost the chances of pregnancy, McClure tells couples who ask about this approach.
"After about a week, the [sperm] count goes up a bit, but the motility decreases," he says. Not having sex for more than five days may affect sperm counts adversely, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. But intervals as short as two days don't harm sperm density, it says.
Although daily intercourse produced the highest pregnancy rate in one study, it may pose too much stress on the couple, according to the society. And every-other-day sex, in the same study, produced nearly as good a pregnancy rate.
With more frequent intercourse, couples may turn more to vaginal lubricants. That's OK, doctors concur, if the lubes are picked wisely.
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, some lubricants can actually decrease fertility. That's because some have spermicides.
What to use? "Canola oil," says Gibbons.
"Even peanut oil is good," says McClure. It's crucial, he says, to avoid lubricant with spermicidal agents.
Impromptu household lubes may not be good either, he says. "I had a patient yesterday with a great [sperm] count and no motility [swimming ability]," McClure says. When he asked a few more questions, he got the root of the problem. "He was using soap for a lubricant." So he informed the patient, "Soap killed the sperm."
You also want to avoid commercially available water-based lubricants. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, commercially available water-based lubricants, such as Astroglide, KY Jelly, and Touch may inhibit sperm motility by 60% to 100% within 60 minutes of incubation. Canola oil, however, did not have the same effect.
The studies comparing lubricants have been published over the years in a variety of journals, including Human Reproduction and Fertility and Sterility.
Exposures to pesticide, especially agricultural pesticides, may harm both men and women's fertility, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine warns.
Exposure to some solvents and toxins -- including those used in printing businesses and dry cleaning establishments -- can adversely affect women's fertility.
http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/8-ways-to-boost-your-fertility
Friday, October 29, 2010
Easy ways to boost fertility
Get yourself in the best shape to help kickstart your fertility. Have lots of sex
It sounds obvious, but the first thing you have to do is have sex regularly. Once in a blue moon - even if it's at the right time - won't necessarily be enough to give you the baby you dream of.
‘Many couples lead a life where they're working 12 hours a day. They're absolutely exhausted and not having enough sex,' explains Zita West, a holistic fertility and pregnancy consultant who runs her own pre-conception clinic.
‘The woman perhaps has been on the Pill for a long time - years ago she'd only been on it for six months to a year, nowadays she can have been taking it for 20 years by the time she wants a baby. She doesn't know about their own fertility or how her body is working.'
With ovulation kits available on the High Street, it's never been easier to work out when you should be at your most fertile. But that brings it's own problems, says Zita. ‘It puts pressure on couples to perform, especially if you know that ‘tonight's the night!'
She adds, 'Sperm live for days while an egg has a 24-hour window. So focus on your body's secretions and having sex three or four times a week so that when you do ovulate there's as much sperm as possible there, waiting to pounce on your egg.'
Get your body healthy
It's easy to slip into bad eating habits, but the healthier your body is, the more likely you are to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy.
About three months before you start trying for a baby it's a good idea to start looking into whether the food you and your partner eat is just filling you up or is really nourishing your body.
Try to cut out processed, fatty and sugary foods such as chips, cakes, and ready meals, and eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, and wholegrain. Make sure you get enough protein in chicken and fish because that helps your egg production, but cut down on red meat which has too much of the wrong kind of unsaturated fats.
Include foods high in natural folic acid, such as green leafy and root vegetables, whole grain, salmon and avocados. Folic acid helps the embryo develop normally and can also improve your man's sperm.
Foods which are high in essential fatty acids, especially one called DHA, will help your hormone balance and will also improve the health of your partner's sperm, so include oily fish in your new diet.
Drink at least two litres of water every day because it's needed to make sperm, semen, cell membranes and cervical mucus.
Take a good vitamin and mineral supplement that contains zinc and selenium, which help you make the right hormones in the right balance.
Shed the extra pounds if you're overweight, because being overweight can interfere with ovulation. Still eat a good diet with lots of the right foods, but just don't have such big portions.
What not to do
Avoid tea, coffee, sugar and cut down on alcohol. While the odd glass of wine isn't going to matter too much, binge drinking is a problem. Try to stick well within the recommended weekly levels of 14 units for a woman and 21 for a man.
Cut out cigarettes and any other drugs.
Avoid over-the-counter drugs and medicines too as they can affect your cervical mucus and hormone balance.
‘This isn't just about getting pregnant,' says Zita, ‘it's about the future health of your baby. Your developing baby doesn't rely on what you're eating that day to feed it, it takes your reserves. If you drink and smoke you're likely to have lost vital vitamins and minerals from your body. If you're prepared for pregnancy, it will give you a better pregnancy and a healthier baby.'
Change your lifestyle
Exercising will help to keep your weight down - essential when you're trying to get pregnant. It will also flood your body with oxygen so that it works more efficiently, and will help you to feel more relaxed. But don't feel you have to be down at the gym or sweating it out at an exercise class every day: 20 minutes, three times a week doing something you enjoy will have far greater benefits.
Stress can be a real barrier to getting pregnant because it can affect your hormones and the timing of your periods. It can also reduce your body's reserves of B Vitamins and Zinc - both vital for good hormone balance. So try to work out where the stress is in your life. You may not be able to fix it, but if you can see what's causing it, you can work out a way to manage it. Even if it's just having a soak in a long hot bath before dinner, listening to music or finding a yoga class, it will help.
Have a check-up
If you think you might have a problem getting pregnant, it may be worth getting it checked out before you start trying.
For instance if you've always had irregular periods, or you have a particularly short or long cycle - for example shorter than 25 days or longer than 31 - ask your GP if your hormone balance can be checked.
Ask your parents if there have been any fertility problems in either of your families in the past. Talk to your doctor about any operations you've had on your thyroid or pituitary glands or in your abdomen.
It's worth checking if either of you have ever had chlamydia. This is a sexually transmitted disease which affects thousands of people but, as it's not always easy to notice the symptoms, it can go untreated. It can seriously affect your fertility because it can block your Fallopian tubes, stopping eggs from travelling along them.
Zita West Clinics Ltd, London, 0207 580 2169 http://www.zitawest.com/
It sounds obvious, but the first thing you have to do is have sex regularly. Once in a blue moon - even if it's at the right time - won't necessarily be enough to give you the baby you dream of.
‘Many couples lead a life where they're working 12 hours a day. They're absolutely exhausted and not having enough sex,' explains Zita West, a holistic fertility and pregnancy consultant who runs her own pre-conception clinic.
‘The woman perhaps has been on the Pill for a long time - years ago she'd only been on it for six months to a year, nowadays she can have been taking it for 20 years by the time she wants a baby. She doesn't know about their own fertility or how her body is working.'
With ovulation kits available on the High Street, it's never been easier to work out when you should be at your most fertile. But that brings it's own problems, says Zita. ‘It puts pressure on couples to perform, especially if you know that ‘tonight's the night!'
She adds, 'Sperm live for days while an egg has a 24-hour window. So focus on your body's secretions and having sex three or four times a week so that when you do ovulate there's as much sperm as possible there, waiting to pounce on your egg.'
Get your body healthy
It's easy to slip into bad eating habits, but the healthier your body is, the more likely you are to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy.
About three months before you start trying for a baby it's a good idea to start looking into whether the food you and your partner eat is just filling you up or is really nourishing your body.
Try to cut out processed, fatty and sugary foods such as chips, cakes, and ready meals, and eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, and wholegrain. Make sure you get enough protein in chicken and fish because that helps your egg production, but cut down on red meat which has too much of the wrong kind of unsaturated fats.
Include foods high in natural folic acid, such as green leafy and root vegetables, whole grain, salmon and avocados. Folic acid helps the embryo develop normally and can also improve your man's sperm.
Foods which are high in essential fatty acids, especially one called DHA, will help your hormone balance and will also improve the health of your partner's sperm, so include oily fish in your new diet.
Drink at least two litres of water every day because it's needed to make sperm, semen, cell membranes and cervical mucus.
Take a good vitamin and mineral supplement that contains zinc and selenium, which help you make the right hormones in the right balance.
Shed the extra pounds if you're overweight, because being overweight can interfere with ovulation. Still eat a good diet with lots of the right foods, but just don't have such big portions.
What not to do
Avoid tea, coffee, sugar and cut down on alcohol. While the odd glass of wine isn't going to matter too much, binge drinking is a problem. Try to stick well within the recommended weekly levels of 14 units for a woman and 21 for a man.
Cut out cigarettes and any other drugs.
Avoid over-the-counter drugs and medicines too as they can affect your cervical mucus and hormone balance.
‘This isn't just about getting pregnant,' says Zita, ‘it's about the future health of your baby. Your developing baby doesn't rely on what you're eating that day to feed it, it takes your reserves. If you drink and smoke you're likely to have lost vital vitamins and minerals from your body. If you're prepared for pregnancy, it will give you a better pregnancy and a healthier baby.'
Change your lifestyle
Exercising will help to keep your weight down - essential when you're trying to get pregnant. It will also flood your body with oxygen so that it works more efficiently, and will help you to feel more relaxed. But don't feel you have to be down at the gym or sweating it out at an exercise class every day: 20 minutes, three times a week doing something you enjoy will have far greater benefits.
Stress can be a real barrier to getting pregnant because it can affect your hormones and the timing of your periods. It can also reduce your body's reserves of B Vitamins and Zinc - both vital for good hormone balance. So try to work out where the stress is in your life. You may not be able to fix it, but if you can see what's causing it, you can work out a way to manage it. Even if it's just having a soak in a long hot bath before dinner, listening to music or finding a yoga class, it will help.
Have a check-up
If you think you might have a problem getting pregnant, it may be worth getting it checked out before you start trying.
