Lifestyle Changes for Fertility

 

“As we navigate through the complexities of modern living, creating environments that support fertility health becomes paramount.”

 

In today’s world, sharing information is paradoxically challenging despite the overabundance of channels available to us. This difficulty arises from the endeavor to navigate through a vast ocean of data with prevalently negative information. Yet, it is imperative to acknowledge that being informed transcends mere awareness; it acts as an encouragement, guiding us toward preventative actions and preparation. By embracing knowledge backed by science, we arm ourselves with the power to anticipate, adapt, and make informed decisions, thus turning potential vulnerabilities into strengths. In this light, the quest for information becomes not just a necessity, but also a collective responsibility to foster a resilient and prepared society, especially if you have or want a family.

A Fertility Success Story with Life Choice

A married couple struggled with infertility, visiting medical doctors, fertility clinics, and nothing worked. The couple made an appointment to discuss the matter with me, looking for some nutritional guidelines and if I could suggest a protocol for each of them that may correct their fertility issues. We discussed their lifestyles, diet, sleeping patterns, family history, and based on their findings, recommendations were made to be discussed with their medical doctor. The protocol the couple was given included arginine[1] for both of them, Fiery Male for the husband, along with HGH+ and Progest Liposome Cream for the wife.

After 4 months on the recommended protocol and lifestyle changes, our office received a phone call. The news given was, “We are pregnant, and not with just one but with twins.” A pregnancy health protocol was given for the mother-to-be, and the pregnancy went full term, resulting in two healthy children, a boy and a girl, who were delivered naturally and without any complications. One of the family photos was taken with me holding the miracles of life at the head office of Life Choice, and if that was not exciting enough, the couple made a further announcement that they were pregnant again. Being classified as infertile should not be interpreted as being barren or impotent. It just may mean that things are not balanced and simply need adjustments. For this couple, that certainly was the case.

Progest Liposome Cream has been proven to be effective in many other cases as well. I recently did a podcast[2] called Women’s Health: Safe and Natural Hormone Replacement, discussing natural hormone replacement therapy and Progest Liposome Cream. The interviewer Chemaine stated that one of her patients went for Autonomic Nervous System testing, to discover how her pancreas releases insulin and other hormones, and how her liver converts different molecules that hold stored energy into glucose that your cells can use. After the initial testing her patient applied Progest Liposome Cream onto her upper inner arm and waited 10 minutes, then asked to be tested again, the technician was quite surprised to see her number rise so significantly after using the cream, the patient just smiled to see the cream proven by the test.

As we know, the quality of the environment is one of the most essential factors when it comes to fertility. A study[3] investigated how being exposed to a mix of environmental chemicals (ECs) from sewage sludge (biosolids) during early development affects the reproductive health of male sheep. These chemicals are everywhere in our environment and are thought to be harmful to male fertility. The research focused on sheep that were exposed to these chemicals while still in the womb and after birth, through grazing on pastures fertilized with sewage sludge. The results showed that, overall, the exposure did not significantly impact most of the tested health parameters. However, a closer look revealed that 5 out of 12 studied rams had serious issues with sperm production, characterized by a significant decrease in the number of germ cells, which are crucial for making sperm, compared to unexposed sheep. These findings suggest that exposure to common environmental chemicals at critical development stages can seriously harm reproductive health in some male sheep, hinting at possible similar effects in humans, particularly in those who might be more vulnerable to these chemicals, potentially leading to reduced sperm counts and fertility issues in some men.

“In our analysis, the global prevalence of lifetime infertility was 17.5%, translating into 1 out of every 6 people experiencing it in their lifetime,” stated Dr. Gitau Mburu, a scientist of fertility research at WHO.

Research has identified several factors contributing to lower sperm count and reduced fertility in men, reflecting a complex interplay of environmental, lifestyle, and medical issues. Some of the main reasons include:

  1. Environmental Exposures: Exposure to certain environmental pollutants, chemicals (such as pesticides, heavy metals, and industrial chemicals), and radiation can negatively affect sperm quality and count.
  2. Lifestyle Factors: Lifestyle choices and habits play a significant role. Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, and obesity are linked to reduced sperm quality. Additionally, excessive stress and lack of sleep can also affect fertility.
  3. Diet and Nutrition: Poor diet and nutrition can affect fertility. Diets lacking in certain vitamins and minerals (like vitamin C, zinc, and selenium) can impact sperm production and health. Conversely, diets high in processed foods and low in antioxidants can contribute to lower sperm counts.
  4. Heat Exposure: Elevated temperatures can affect sperm production. Prolonged use of hot tubs or saunas, tight clothing, and prolonged sitting (including the use of laptops directly on the lap) can increase scrotal temperature, reducing sperm count.
  5. Hormonal Imbalances: Disorders affecting hormonal balance, such as hypogonadism (low testosterone levels), can lead to decreased sperm production.
  6. Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions, including varicocele (enlargement of veins within the scrotum), infections (such as sexually transmitted infections, urinary tract infections, and prostatitis), and conditions like diabetes and celiac disease, can affect sperm health.
  7. Medications and Treatments: Some medications, including those used to treat high blood pressure, depression, bacterial infections, and cancer (chemotherapy), can temporarily or permanently affect sperm production and quality.

Infertility in women has increased from a 5% chance in 1984 to 7.0-13.7% for ages 18-29 and 14.3-20.7% for ages 40-44 by 2010. Female factors account for nearly 50% of infertility cases.[4] Female infertility can be grouped into ovulatory dysfunction, tubal pathology, and pelvic concerns, with ovulation disorders making up 40% of these cases.

  1. Causes of Ovulatory Dysfunction: Aging, diminished ovarian reserve, endocrine disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol intake, and obesity.
  2. Impact of Delayed Childbearing: The trend towards higher maternal age at first pregnancy is due to more women pursuing higher education and careers, leading to an increase in first-born children among women aged 35 and over.
  3. Obesity and Fertility: Obesity negatively affects female fertility, with a significant portion of Canadian women being overweight or obese. This condition is linked to a threefold increase in infertility risk.
  4. Dietary Trends: An increase in calorie intake and consumption of processed carbohydrates and high glycemic index foods has been correlated with an increased risk of ovulatory infertility.
  5. Lifestyle Choices: Smoking rates among Canadian women have decreased, but smoking is still 1.6 times more likely to cause fertility issues. Heavy drinking has doubled among women aged 20-34, contributing to infertility.
  6. Tubal Factor Infertility: Accounts for 30% of cases, with a significant portion attributed to untreated Chlamydia trachomatis infections. The rate of chlamydial infections has notably increased among Canadian women aged 20-24.
  7. Other Factors: Endometriosis, uterine complications, and cervical abnormalities also contribute to female infertility but are less influenced by current societal trends.

Healthy hormone levels in women are also crucial for fertility and healthy development of the child, since the fetal thyroid gland is not fully functional until week 18–20 of pregnancy. “Both low and high maternal free thyroxine concentrations during pregnancy were associated with lower child IQ and lower grey matter and cortex volume. The association between high maternal free thyroxine and low child IQ suggests that levothyroxine therapy during pregnancy, which is often initiated in women with subclinical hypothyroidism during pregnancy, might carry the potential risk of adverse child neurodevelopment outcomes when the aim of treatment is to achieve high-normal thyroid function test results.”[5]

Over the last two decades, research has significantly advanced, highlighting the importance of antenatal multiple micronutrient supplements, especially in low-income countries, for improving birth outcomes beyond what is achievable with iron-folic acid supplementation alone, as recommended by WHO. Certain micronutrients like iodine, zinc, vitamin B12, and vitamin D have shown potential for even greater benefits, suggesting that micronutrient deficiencies not only affect immediate birth outcomes but may also have long-term impacts on survival, cognition, and cardiometabolic risk.

In today’s era, marked by rising infertility rates, a comprehensive approach to fertility improvement is essential. This includes societal and individual changes ranging from promoting healthier lifestyles, such as better nutrition, regular physical activity, and reducing exposure to harmful substances, to addressing broader societal factors like supporting younger couples to start families earlier through policies that enhance financial stability and work-life balance. Moreover, access to accurate, timely, and actionable information plays a pivotal role in empowering individuals and couples to make informed decisions regarding their fertility. Education on fertility health, risks, and prevention strategies can significantly contribute to improved outcomes. As we navigate through the complexities of modern living, creating environments that support fertility health becomes paramount in enhancing the prospects of conception and ensuring the well-being of future generations.

 

References:

  • Bellingham, M et al. 2012. Foetal and post-natal exposure of sheep to sewage sludge chemicals disrupts sperm production in adulthood in a subset of animals. International journal of andrology 35,3: 317-29. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2605.2011.01234.x
  • Frank, Pamela et al. 2015. Fertility and Conception: Changes During the Past 30 Years

Support the Need for Naturopathic Care. http://nourishtoronto.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Vital-Link-spring-2015-Fertility-Conception.pdf

 

[1] According to research, nutritional supplementation with arginine may provide an attractive alternative or complement to conventional fertility therapy. See Westphal, Lynn M et al. 2004.

[2] You can listen to the podcast here: https://lifechoice.net/media/

[3] Bellingham, M et al. 2012.

[4] Frank, Pamela et al. 2015.

[5] Korevaar, Tim I. M. et al. 2015.