For instance if you've always had irregular periods, or you have a particularly short or long cycle - for example shorter than 25 days or longer than 31 - ask your GP if your hormone balance can be checked.
Ask your parents if there have been any fertility problems in either of your families in the past. Talk to your doctor about any operations you've had on your thyroid or pituitary glands or in your abdomen.
It's worth checking if either of you have ever had chlamydia. This is a sexually transmitted disease which affects thousands of people but, as it's not always easy to notice the symptoms, it can go untreated. It can seriously affect your fertility because it can block your Fallopian tubes, stopping eggs from travelling along them.
Zita West Clinics Ltd, London, 0207 580 2169 http://www.zitawest.com/
Top ten ways to boost your fertility
About one couple in seven has problems conceiving, but there are ways to improve your chances
Kate Wighton
HAVE SEX AT THE RIGHT TIME
Women are most fertile at day 10-16, with day one being the first day of their period. Sperm stay alive in the female reproductive tract for up to three days, says Bill Ledger, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Sheffield, so having intercourse at least every other day during this fertile time will be enough to make a baby.
WHEN TO GET HELP
Women's fertility drops rapidly after the age of 35. If you are in your early thirties and have been trying for a baby for a year without success, talk to your GP. If you are over 35, go after six months.
WATCH YOUR DIET
Both men and women should avoid being underweight or overweight, as weight problems can affect the hormones that control fertility. The Times nutritionist Amanda Ursell says that zinc-rich foods such as red meat and wholegrain cereal may improve sperm quality.
GO EASY ON THE BOOZE
It may loosen your sexual inhibitions, but alcohol isn't always good news for fertility. One study suggests that five drinks a week can affect women's fertility. Although you don't need to abstain from the sauce, it's a good idea to moderate your intake.
STUB IT OUT
Smoking harms the fertility of men and women. The damage is reversible in men, as they produce new sperm every 70 days. However, according to the British Medical Association, smoking reduces a woman's chances of conceiving by 40 per cent.
HAPPY SEX
Although there is only a six-day window of peak fertility in a woman's monthly cycle, it's important to have sex at other times, says Professor Ledger. Fertility problems strain relationships, so it's important to think of sex as fun, not simply a biological baby-making act.
BE ROMANTIC
Intense stress such as that caused by bereavement, divorce or redundancy, may disrupt ovulation for three or four months. However, every- day stress, such as that caused by your job, will not affect ovulation. The only way it affects fertility is by making people grumpy, and less likely to have sex. Counteract this drop in libido by planning a romantic meal, or a cosy weekend break.
DITCH THE OLD WIVES' TALES
Forget the myths about raising your bottom after intercourse, or not moving for 30 minutes. Sperm are chemically attracted to cervical mucus; within seconds of ejaculation they are safely on their journey. Anything that escapes doesn't contain any viable sperm.
And, unfortunately, there are no positions that guarantee conception says Professor Ledger.
KEEP THEM COOL
Sitting at a desk all day can be bad news for sperm. Heat causes sperm damage, and testes should be one or two degrees cooler than the rest of the body. Professor Ledger recommends taking a five to ten-minute walk every hour to cool off your crown jewels.
SEXUAL HEALTH
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, can harm fertility. If you think there is a possibility that you may have caught something, it's well worth a visit to your GP or sexual health clinic
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5293250.ece
Kate Wighton
HAVE SEX AT THE RIGHT TIME
Women are most fertile at day 10-16, with day one being the first day of their period. Sperm stay alive in the female reproductive tract for up to three days, says Bill Ledger, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Sheffield, so having intercourse at least every other day during this fertile time will be enough to make a baby.
WHEN TO GET HELP
Women's fertility drops rapidly after the age of 35. If you are in your early thirties and have been trying for a baby for a year without success, talk to your GP. If you are over 35, go after six months.
WATCH YOUR DIET
Both men and women should avoid being underweight or overweight, as weight problems can affect the hormones that control fertility. The Times nutritionist Amanda Ursell says that zinc-rich foods such as red meat and wholegrain cereal may improve sperm quality.
GO EASY ON THE BOOZE
It may loosen your sexual inhibitions, but alcohol isn't always good news for fertility. One study suggests that five drinks a week can affect women's fertility. Although you don't need to abstain from the sauce, it's a good idea to moderate your intake.
STUB IT OUT
Smoking harms the fertility of men and women. The damage is reversible in men, as they produce new sperm every 70 days. However, according to the British Medical Association, smoking reduces a woman's chances of conceiving by 40 per cent.
HAPPY SEX
Although there is only a six-day window of peak fertility in a woman's monthly cycle, it's important to have sex at other times, says Professor Ledger. Fertility problems strain relationships, so it's important to think of sex as fun, not simply a biological baby-making act.
BE ROMANTIC
Intense stress such as that caused by bereavement, divorce or redundancy, may disrupt ovulation for three or four months. However, every- day stress, such as that caused by your job, will not affect ovulation. The only way it affects fertility is by making people grumpy, and less likely to have sex. Counteract this drop in libido by planning a romantic meal, or a cosy weekend break.
DITCH THE OLD WIVES' TALES
Forget the myths about raising your bottom after intercourse, or not moving for 30 minutes. Sperm are chemically attracted to cervical mucus; within seconds of ejaculation they are safely on their journey. Anything that escapes doesn't contain any viable sperm.
And, unfortunately, there are no positions that guarantee conception says Professor Ledger.
KEEP THEM COOL
Sitting at a desk all day can be bad news for sperm. Heat causes sperm damage, and testes should be one or two degrees cooler than the rest of the body. Professor Ledger recommends taking a five to ten-minute walk every hour to cool off your crown jewels.
SEXUAL HEALTH
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, can harm fertility. If you think there is a possibility that you may have caught something, it's well worth a visit to your GP or sexual health clinic
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5293250.ece
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Maca: Peruvian Superfood is Excellent for Libido and Nutrition
by: Brett Brown
(NaturalNews) There are many plants and herbs that are able to affect libido in both men and women. However some of those plants, such as yohimbe, have negative side effects such as raising the heart rate and increasing blood pressure. Thanks to recent research done on a Peruvian plant, we now have a safe alternative for increasing libido and sexual function in men and women. During our rediscovery of this superfood, we find maca to be packed full of nutrition and a great alternative for libido enhancement.
History
Maca has been grown and cultivated in the Peruvian Andes of South America for nearly 2,600 years. Maca is grown for its root, and is a member of the cruciferous family of plants. Maca closely resembles a radish in shape, yet is slightly larger in size. Maca is grown in an altitude of 9,000 to 14,000 feet above sea level. This makes maca the highest altitude crop on earth.
Traditional Andean shamans used maca to increase fertility in both animals and humans. Shortly after the Spanish conquest, the Spanish noticed their livestock were doing poorly in the desolate highlands. Andean natives suggested that both the Spanish and their livestock consume maca. Apparently the results were remarkable since some of the first written Spanish records of the Andes were on the subject of maca.
Libido
Dr. Gloria Chacon de Popovici published her first study of maca's effect on animal fertility in 1961. Her research determined that maca increases fertility in rats, dogs, guinea pigs, rams, cows, and humans. She suggests that maca has been shown to act on the hypothalamus, pituitary glands, and the adrenals. She theorized that by activating these areas in our endocrine system maca is then able to increase libido, energy, and vitality. The activation of these systems allows us to produce higher levels of testosterone, progesterone, and DHEA. In turn this is also beneficial for the balancing of hormones in both men and women.
While Dr. Chacon was doing her research and feeding maca powder to rats, she discovered that male rats had increased sperm counts and motility rates, and the female rats showed multiple egg follicle maturation. The effects were shown within seventy-two hours upon feeding the rats maca. The effects on humans are similar. This research indicates that maca is a superfood capable of increasing fertility and can be extremely useful for those trying to conceive a child. Maca has also been shown to help women produce more breast milk after pregnancy.
Maca is also an adaptogen. Adaptogens help our bodies to adapt to stress. It is well known that the stresses of life have a serious effect on libido in both men and women.
Nutritional Profile
Maca powder is approximately 10 percent protein. The protein in maca contains twenty amino acids and seven of the eight essential amino acids. Although not a complete protein, maca is an excellent source of hormone precursors and amino acids.
Maca has a lipid content of about 2.2 percent which includes linolenic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid. Maca is also a good source of sterols. Sterols have been shown to have immune enhancing properties.
Maca is rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, sodium, and iron. Maca is also a great source of the trace minerals zinc, copper, selenium, iodine, bismuth, manganese, silicon, and tin.
Maca also contains vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
Maca is truly a power packed superfood that is beneficial for both libido and nutrition. In order to achieve best results, consume between 2 to 6 tablespoons of maca powder daily.
Resources:http://www.macaroot.com/benefits/index.html
http://www.macaeffects.com/top-health-benefits-of-maca
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/3439/1/The-Magical-Benefits-of-Peruvian-Maca.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/027797_maca_root_hormone_balance.html
Superfoods: The Food And Medicine Of The Future, By David Wolfe, Pub 2009
(NaturalNews) There are many plants and herbs that are able to affect libido in both men and women. However some of those plants, such as yohimbe, have negative side effects such as raising the heart rate and increasing blood pressure. Thanks to recent research done on a Peruvian plant, we now have a safe alternative for increasing libido and sexual function in men and women. During our rediscovery of this superfood, we find maca to be packed full of nutrition and a great alternative for libido enhancement.
History
Maca has been grown and cultivated in the Peruvian Andes of South America for nearly 2,600 years. Maca is grown for its root, and is a member of the cruciferous family of plants. Maca closely resembles a radish in shape, yet is slightly larger in size. Maca is grown in an altitude of 9,000 to 14,000 feet above sea level. This makes maca the highest altitude crop on earth.
Traditional Andean shamans used maca to increase fertility in both animals and humans. Shortly after the Spanish conquest, the Spanish noticed their livestock were doing poorly in the desolate highlands. Andean natives suggested that both the Spanish and their livestock consume maca. Apparently the results were remarkable since some of the first written Spanish records of the Andes were on the subject of maca.
Libido
Dr. Gloria Chacon de Popovici published her first study of maca's effect on animal fertility in 1961. Her research determined that maca increases fertility in rats, dogs, guinea pigs, rams, cows, and humans. She suggests that maca has been shown to act on the hypothalamus, pituitary glands, and the adrenals. She theorized that by activating these areas in our endocrine system maca is then able to increase libido, energy, and vitality. The activation of these systems allows us to produce higher levels of testosterone, progesterone, and DHEA. In turn this is also beneficial for the balancing of hormones in both men and women.
While Dr. Chacon was doing her research and feeding maca powder to rats, she discovered that male rats had increased sperm counts and motility rates, and the female rats showed multiple egg follicle maturation. The effects were shown within seventy-two hours upon feeding the rats maca. The effects on humans are similar. This research indicates that maca is a superfood capable of increasing fertility and can be extremely useful for those trying to conceive a child. Maca has also been shown to help women produce more breast milk after pregnancy.
Maca is also an adaptogen. Adaptogens help our bodies to adapt to stress. It is well known that the stresses of life have a serious effect on libido in both men and women.
Nutritional Profile
Maca powder is approximately 10 percent protein. The protein in maca contains twenty amino acids and seven of the eight essential amino acids. Although not a complete protein, maca is an excellent source of hormone precursors and amino acids.
Maca has a lipid content of about 2.2 percent which includes linolenic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid. Maca is also a good source of sterols. Sterols have been shown to have immune enhancing properties.
Maca is rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, sodium, and iron. Maca is also a great source of the trace minerals zinc, copper, selenium, iodine, bismuth, manganese, silicon, and tin.
Maca also contains vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
Maca is truly a power packed superfood that is beneficial for both libido and nutrition. In order to achieve best results, consume between 2 to 6 tablespoons of maca powder daily.
Resources:http://www.macaroot.com/benefits/index.html
http://www.macaeffects.com/top-health-benefits-of-maca
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/3439/1/The-Magical-Benefits-of-Peruvian-Maca.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/027797_maca_root_hormone_balance.html
Superfoods: The Food And Medicine Of The Future, By David Wolfe, Pub 2009
Couples increasingly seeking out alternative infertility treatments such as acupuncture
by: David Gutierrez
(NaturalNews) Alternative fertility treatments are becoming increasingly popular among certain segments of the U.S. population, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of California-San Francisco and published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.
The researchers used interviews and questionnaires to follow 428 couples who were undergoing conventional fertility interventions at eight reproductive clinics in Northern California. Over the course of 18 months, the researchers found that 29 percent of study participants used at least one alternative fertility treatment.
Twenty-two percent of study participants used acupuncture, 17 percent used medicinal herbs and 1 percent used meditation. Another 5 percent used some form of body work therapy, such as massage or chiropractic.
Couples who failed to achieve pregnancy with conventional fertility treatments were almost 150 percent more likely to used alternative therapies than those who succeeded. The older a prospective mother was, the higher a couple's chance of using complementary treatments. Even after researchers adjusted for potential confounding factors such as the number of prior children or the use of other fertility treatments, use of alternative therapies increased 29 percent with every five years of the mother's age.
"We suggest that couples struggling to achieve pregnancy are more likely to seek out any treatment that offers hope," lead researcher James Smith said.
The researchers also found that couples with positive views on alternative therapies were 85 percent more likely to use them than couples with more negative views.
Wealth was also a major predictor of a couple's use of alternative therapies; couples with a combined income of more than $200,000 per year were almost three times more likely to use such therapies than couples with a combined yearly income below $100,000.
"Couples with higher incomes were more likely to have the financial resources to seek out [complementary therapies]," Smith said.
A single acupuncture visit in Northern California averages $100, Smith noted. While inexpensive compared to a $16,500 in-vitro fertility treatment, the cost may still place such therapies out of range of poorer couples.
Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62U4CF20100331
(NaturalNews) Alternative fertility treatments are becoming increasingly popular among certain segments of the U.S. population, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of California-San Francisco and published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.
The researchers used interviews and questionnaires to follow 428 couples who were undergoing conventional fertility interventions at eight reproductive clinics in Northern California. Over the course of 18 months, the researchers found that 29 percent of study participants used at least one alternative fertility treatment.
Twenty-two percent of study participants used acupuncture, 17 percent used medicinal herbs and 1 percent used meditation. Another 5 percent used some form of body work therapy, such as massage or chiropractic.
Couples who failed to achieve pregnancy with conventional fertility treatments were almost 150 percent more likely to used alternative therapies than those who succeeded. The older a prospective mother was, the higher a couple's chance of using complementary treatments. Even after researchers adjusted for potential confounding factors such as the number of prior children or the use of other fertility treatments, use of alternative therapies increased 29 percent with every five years of the mother's age.
"We suggest that couples struggling to achieve pregnancy are more likely to seek out any treatment that offers hope," lead researcher James Smith said.
The researchers also found that couples with positive views on alternative therapies were 85 percent more likely to use them than couples with more negative views.
Wealth was also a major predictor of a couple's use of alternative therapies; couples with a combined income of more than $200,000 per year were almost three times more likely to use such therapies than couples with a combined yearly income below $100,000.
"Couples with higher incomes were more likely to have the financial resources to seek out [complementary therapies]," Smith said.
A single acupuncture visit in Northern California averages $100, Smith noted. While inexpensive compared to a $16,500 in-vitro fertility treatment, the cost may still place such therapies out of range of poorer couples.
Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62U4CF20100331
Weight-Reduction Plan for Fertility
Author: aprilk
Obesity has many unfavourable health consequences. Some are better recognized and documented than others. Latest studies have shown that one more potential consequence of obesity is problem with regards to conceiving a baby. Fertility troubles are a growing drawback on this nation and across the world. One motive that’s being hailed as a really viable wrongdoer is obesity.
Whereas most individuals look immediately to the female in the relationship for this explicit drawback the details point out that male obesity also can lead to a low sperm count, which may also hamper fertility efforts and progress.
Our bodies have been designed for particular purposes. It is completely amazing how effectively every part of the human body works to support the others. There are only a few machines that may compete with the genius of the design of the human body. After hundreds of years to study the human physique there are still many mysteries hidden within. The truth comes all the way down to this nevertheless, we put issues into our our bodies, and abuse our our bodies in ways that our bodies had been merely not designed to take and yet we still manage to adapt and survive many of these things.
It is amazing when you concentrate on that the human body endures the many things it does without permanent and irrevocable damage. The excellent news for these attempting to conceive is that the human body also has the remarkable ability to heal itself. This means that those that find their efforts to conceive have been hampered by weight problems have additionally seen optimistic changes by shedding as little as five to 10 p.c of your capacity to conceive.
If both companions are overweight then it is perhaps a good suggestion to work together to shed these unwanted pounds and undertake a healthier, more lively lifestyle. Being active when trying to conceive and throughout the being pregnant is a good suggestion for the feminine within the relationship at any rate as this can assist within the technique of labor and delivery.
If you’re trying to conceive without success and have been doing so for more than a 12 months it is most likely in your finest interest to hunt the services of a fertility specialist to be able to rule out other possible considerations. Though it’s rarely a bad thought to undertake a more healthy lifestyle you should also seek the advice of your physician earlier than beginning a strict food regimen or weight reduction regimen with a view to ensure there aren’t other factors that may be inflicting your weight issues. That is significantly true in case you have gained a good deal of weight in a moderately brief quantity of time.
Along with conception issue weight problems also can result in a better threat of miscarriage once conception has occurred. Weight problems also leads to a higher danger of conditions comparable to gestational diabetes through the being pregnant, pre-eclampsia, and in some cases nonetheless birth and birth defects. It is no small hindrance to a healthy pregnancy and needs to be carefully thought-about earlier than trying to conceive.
One other consideration with regards to weight problems and fertility is that being overweight also can hamper the affects of fertility treatments. This means that the process is usually lengthier and can value considerably extra over time than if obesity weren’t a factor. When coupled with the risks to the newborn this is one thing that should not be taken flippantly when planning for fertility treatments.
If your BMI is greater than 30 there are numerous fertility clinics that merely won’t provide their services. Some restrict it to higher than 35 and others 40. In case you feel that fertility treatments are the one course of action obtainable to you and your BMI is bigger than 30, the first suggestion you’re more likely to hear is the suggestion that you simply make critical weight loss efforts and way of life changes before proceeding. You could discover that once you start to shed the kilos, fertility intervention is not necessary.
Losing weight isn’t straightforward however you may need to contemplate taking a look at one thing corresponding to hoodia as it’s helped a lot of people curb their urge for food and make them lose weight.
Obesity has many unfavourable health consequences. Some are better recognized and documented than others. Latest studies have shown that one more potential consequence of obesity is problem with regards to conceiving a baby. Fertility troubles are a growing drawback on this nation and across the world. One motive that’s being hailed as a really viable wrongdoer is obesity.
Whereas most individuals look immediately to the female in the relationship for this explicit drawback the details point out that male obesity also can lead to a low sperm count, which may also hamper fertility efforts and progress.
Our bodies have been designed for particular purposes. It is completely amazing how effectively every part of the human body works to support the others. There are only a few machines that may compete with the genius of the design of the human body. After hundreds of years to study the human physique there are still many mysteries hidden within. The truth comes all the way down to this nevertheless, we put issues into our our bodies, and abuse our our bodies in ways that our bodies had been merely not designed to take and yet we still manage to adapt and survive many of these things.
It is amazing when you concentrate on that the human body endures the many things it does without permanent and irrevocable damage. The excellent news for these attempting to conceive is that the human body also has the remarkable ability to heal itself. This means that those that find their efforts to conceive have been hampered by weight problems have additionally seen optimistic changes by shedding as little as five to 10 p.c of your capacity to conceive.
If both companions are overweight then it is perhaps a good suggestion to work together to shed these unwanted pounds and undertake a healthier, more lively lifestyle. Being active when trying to conceive and throughout the being pregnant is a good suggestion for the feminine within the relationship at any rate as this can assist within the technique of labor and delivery.
If you’re trying to conceive without success and have been doing so for more than a 12 months it is most likely in your finest interest to hunt the services of a fertility specialist to be able to rule out other possible considerations. Though it’s rarely a bad thought to undertake a more healthy lifestyle you should also seek the advice of your physician earlier than beginning a strict food regimen or weight reduction regimen with a view to ensure there aren’t other factors that may be inflicting your weight issues. That is significantly true in case you have gained a good deal of weight in a moderately brief quantity of time.
Along with conception issue weight problems also can result in a better threat of miscarriage once conception has occurred. Weight problems also leads to a higher danger of conditions comparable to gestational diabetes through the being pregnant, pre-eclampsia, and in some cases nonetheless birth and birth defects. It is no small hindrance to a healthy pregnancy and needs to be carefully thought-about earlier than trying to conceive.
One other consideration with regards to weight problems and fertility is that being overweight also can hamper the affects of fertility treatments. This means that the process is usually lengthier and can value considerably extra over time than if obesity weren’t a factor. When coupled with the risks to the newborn this is one thing that should not be taken flippantly when planning for fertility treatments.
If your BMI is greater than 30 there are numerous fertility clinics that merely won’t provide their services. Some restrict it to higher than 35 and others 40. In case you feel that fertility treatments are the one course of action obtainable to you and your BMI is bigger than 30, the first suggestion you’re more likely to hear is the suggestion that you simply make critical weight loss efforts and way of life changes before proceeding. You could discover that once you start to shed the kilos, fertility intervention is not necessary.
Losing weight isn’t straightforward however you may need to contemplate taking a look at one thing corresponding to hoodia as it’s helped a lot of people curb their urge for food and make them lose weight.
How to Increase Male Fertility through Natural Ways
Author: Ryan Mutt
Male infertility is on the rise now. Studies indicate that male fertility rates are on the fast decline due to several reasons, and because of our current lifestyle. Diet, sedentary lifestyle, and lack of exercise are some of the main factors behind men's inability to make a woman pregnant. If conception fails even after six months, fertility evaluation has to be carried out. The good news is that in many cases, to increase male fertility through natural ways is very much possible, with good and effective results.
To increase male fertility through natural ways, one has to avoid something, and take something. In the list of what to avoid, we find smoking is directly linked with low sperm count. The person has to stop smoking for the sake of improving the sperm count. Alcohol is also linked with defective sperm. This has to be stopped too. Furthermore, medical evidence strongly links recreational drugs with male infertility. Stop taking such drugs if relevant.
To increase male fertility through natural ways, one should never forget the important role our diet plays. Imbalanced diet can impair hormone function, and very negatively affect on the production and health of the sperm. If the diet is corrected, sperm production and quality can get a boost. Include in your diets fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, whole grains, nuts, poultry, seeds, brown rice, legumes, etc. Foods having high saturated fat should be avoided. Moreover, drinking two to three liters water a day can also help body cleanse the toxin and also in sperm production.
As some other means to increase male fertility through natural ways, we list few simply ways that can solve the problem effectively. Before seeking any serious medial attention, better try such natural ways to restore sperm health.
Many have successfully tried pumpkin seeds to address the fertility issue. Pumpkin seeds contain essential fatty acids that are vital for male reproductive system. Moreover, high percentage of zinc is also found in pumpkin seeds. Zinc helps male reproductive system and sperm production. It produces testosterone, an essential hormone. Zinc maintains semen volume and keeps sperm healthy.
Used for few months, some supplements can also work very well, such as L-arginine, Coenzyme A10, L-Carnitine, Selenium, Vitamin B12, Vitamin E, Astragalus, Ginseng, Saw Palmetto, and Omega fatty acids (found in flaxseeds and fish oils).
In many cases, to increase male fertility through natural ways is very much possible. It many need some time but most of them are found effective. Before you take a start, just study various supplements and start those that suit your condition more.
Male infertility is on the rise now. Studies indicate that male fertility rates are on the fast decline due to several reasons, and because of our current lifestyle. Diet, sedentary lifestyle, and lack of exercise are some of the main factors behind men's inability to make a woman pregnant. If conception fails even after six months, fertility evaluation has to be carried out. The good news is that in many cases, to increase male fertility through natural ways is very much possible, with good and effective results.
To increase male fertility through natural ways, one has to avoid something, and take something. In the list of what to avoid, we find smoking is directly linked with low sperm count. The person has to stop smoking for the sake of improving the sperm count. Alcohol is also linked with defective sperm. This has to be stopped too. Furthermore, medical evidence strongly links recreational drugs with male infertility. Stop taking such drugs if relevant.
To increase male fertility through natural ways, one should never forget the important role our diet plays. Imbalanced diet can impair hormone function, and very negatively affect on the production and health of the sperm. If the diet is corrected, sperm production and quality can get a boost. Include in your diets fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, whole grains, nuts, poultry, seeds, brown rice, legumes, etc. Foods having high saturated fat should be avoided. Moreover, drinking two to three liters water a day can also help body cleanse the toxin and also in sperm production.
As some other means to increase male fertility through natural ways, we list few simply ways that can solve the problem effectively. Before seeking any serious medial attention, better try such natural ways to restore sperm health.
Many have successfully tried pumpkin seeds to address the fertility issue. Pumpkin seeds contain essential fatty acids that are vital for male reproductive system. Moreover, high percentage of zinc is also found in pumpkin seeds. Zinc helps male reproductive system and sperm production. It produces testosterone, an essential hormone. Zinc maintains semen volume and keeps sperm healthy.
Used for few months, some supplements can also work very well, such as L-arginine, Coenzyme A10, L-Carnitine, Selenium, Vitamin B12, Vitamin E, Astragalus, Ginseng, Saw Palmetto, and Omega fatty acids (found in flaxseeds and fish oils).
In many cases, to increase male fertility through natural ways is very much possible. It many need some time but most of them are found effective. Before you take a start, just study various supplements and start those that suit your condition more.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Fertility Foods for Women
Published February 16, 2009 by: J. Marie Winslow
It is the one subject that can spark hours of conversation. Whether you are TTC or know someone who is dealing with infertility, most of us are aware of the downfalls that come with infertility. As women overcome infertility, figuring out what fertility foods to eat is crucial. Not only finding out what foods are good for fertility, but which foods actually taste good. We all know eating bad food just because it is good for us is no fun.
When trying to get pregnant, everything is important; especially what is is goes into the body This is not a new topic. What is new is finding which foods boost fertility and if they taste good or not. Let's face it. Not all food tastes good. But when you are 100% into getting your body healthy for fertility, sometimes it doesn't matter if it tastes good or not. You do it because you want to get pregnant.
For those who are scratching their head in amazement that the food eaten can help boost fertility, sit back and read some of the foods that are good to eat; and then of course, there are those foods that aren't that tasty. It is amazing to think that everything we put into our bodies can further boost and stimulate our organs. So the next time you head out to a fast food joint, think about getting a salad instead with big fat burger.
Fertility Foods
We've all read the articles of what fertility foods to eat when trying to conceive. But which ones are tasty and which are harder to swallow? And I mean, quite literally! TTC is not always easy. Here are some of the most common fertility foods to help with infertility.
Apple Cider Vinegar- known to help fertility, when drunken with hot tea and honey, is almost drinkable. Almost. Don't think you will be able disguise the taste of the vinegar. Vinegar is still vinegar, even when you add the vinegar to tea. The point of this story is, close your nose, take a deep breath, and drink!
Beets- Beets are also known to boost fertility. Although a tangy vegetable, beets are an acquired taste for sure.
Water- Water is a given. Not only is water refreshing, but water is essential to a healthy lifestyle; this in turn promotes a healthy productive system. If you hate water, try adding some lemon juice.
Vitamins- For many people, taking those prenatal is a dreaded chore. Whether you hate swallowing pills or are one who just hates vitamins. Vitamins are essential for a healthy body, which obviously promotes fertility.
Yams- Yams are which are rich in folate, as well as vitamins C and B6. Not only yams healthy to eat, but there are many ways to cook these which will please your family, and be tasty at the same time.
Nuts and seeds- It goes without saying that nuts are not only nutritious but tasty as well. Buy the large bag of nuts and snack on two or three throughout the day. Make sure to add some sunflower seeds to your diet.
Veggies- Broccoli, Carrots, cauliflower, cabbage offer essential vitamins but are also yummy. Whether you eat raw, steam, or cook over the grill, don't forget to add a substantial amount of the veggies to your diet. Trying to conceive suddenly became easier when you have good foods to eat. Pick the veggies you know you will eat and keep your fridge stocked.
Berries-such as blueberries and raspberries are exceptionally high in antioxidants. Forget about high calorie deserts, add some berries to your dinner plate and you have a perfect dessert.
If you are trying to conceive, make sure to think about what you are putting inside your body. The foods we eat have either a positive impact or a negative one. Think about it. We take vitamins to make us healthier, so it go to reason by eating more fruits and vegetables, we will prepare our bodies for pregnancy.
It is the one subject that can spark hours of conversation. Whether you are TTC or know someone who is dealing with infertility, most of us are aware of the downfalls that come with infertility. As women overcome infertility, figuring out what fertility foods to eat is crucial. Not only finding out what foods are good for fertility, but which foods actually taste good. We all know eating bad food just because it is good for us is no fun.
When trying to get pregnant, everything is important; especially what is is goes into the body This is not a new topic. What is new is finding which foods boost fertility and if they taste good or not. Let's face it. Not all food tastes good. But when you are 100% into getting your body healthy for fertility, sometimes it doesn't matter if it tastes good or not. You do it because you want to get pregnant.
For those who are scratching their head in amazement that the food eaten can help boost fertility, sit back and read some of the foods that are good to eat; and then of course, there are those foods that aren't that tasty. It is amazing to think that everything we put into our bodies can further boost and stimulate our organs. So the next time you head out to a fast food joint, think about getting a salad instead with big fat burger.
Fertility Foods
We've all read the articles of what fertility foods to eat when trying to conceive. But which ones are tasty and which are harder to swallow? And I mean, quite literally! TTC is not always easy. Here are some of the most common fertility foods to help with infertility.
Apple Cider Vinegar- known to help fertility, when drunken with hot tea and honey, is almost drinkable. Almost. Don't think you will be able disguise the taste of the vinegar. Vinegar is still vinegar, even when you add the vinegar to tea. The point of this story is, close your nose, take a deep breath, and drink!
Beets- Beets are also known to boost fertility. Although a tangy vegetable, beets are an acquired taste for sure.
Water- Water is a given. Not only is water refreshing, but water is essential to a healthy lifestyle; this in turn promotes a healthy productive system. If you hate water, try adding some lemon juice.
Vitamins- For many people, taking those prenatal is a dreaded chore. Whether you hate swallowing pills or are one who just hates vitamins. Vitamins are essential for a healthy body, which obviously promotes fertility.
Yams- Yams are which are rich in folate, as well as vitamins C and B6. Not only yams healthy to eat, but there are many ways to cook these which will please your family, and be tasty at the same time.
Nuts and seeds- It goes without saying that nuts are not only nutritious but tasty as well. Buy the large bag of nuts and snack on two or three throughout the day. Make sure to add some sunflower seeds to your diet.
Veggies- Broccoli, Carrots, cauliflower, cabbage offer essential vitamins but are also yummy. Whether you eat raw, steam, or cook over the grill, don't forget to add a substantial amount of the veggies to your diet. Trying to conceive suddenly became easier when you have good foods to eat. Pick the veggies you know you will eat and keep your fridge stocked.
Berries-such as blueberries and raspberries are exceptionally high in antioxidants. Forget about high calorie deserts, add some berries to your dinner plate and you have a perfect dessert.
If you are trying to conceive, make sure to think about what you are putting inside your body. The foods we eat have either a positive impact or a negative one. Think about it. We take vitamins to make us healthier, so it go to reason by eating more fruits and vegetables, we will prepare our bodies for pregnancy.
14 Simple Changes That Enhance Fertility
Source: http://www.conceiveonline.com/fertility-health/simple-changes-enhance-fertility/Page-1/
Whether you’re having trouble conceiving or just want to get pregnant pronto, here are some simple steps you can take to boost your baby-making power.
Get Regular Exercise
Women who reported doing plenty of vigorous activity in the years before trying to conceive were less likely to experience ovulatory infertility, according to a study by Janet Rich-Edwards, M.P.H., Sc.D., director of developmental epidemiology at the Connor’s Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. In fact, for every hour of vigorous activity per week there was a 7 percent reduction in risk, with the lowest risk being among women who exercised vigorously for at least five hours each week. Keep in mind that Rich-Edwards was looking at women’s exercise habits before they started trying. The take-home message: Start exercising now.
Avoid Artificial Lubricants
A study at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas found that a number of non-contraceptive commercial lubricants (Replens, Astroglide) were as toxic to sperm as products containing the spermicide nonoxynol-9. If you need a little help, you can use canola oil, which has no effect on sperm. Or try one of several “sperm-friendly” lubricants now on the market.
Lose or Gain if You Need To
If you’re over- or underweight, losing or gaining just a little can step up your chances of conceiving, according to Paul B. Miller, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at University Medical Group in Greenville, South Carolina. He studied 372 women undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilization) and found that those who were under- or overweight were about half as likely to get pregnant as normal-weight women. Why? Overweight women overproduce androgens (male-type hormones), estrogen, and insulin, all of which prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg each month and negatively affect the quality of eggs that do manage to make it out. On the other hand, very thin women have low levels of leptin, an appetite- and weight-regulation hormone. When levels get too low, they tell the brain that the body does not have enough fat available for reproduction, halting ovulation, says Dr. Miller. If you’re overweight, losing just 5 percent of your body weight can improve ovulatory function. For a 250-pound woman, that’s only 12.5 pounds. Dr. Miller advises a low-carbohydrate diet with multiple small meals spread out throughout the day, and participation in modest exercise, such as walking or weight training. Too thin? Gaining as little as five pounds may be enough. Dr. Miller advises enjoying an extra dessert now and then, and avoiding strenuous exercise. “We usually ask our avid exercisers to switch from running or aerobics over to yoga and/or strength training to avoid any calorie drain on their bodies.” And men, you’re not off the hook when it comes to weight. Both overweight and underweight men tend to have problems with sperm quality.
Don't Forget the Folate
A few studies have shown that a higher intake of folic acid (the synthetic form of folate, which occurs naturally in foods like oranges) may improve ovulation. It’s important that all women of reproductive age take between 400 and 800 mcg each day. And men who get higher doses of folate make healthier sperm, potentially reducing the chances of miscarriage or genetic problems in their babies. Researchers at the University of California Berkeley’s School of Public Health surveyed 97 non-smoking men who had no prior history of fertility problems and found that men who had the highest intake of the vitamin had nearly a 20 percent reduction in the number of abnormal sperm compared to men with low folate intake. Study co-author Brenda Eskenazi, Ph.D., director of the Center for Children’s Environmental Health Research at Berkeley, suggests that men considering fatherhood should take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement and make sure to get their five servings of fruits and veggies a day.
Have a Bowl of Full-Fat Ice Cream
Yup, you read that right. Findings from the Nurses’ Health Study found that one or (at most) two daily servings of whole milk or whole milk products like yogurt and cheese protect against ovulatory infertility, while skim and low-fat milk, surprisingly, do the opposite, says Jorge E. Chavarro, M.D., Sc.D., instructor in medicine, Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and co-author of The Fertility Diet (McGraw-Hill, 2007). Experts don’t know why this is, though Dr. Chavarro theorizes that removing the fat from milk changes its balance of sex hormones, which in turn hinders ovulation. But don’t go overboard with tubs of Häagen-Dazs just yet. Dr. Chavarro suggests replacing one low-fat milk item a day with a full-fat one . . . and cutting calories elsewhere in your diet to compensate.
Do it On the Right Days
Counting day one of your period as day one of your cycle, most women ovulate about 14 days before the next period, says John R. Sussman, M.D., assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington. So if your cycle varies between 24 and 30 days, that means you’ll likely ovulate somewhere between day 10 and day 16. You’ve got the best chance of conception if you and your partner get busy in the five days before you ovulate, or on the day you ovulate, says Dr. Sussman. Why? Once the egg is released from the ovary, it’s only receptive to sperm and able to be fertilized for about 12 to 24 hours. Sperm, however, have a much longer life-span. “Sperm can remain viable for up to five days after intercourse,” says Philip E. Chenette, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at Pacific Fertility Center in San Francisco, California. A good guideline for timing baby-making sex is to do it early and often, he recommends. Maximize your chances even more with an over-the-counter ovulation predictor kit, which measures the surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) right before ovulation.
Eliminate Trans Fats
In analyzing different types of fats, Dr. Chavarro found that trans fats were associated with a high risk of infertility. Trans fats decrease the body’s ability to react to insulin, and women who have insulin resistance or diabetes are more prone to irregular ovulation. Trans fats often appear in packaged foods as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, or as shortening or vegetable shortening. Read labels carefully and avoid trans fats altogether if you can.
Kick the Butts
Virtually all scientific studies have found that smoking impairs fertility in both men and women. Some studies have found that smoking 10 or more cigarettes a day has a negative effect on egg production. Cigarette toxins have been shown to interfere with the ability of the cells in the ovary to make estrogen and to cause a woman’s eggs to be more prone to genetic abnormalities. Smoking also causes the ovaries to age, which can advance menopause by several years. If that’s not enough to make you quit, smoking is also strongly associated with an increased risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancies. Men who smoke cigarettes have lower sperm counts, lower motility, and more abnormally shaped sperm.
Relax!
A study from Harvard University Medical School found that group therapy more than doubled the conception rate for women who had had trouble getting pregnant. Researcher Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., executive director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health at Boston IVF in Waltham, Massachusetts, recommends trying one (or all) of these relaxation techniques, 10 to 20 minutes a day, twice a day:
Meditation: Sit in a quiet room and concentrate on the in and out of your breath. If your mind won’t stop chattering, focus on a word or phrase (like “om”). Whenever you feel your thoughts wandering, gently bring your focus back to the breath, word, or phrase.
Autogenic training: This technique teaches your body to respond to verbal cues in order to achieve deep relaxation. For example, repeat the phrase, “My left arm is heavy and warm,” then “My legs are heavy and warm,” then “My heartbeat is calm and regular.” Visit domarcenter.com for books and tapes that teach this relaxation method.
Progressive relaxation: While sitting or lying down, concentrate on squeezing and relaxing each of your muscles, beginning with the top of your head and ending with the tips of your toes. For each muscle, squeeze as hard as you can for about eight seconds, and then relax, letting the tension leave you through that part of your body.
Keep It Cool (for men only)
Sperm production requires a lower-than-body temperature, so keep things cool down there, suggests Dr. Chenette. Tight-fitting clothing (especially underwear), prolonged bicycle riding, hot tubs and hot baths, or holding a laptop computer on your lap rather than on a pillow or desktop, can increase scrotal temperature. In fact, one study published in the Journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology found that after men who regularly spent half an hour or more in a bath or Jacuzzi gave it up for three months, half of them had an almost fivefold improvement in sperm production.
Cut Down on Caffeine and Alcohol
Although plenty of research has been done on the effects of moderate amounts of caffeine and alcohol on reproduction, the jury is still out, says Serena H. Chen, M.D., director of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. Results may be contradictory because every woman metabolizes caffeine and alcohol differently, depending on her own body and even where she is in her menstrual cycle. Another problem may be that different studies have different research methodology—some studies have looked at diet before the outcome, other studies have had women report on their own diet afterward. Of the studies that have looked at diet before the outcome (which are generally more accurate, says Dr. Chen) only about half have found that the drinks are problematic.
If you’re going through assisted reproductive technology, the stakes may be higher. A study in Fertility and Sterility found that drinking alcohol, even a month or longer before IVF, can affect egg retrieval, pregnancy rates, and miscarriage rates. The same study found that men’s drinking caused an increased risk of miscarriage in their partner’s IVF pregnancies, too.
As a cautionary measure, Dr. Chen advises that women trying to conceive abstain from alcohol altogether, and limit daily caffeine to the equivalent of one small cup of coffee, or two small cups of tea, or two small soft drinks. Men should limit alcohol to one-half to one glass of wine or beer per day.
Choose Vegetable Sources of Protein
Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health looked at nearly 19,000 female nurses who were actively trying to get pregnant and found that after factoring out smoking, fat intake, and weight, women who ate the most protein were 41 percent more likely to have reported problems with ovulatory function than women who ate the lowest amount. But when they looked at animal protein intake separately from plant protein, the story changed: Infertility was 39 percent more likely in women with the highest intake of animal protein, whereas women who ate a lot of plant protein were substantially less likely to have had ovulatory infertility. The lesson? Limit your intake of animal protein to no more than one or two servings per day, and up your intake of plant proteins. Replace steak or chicken with beans, tofu, or nuts. Throw beans into a soup, try a side of lentils instead of potatoes, and snack on roasted almonds instead of chips midday.
Don’t Douche!
Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found that among women who wanted to become pregnant, those who douched more than once a week had the lowest pregnancy rate: 27 percent were not pregnant after a year. In contrast, only 10 percent of those who never or rarely douched were still not pregnant after a year of trying.
Assume the Right Position
There may be little research to back it up, but having sex in a position that keeps the sperm inside the vagina for as long as possible certainly couldn’t hurt. The missionary (man on top) position will get the sperm closest to where it’s supposed to be, at the top of the vagina. “The vagina naturally tilts toward the back, so lying on the back allows the semen to pool in the proper location,” says Dr. Chenette. Putting your knees up accentuates this position, and placing your feet on the wall with your hips on a small pillow does so even more, he says. “The longer you can keep the seminal fluid near the cervix, the more sperm will be in the proper location,” he says. That means you might want to do what men often do, and just roll over and go to sleep after sex. Gravity will hold the sperm in place while you sleep.
Whether you’re having trouble conceiving or just want to get pregnant pronto, here are some simple steps you can take to boost your baby-making power.
Get Regular Exercise
Women who reported doing plenty of vigorous activity in the years before trying to conceive were less likely to experience ovulatory infertility, according to a study by Janet Rich-Edwards, M.P.H., Sc.D., director of developmental epidemiology at the Connor’s Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. In fact, for every hour of vigorous activity per week there was a 7 percent reduction in risk, with the lowest risk being among women who exercised vigorously for at least five hours each week. Keep in mind that Rich-Edwards was looking at women’s exercise habits before they started trying. The take-home message: Start exercising now.
Avoid Artificial Lubricants
A study at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas found that a number of non-contraceptive commercial lubricants (Replens, Astroglide) were as toxic to sperm as products containing the spermicide nonoxynol-9. If you need a little help, you can use canola oil, which has no effect on sperm. Or try one of several “sperm-friendly” lubricants now on the market.
Lose or Gain if You Need To
If you’re over- or underweight, losing or gaining just a little can step up your chances of conceiving, according to Paul B. Miller, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at University Medical Group in Greenville, South Carolina. He studied 372 women undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilization) and found that those who were under- or overweight were about half as likely to get pregnant as normal-weight women. Why? Overweight women overproduce androgens (male-type hormones), estrogen, and insulin, all of which prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg each month and negatively affect the quality of eggs that do manage to make it out. On the other hand, very thin women have low levels of leptin, an appetite- and weight-regulation hormone. When levels get too low, they tell the brain that the body does not have enough fat available for reproduction, halting ovulation, says Dr. Miller. If you’re overweight, losing just 5 percent of your body weight can improve ovulatory function. For a 250-pound woman, that’s only 12.5 pounds. Dr. Miller advises a low-carbohydrate diet with multiple small meals spread out throughout the day, and participation in modest exercise, such as walking or weight training. Too thin? Gaining as little as five pounds may be enough. Dr. Miller advises enjoying an extra dessert now and then, and avoiding strenuous exercise. “We usually ask our avid exercisers to switch from running or aerobics over to yoga and/or strength training to avoid any calorie drain on their bodies.” And men, you’re not off the hook when it comes to weight. Both overweight and underweight men tend to have problems with sperm quality.
Don't Forget the Folate
A few studies have shown that a higher intake of folic acid (the synthetic form of folate, which occurs naturally in foods like oranges) may improve ovulation. It’s important that all women of reproductive age take between 400 and 800 mcg each day. And men who get higher doses of folate make healthier sperm, potentially reducing the chances of miscarriage or genetic problems in their babies. Researchers at the University of California Berkeley’s School of Public Health surveyed 97 non-smoking men who had no prior history of fertility problems and found that men who had the highest intake of the vitamin had nearly a 20 percent reduction in the number of abnormal sperm compared to men with low folate intake. Study co-author Brenda Eskenazi, Ph.D., director of the Center for Children’s Environmental Health Research at Berkeley, suggests that men considering fatherhood should take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement and make sure to get their five servings of fruits and veggies a day.
Have a Bowl of Full-Fat Ice Cream
Yup, you read that right. Findings from the Nurses’ Health Study found that one or (at most) two daily servings of whole milk or whole milk products like yogurt and cheese protect against ovulatory infertility, while skim and low-fat milk, surprisingly, do the opposite, says Jorge E. Chavarro, M.D., Sc.D., instructor in medicine, Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and co-author of The Fertility Diet (McGraw-Hill, 2007). Experts don’t know why this is, though Dr. Chavarro theorizes that removing the fat from milk changes its balance of sex hormones, which in turn hinders ovulation. But don’t go overboard with tubs of Häagen-Dazs just yet. Dr. Chavarro suggests replacing one low-fat milk item a day with a full-fat one . . . and cutting calories elsewhere in your diet to compensate.
Do it On the Right Days
Counting day one of your period as day one of your cycle, most women ovulate about 14 days before the next period, says John R. Sussman, M.D., assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington. So if your cycle varies between 24 and 30 days, that means you’ll likely ovulate somewhere between day 10 and day 16. You’ve got the best chance of conception if you and your partner get busy in the five days before you ovulate, or on the day you ovulate, says Dr. Sussman. Why? Once the egg is released from the ovary, it’s only receptive to sperm and able to be fertilized for about 12 to 24 hours. Sperm, however, have a much longer life-span. “Sperm can remain viable for up to five days after intercourse,” says Philip E. Chenette, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at Pacific Fertility Center in San Francisco, California. A good guideline for timing baby-making sex is to do it early and often, he recommends. Maximize your chances even more with an over-the-counter ovulation predictor kit, which measures the surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) right before ovulation.
Eliminate Trans Fats
In analyzing different types of fats, Dr. Chavarro found that trans fats were associated with a high risk of infertility. Trans fats decrease the body’s ability to react to insulin, and women who have insulin resistance or diabetes are more prone to irregular ovulation. Trans fats often appear in packaged foods as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, or as shortening or vegetable shortening. Read labels carefully and avoid trans fats altogether if you can.
Kick the Butts
Virtually all scientific studies have found that smoking impairs fertility in both men and women. Some studies have found that smoking 10 or more cigarettes a day has a negative effect on egg production. Cigarette toxins have been shown to interfere with the ability of the cells in the ovary to make estrogen and to cause a woman’s eggs to be more prone to genetic abnormalities. Smoking also causes the ovaries to age, which can advance menopause by several years. If that’s not enough to make you quit, smoking is also strongly associated with an increased risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancies. Men who smoke cigarettes have lower sperm counts, lower motility, and more abnormally shaped sperm.
Relax!
A study from Harvard University Medical School found that group therapy more than doubled the conception rate for women who had had trouble getting pregnant. Researcher Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., executive director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health at Boston IVF in Waltham, Massachusetts, recommends trying one (or all) of these relaxation techniques, 10 to 20 minutes a day, twice a day:
Meditation: Sit in a quiet room and concentrate on the in and out of your breath. If your mind won’t stop chattering, focus on a word or phrase (like “om”). Whenever you feel your thoughts wandering, gently bring your focus back to the breath, word, or phrase.
Autogenic training: This technique teaches your body to respond to verbal cues in order to achieve deep relaxation. For example, repeat the phrase, “My left arm is heavy and warm,” then “My legs are heavy and warm,” then “My heartbeat is calm and regular.” Visit domarcenter.com for books and tapes that teach this relaxation method.
Progressive relaxation: While sitting or lying down, concentrate on squeezing and relaxing each of your muscles, beginning with the top of your head and ending with the tips of your toes. For each muscle, squeeze as hard as you can for about eight seconds, and then relax, letting the tension leave you through that part of your body.
Keep It Cool (for men only)
Sperm production requires a lower-than-body temperature, so keep things cool down there, suggests Dr. Chenette. Tight-fitting clothing (especially underwear), prolonged bicycle riding, hot tubs and hot baths, or holding a laptop computer on your lap rather than on a pillow or desktop, can increase scrotal temperature. In fact, one study published in the Journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology found that after men who regularly spent half an hour or more in a bath or Jacuzzi gave it up for three months, half of them had an almost fivefold improvement in sperm production.
Cut Down on Caffeine and Alcohol
Although plenty of research has been done on the effects of moderate amounts of caffeine and alcohol on reproduction, the jury is still out, says Serena H. Chen, M.D., director of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. Results may be contradictory because every woman metabolizes caffeine and alcohol differently, depending on her own body and even where she is in her menstrual cycle. Another problem may be that different studies have different research methodology—some studies have looked at diet before the outcome, other studies have had women report on their own diet afterward. Of the studies that have looked at diet before the outcome (which are generally more accurate, says Dr. Chen) only about half have found that the drinks are problematic.
If you’re going through assisted reproductive technology, the stakes may be higher. A study in Fertility and Sterility found that drinking alcohol, even a month or longer before IVF, can affect egg retrieval, pregnancy rates, and miscarriage rates. The same study found that men’s drinking caused an increased risk of miscarriage in their partner’s IVF pregnancies, too.
As a cautionary measure, Dr. Chen advises that women trying to conceive abstain from alcohol altogether, and limit daily caffeine to the equivalent of one small cup of coffee, or two small cups of tea, or two small soft drinks. Men should limit alcohol to one-half to one glass of wine or beer per day.
Choose Vegetable Sources of Protein
Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health looked at nearly 19,000 female nurses who were actively trying to get pregnant and found that after factoring out smoking, fat intake, and weight, women who ate the most protein were 41 percent more likely to have reported problems with ovulatory function than women who ate the lowest amount. But when they looked at animal protein intake separately from plant protein, the story changed: Infertility was 39 percent more likely in women with the highest intake of animal protein, whereas women who ate a lot of plant protein were substantially less likely to have had ovulatory infertility. The lesson? Limit your intake of animal protein to no more than one or two servings per day, and up your intake of plant proteins. Replace steak or chicken with beans, tofu, or nuts. Throw beans into a soup, try a side of lentils instead of potatoes, and snack on roasted almonds instead of chips midday.
Don’t Douche!
Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found that among women who wanted to become pregnant, those who douched more than once a week had the lowest pregnancy rate: 27 percent were not pregnant after a year. In contrast, only 10 percent of those who never or rarely douched were still not pregnant after a year of trying.
Assume the Right Position
There may be little research to back it up, but having sex in a position that keeps the sperm inside the vagina for as long as possible certainly couldn’t hurt. The missionary (man on top) position will get the sperm closest to where it’s supposed to be, at the top of the vagina. “The vagina naturally tilts toward the back, so lying on the back allows the semen to pool in the proper location,” says Dr. Chenette. Putting your knees up accentuates this position, and placing your feet on the wall with your hips on a small pillow does so even more, he says. “The longer you can keep the seminal fluid near the cervix, the more sperm will be in the proper location,” he says. That means you might want to do what men often do, and just roll over and go to sleep after sex. Gravity will hold the sperm in place while you sleep.
Pros and Cons of Fertility Supplements
Written by Lorie A. Parch
If the truth is that you’re a lot more likely to take a pill every day than get enough servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet, consider a high-quality prenatal vitamin.
Could fertility supplements boost your chances for a baby? The jury’s still out.
If you’re trying to get pregnant, you’ve probably wondered if taking one of the many fertility supplements on the market could help. Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer to that question.
One difficulty is that there are so many variables. Not all women need the same fertility help . . . and not all fertility supplements are the same. There are two basic categories of supplements: those that contain single ingredients (such as vitamin C, zinc, or the herb chasteberry), and combination products like Conception XR, FertilityBlend, ProXeed Plus, FertilAid, and Fertili-T, that blend their own mixtures of vitamins and minerals, and sometimes other compounds (usually herbs).
To date, most of the research on supplements that might improve fertility has focused on the first group: individual ingredients. For instance, the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium have been found to prevent free radical damage to the DNA of eggs, sperm, and reproductive organs, says Lynn M. Westphal, M.D., associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine in California and a researcher who’s led two studies of FertilityBlend for Women. General recommendations are that men should get at least 90 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C daily, and women need 75 mg; both should get 15 milligrams of vitamin E and 55 micrograms of selenium every day as well. But if you’re trying to optimize your chances for pregnancy, your doctor or a qualified naturopath may suggest a much higher dose. In most cases you don’t need to worry about taking too much; the tolerable upper limit for vitamin C is 2,000 mg a day for men and women; 1,000 mg for vitamin E; and 400 micrograms for selenium.
Blue Pills, Pink Pills
If antioxidants have demonstrated some of the best evidence as potential fertility enhancers—who doesn’t want healthy DNA as a building block for a baby, after all?—not far behind is zinc, which may improve sperm quality. Backing up considerable research already, a 2007 study of over 1,000 Chinese men, conducted by researchers at the Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, found that men who had enough zinc in their bodies were likelier to have normal sperm levels and sperm that looked and moved normally. Men should be sure to get at least the recommended 11 milligrams a day of the mineral; women need 8 milligrams. The amino acids L-carnitine and L-arginine, which may improve sperm motility and overall circulation, respectively, can help a man’s odds of becoming a dad by increasing the motion, shape, and number of sperm, as a 2004 study of 325 men showed.
There are women-only options, too. The herb chasteberry, or vitex, is a favorite for women trying to conceive, and Dr. Westphal believes there’s good reason for that. “I think it’s the most powerful ingredient [in FertilityBlend for Women],” she says, noting that her research found improvements in progesterone levels and in regulating menstrual cycles in the women who took it. After three months on FertilityBlend, 26 percent of the women in Dr. Westphal’s 2006 study were pregnant, compared with 10 percent of those who got a placebo. If you do decide to try a supplement containing chasteberry, be sure to talk to your doctor first. This herb shouldn’t be taken in combination with hormones or other drugs (including fertility drugs), and it should definitely not be taken during pregnancy.
To date, the data on another supplement, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), is too limited to recommend it as a safe, effective option for boosting a woman’s ovarian reserve and function, says Dr. Westphal.
If you and/or your partner opt to take a supplement, you’ll never really know whether that was tipping point to conceiving. “People are getting a lot of other things in their diet, and they’re taking other supplements. So to actually separate all of these things out tends to be pretty difficult,” explains Dr. Westphal.
We do know, though, that certain nutrients are especially important before pregnancy. Folic acid has long been touted as important before pregnancy to reduce the chance of neural tube (spinal) injuries. Now new research finds that women who took a folic acid supplement for at least a year before they conceived reduced their risk of a premature birth by 50 to 70 percent. (For those reasons, folic acid tends to show up in a lot of combination supplements.) Similarly, omega-3 fatty acids may make for healthier cell membranes in women and men hoping to become mothers and fathers. (What’s more certain is that once a woman is pregnant, omega-3s are important for the fetus’ brain development.)
Winning Combinations?
Even though we don’t know as much about fertility supplements featuring a variety of ingredients, it’s safe to say that most manufacturers base their own blends on the research done on single supplements, trying to create a product that brings together everything that could be helpful into one pill. Whether combining supplements is better isn’t clear yet, but there’s little reason to think any of these products are harmful—at least not to anything other than your wallet, since prices for a 30-day supply range from about $25 to $179.
Some doctors think your money might be better spent at the grocery store, ensuring that you get the nutrients you need from food. “A supplement is used to correct a deficiency in an imperfect diet,” explains Robert A. Greene, M.D., author of Perfect Hormone Balance for Fertility: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Pregnant (Three Rivers Press, 2008) and medical director of the Sher Institutes for Reproductive Medicine in northern California. “If you eat a lot of organic foods and brightly colored foods, you could minimize the need for supplements.”
If the truth is that you’re a lot more likely to take a pill every day than get enough servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet, consider a high-quality prenatal vitamin, Dr. Greene suggests, since many contain similar ingredients in comparable doses. (Dr. Westphal says an exception may be women with irregular menstrual cycles, who could benefit from a supplement containing chasteberry.)
On the other hand, if you find supplements appealing because they’re natural and a reasonably inexpensive way to help you start or add to your family, then by all means try them. But remember that other lifestyle changes—such as getting down to a healthy weight, stopping smoking, reducing stress, and eating a balanced diet—are likely to have an even bigger impact on your conception odds. So don’t forget to make the important lifestyle changes, and then if you want to take a fertility supplement as a little extra insurance...pop away!
A version of this article originally appeared in the Summer 2008 issue of Conceive Magazine.
If the truth is that you’re a lot more likely to take a pill every day than get enough servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet, consider a high-quality prenatal vitamin.
Could fertility supplements boost your chances for a baby? The jury’s still out.
If you’re trying to get pregnant, you’ve probably wondered if taking one of the many fertility supplements on the market could help. Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer to that question.
One difficulty is that there are so many variables. Not all women need the same fertility help . . . and not all fertility supplements are the same. There are two basic categories of supplements: those that contain single ingredients (such as vitamin C, zinc, or the herb chasteberry), and combination products like Conception XR, FertilityBlend, ProXeed Plus, FertilAid, and Fertili-T, that blend their own mixtures of vitamins and minerals, and sometimes other compounds (usually herbs).
To date, most of the research on supplements that might improve fertility has focused on the first group: individual ingredients. For instance, the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium have been found to prevent free radical damage to the DNA of eggs, sperm, and reproductive organs, says Lynn M. Westphal, M.D., associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine in California and a researcher who’s led two studies of FertilityBlend for Women. General recommendations are that men should get at least 90 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C daily, and women need 75 mg; both should get 15 milligrams of vitamin E and 55 micrograms of selenium every day as well. But if you’re trying to optimize your chances for pregnancy, your doctor or a qualified naturopath may suggest a much higher dose. In most cases you don’t need to worry about taking too much; the tolerable upper limit for vitamin C is 2,000 mg a day for men and women; 1,000 mg for vitamin E; and 400 micrograms for selenium.
Blue Pills, Pink Pills
If antioxidants have demonstrated some of the best evidence as potential fertility enhancers—who doesn’t want healthy DNA as a building block for a baby, after all?—not far behind is zinc, which may improve sperm quality. Backing up considerable research already, a 2007 study of over 1,000 Chinese men, conducted by researchers at the Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, found that men who had enough zinc in their bodies were likelier to have normal sperm levels and sperm that looked and moved normally. Men should be sure to get at least the recommended 11 milligrams a day of the mineral; women need 8 milligrams. The amino acids L-carnitine and L-arginine, which may improve sperm motility and overall circulation, respectively, can help a man’s odds of becoming a dad by increasing the motion, shape, and number of sperm, as a 2004 study of 325 men showed.
There are women-only options, too. The herb chasteberry, or vitex, is a favorite for women trying to conceive, and Dr. Westphal believes there’s good reason for that. “I think it’s the most powerful ingredient [in FertilityBlend for Women],” she says, noting that her research found improvements in progesterone levels and in regulating menstrual cycles in the women who took it. After three months on FertilityBlend, 26 percent of the women in Dr. Westphal’s 2006 study were pregnant, compared with 10 percent of those who got a placebo. If you do decide to try a supplement containing chasteberry, be sure to talk to your doctor first. This herb shouldn’t be taken in combination with hormones or other drugs (including fertility drugs), and it should definitely not be taken during pregnancy.
To date, the data on another supplement, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), is too limited to recommend it as a safe, effective option for boosting a woman’s ovarian reserve and function, says Dr. Westphal.
If you and/or your partner opt to take a supplement, you’ll never really know whether that was tipping point to conceiving. “People are getting a lot of other things in their diet, and they’re taking other supplements. So to actually separate all of these things out tends to be pretty difficult,” explains Dr. Westphal.
We do know, though, that certain nutrients are especially important before pregnancy. Folic acid has long been touted as important before pregnancy to reduce the chance of neural tube (spinal) injuries. Now new research finds that women who took a folic acid supplement for at least a year before they conceived reduced their risk of a premature birth by 50 to 70 percent. (For those reasons, folic acid tends to show up in a lot of combination supplements.) Similarly, omega-3 fatty acids may make for healthier cell membranes in women and men hoping to become mothers and fathers. (What’s more certain is that once a woman is pregnant, omega-3s are important for the fetus’ brain development.)
Winning Combinations?
Even though we don’t know as much about fertility supplements featuring a variety of ingredients, it’s safe to say that most manufacturers base their own blends on the research done on single supplements, trying to create a product that brings together everything that could be helpful into one pill. Whether combining supplements is better isn’t clear yet, but there’s little reason to think any of these products are harmful—at least not to anything other than your wallet, since prices for a 30-day supply range from about $25 to $179.
Some doctors think your money might be better spent at the grocery store, ensuring that you get the nutrients you need from food. “A supplement is used to correct a deficiency in an imperfect diet,” explains Robert A. Greene, M.D., author of Perfect Hormone Balance for Fertility: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Pregnant (Three Rivers Press, 2008) and medical director of the Sher Institutes for Reproductive Medicine in northern California. “If you eat a lot of organic foods and brightly colored foods, you could minimize the need for supplements.”
If the truth is that you’re a lot more likely to take a pill every day than get enough servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet, consider a high-quality prenatal vitamin, Dr. Greene suggests, since many contain similar ingredients in comparable doses. (Dr. Westphal says an exception may be women with irregular menstrual cycles, who could benefit from a supplement containing chasteberry.)
On the other hand, if you find supplements appealing because they’re natural and a reasonably inexpensive way to help you start or add to your family, then by all means try them. But remember that other lifestyle changes—such as getting down to a healthy weight, stopping smoking, reducing stress, and eating a balanced diet—are likely to have an even bigger impact on your conception odds. So don’t forget to make the important lifestyle changes, and then if you want to take a fertility supplement as a little extra insurance...pop away!
A version of this article originally appeared in the Summer 2008 issue of Conceive Magazine.
Top 5 Fertility-Boosting Foods for Women
Written by Beth Weinhouse
There’s no need to feel deprived when you’re trying to get pregnant. Quite the opposite. Check out these foods that taste great and can help keep your body in top baby-making condition.
1. Whole Grains
You don’t have to give up carbs, just choose wisely. Complex carbohydrates like whole grain breads, brown rice, stone-ground cornmeal, and oatmeal don’t affect blood sugar and insulin as dramatically as refined carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, bleached flour, etc). And anything that’s good for insulin function is good for fertility.
2. Plant Protein
Protein from plant sources like beans, peas, and peanuts has been associated with increased fertility, as opposed to protein from red meat and poultry. Beans are also high in iron, another fertility-helper. No need to become a vegetarian, but do try to limit meat to occasional small portions.
3. Full-Fat Dairy Products
It might be hard to think of whole milk, full-fat yogurt, and even ice cream as fertility foods, but a study at Harvard found that women who consume these foods (as opposed to low-fat or no-fat dairy) have fewer problems with ovulation. And dairy contains calcium, too, which is an important fertility nutrient. Researchers caution not to overdo it with the full-fat stuff, but one serving a day might help (compensate for the extra calories elsewhere in your diet).
4. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Where to begin with how healthy and important for fertility fresh produce is? First of all, it’s full of antioxidants, which promote general—and reproductive—health. Plus many fruits and vegetables—oranges and citrus fruits, strawberries, green leafy vegetables—are high in folate, an important nutrient to load up on before pregnancy to prevent birth defects.
5. The "Right" Fats: Monounsaturated, Polyunsatured, Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Say “no” to trans fats and saturated fats...and yes to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and omega-3 fatty acids. These fats reduce inflammation and increase insulin sensitivity. Where to get them? In avocados, nuts, sesame and pumpkin seeds, sardines, and salmon.
You can combine these foods in all sorts of ways to magnify the fertility-boosting impact of any meal or snack. Instead of a plain salmon sushi roll, order the one with avocado. Add almonds to your morning oatmeal. Switch to brown rice at the Chinese restaurant. Indulge in creamy cornmeal polenta with cheese, or add a bit of full-fat yogurt or sour cream to black beans. Fabulous-tasting...and fertility-boosting.
There’s no need to feel deprived when you’re trying to get pregnant. Quite the opposite. Check out these foods that taste great and can help keep your body in top baby-making condition.
1. Whole Grains
You don’t have to give up carbs, just choose wisely. Complex carbohydrates like whole grain breads, brown rice, stone-ground cornmeal, and oatmeal don’t affect blood sugar and insulin as dramatically as refined carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, bleached flour, etc). And anything that’s good for insulin function is good for fertility.
2. Plant Protein
Protein from plant sources like beans, peas, and peanuts has been associated with increased fertility, as opposed to protein from red meat and poultry. Beans are also high in iron, another fertility-helper. No need to become a vegetarian, but do try to limit meat to occasional small portions.
3. Full-Fat Dairy Products
It might be hard to think of whole milk, full-fat yogurt, and even ice cream as fertility foods, but a study at Harvard found that women who consume these foods (as opposed to low-fat or no-fat dairy) have fewer problems with ovulation. And dairy contains calcium, too, which is an important fertility nutrient. Researchers caution not to overdo it with the full-fat stuff, but one serving a day might help (compensate for the extra calories elsewhere in your diet).
4. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Where to begin with how healthy and important for fertility fresh produce is? First of all, it’s full of antioxidants, which promote general—and reproductive—health. Plus many fruits and vegetables—oranges and citrus fruits, strawberries, green leafy vegetables—are high in folate, an important nutrient to load up on before pregnancy to prevent birth defects.
5. The "Right" Fats: Monounsaturated, Polyunsatured, Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Say “no” to trans fats and saturated fats...and yes to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and omega-3 fatty acids. These fats reduce inflammation and increase insulin sensitivity. Where to get them? In avocados, nuts, sesame and pumpkin seeds, sardines, and salmon.
You can combine these foods in all sorts of ways to magnify the fertility-boosting impact of any meal or snack. Instead of a plain salmon sushi roll, order the one with avocado. Add almonds to your morning oatmeal. Switch to brown rice at the Chinese restaurant. Indulge in creamy cornmeal polenta with cheese, or add a bit of full-fat yogurt or sour cream to black beans. Fabulous-tasting...and fertility-boosting.
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