Fertility Diets- Do They Work?

Is There Really an Optimal Fertility Diet?

There is mounting evidence that nutrition has a significant affect on both female and male reproductive health. A healthy diet is always important, but particularly so if you’re trying to conceive, are currently pregnant, or nursing. During your visit to Husami Integrative Acupuncture in Cleveland, we will perform an in-depth assessment of your nutritional health, lifestyle and supplement regimen and send you home with a step-by-step plan based on your unique goals and needs. If you are dealing with PCOS or insulin resistance, diet and lifestyle habits will be an important focus of your treatment.

In Chinese medicine a properly functioning digestive system is an integral part of reproductive health, as your digestive system helps to ensure that nutrients are absorbed and utilized by your body and your baby's. If you experience any digestive issues such as bloating or gas, bowel disorders, acid reflux, cravings or low appetite, these digestive issues can be addressed with specific acupuncture treatments.

Diet and Nutrition for Fertility

Proper nutrition helps to provide an optimal environment for the ovaries and maturation of eggs. It can also contribute to creating the right uterine environment for embryo implantation and for development of a healthy baby. Research from the Nurses' Health Study, which began in 1976 and grew to include 238,000 female nurse participants, has shown that adjusting aspects of your diet, from fats to beverages, can increase ovulation and improve chances of getting pregnant. This knowledge became known as the 'fertility diet.' You can learn more about the study here. It is important to note that not every diet works for every individual. You may do better with a higher fat, protein, and lower carbohydrate diet (particularly if you have insulin resistance.) Suzanne Husami, LAc will sit down with you and review your health history to help you determine the right nutrition and diet plan for your fertility goals. 

While many people might search for particular foods that increase fertility or foods for getting pregnant, we at Husami Integrative Acupuncture understand how important it is to review one’s diet in its entirety along with a comprehensive treatment plan that targets the root cause of any fertility issues. Adding one or two foods into your diet may not have much of an effect on your fertility - but embarking on a health care plan and fertility diet that is tailored to you and your unique symptoms just might be the extra edge your body needs.

Fertility Nutrition Counseling in Cleveland

Contact Husami Integrative Acupuncture to learn more about fertility nutrition counseling on the east side of Cleveland. We offer an integrative approach to natural fertility, combining nutrition counseling with fertility acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, massage and more. Call or text today to schedule an appointment: (619) 302-7589

MTHFR and Fertility - What You Need to Know

If you’ve been trying to conceive without success you may have come across the acronym MTHFR and perhaps you’ve been given a diagnosis. It (and methylation in general) have been hot topics in the fertility world for the past few years. You may have read that it could be the cause of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL.) So how can you parse through all of the information out there; what do you need to know about this crucial gene and how can you increase your odds of conceiving and carrying a baby to term?

MTHFR (MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reductase) is an enzyme that breaks down the amino acids homocysteine and folate. There’s a gene that codes for this enzyme (…called, you guessed it, the MTHFR gene…) and it can mutate. This can do one of two things: either decrease the enzyme’s ability to function or completely inactivate it. Everyone has two copies of the MTHFR gene - one copy from each parent. If you’ve got a variant it means you’ve got a difference in either one (heterozygous) or both (homozygous) copies. The two most common MTHFR variants are C677T and A1298C. These mutations can lead to higher than normal homocysteine levels in the blood - which is thought to be a contributor to a number of issues. 

There have been a lot of claims made regarding MTHFR and its supposed involvement in a host of health issues, including its affect on fertility. What we can definitely say is that MTHFR has been associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL.) Does this mean that MTHFR will definitely cause multiple miscarriages - no. What it does mean is that there is a correlation between the two- and a mutation could put you at increased risk. Many women who have had repeated losses have tested positive for MTHFR mutations. That being said - many women who have the mutations have never had a miscarriage and go on to give birth to healthy babies. Remember that correlation does not equal causation. If you have a mutation it doesn’t mean that you won’t conceive and carry a baby to term. It may just mean that you have to work a little harder to allow your body to methylate properly in order to support an optimal reproductive environment.

Fortunately there are some key things you can do to encourage your body to methylate optimally:

• Consider an anti-inflammatory diet - decreased inflammation can increase methylation. In particular you may want to increase your consumption of green, leafy and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and asparagus as well as avocado, legumes and rice

• Decrease stress - acupuncture, exercise and meditation are all great ways to lower stress

• Work out regularly - a healthy amount of exercise may increase methylation - results from studies have been unclear but moderate and regular exercise is certainly helpful in decreasing stress and keeping your body functioning at its best

• Consider a homocysteine blood test - this will help you learn how much folate your body may require

• See your acupuncturist and herbalist - acupuncture and herbs can help address imbalances and normalize your hormonal and reproductive environment

• Get the right nutrients. I often recommend 7 supplements to increase methylation - even if your body has a mutation that slows down the methylation cycle. It’s important to take these under the guidance of your doctor, naturopath or acupuncturist-herbalist who is specialized in treating MTHFR mutations and fertility. I usually recommend the following from Thorne - but there are many reputable suppliers to choose from:

5-MTHF (active folate)

Methylcobalamin (active vitamin B12)

Pyridoxal 5’-Phosphate (active vitamin B6)

Riboflavin 5’-Phosphate (active vitamin B2)

Betaine (also known as trimethylglycine)

Vitamin D

Magnesium

One thing to consider for those who do have a MTHFR mutation is that birth control pills should be utilized with extreme caution - the synthetic estrogens found in BC pills can put you at greater risk for blood clots and stroke.

As with so many things, knowledge is powerful - and knowing how to achieve optimal methylation can be one important step on your fertility journey.

Can You Conceive with Luteal Phase Defect?

Luteal Phase Defect, or LPD, can sound scary. It’s important to know that it can be difficult for your doctor to make an accurate diagnosis - because there is no single test that can determine it. But if your doctor suspects this is going on take heart, there are treatment options - and getting to the bottom of your particular fertility issue will be key. Read on to find out how fertility acupuncture can help LPD.

What is LPD? There could be one of two things going on: either your own progesterone is not sufficient enough to maintain a functional endometrium or your lining isn’t responding to the normal amount of progesterone that is being secreted. Some providers consider it an issue if it’s occurred for two consecutive cycles. Either way it’s your endometrial lining that takes center stage here - you might produce quality follicles and eggs each month, but the corpus luteum (a hormone secreting structure produced by the ovary) might not be functioning optimally to support your lining or your lining simply may not be responding correctly during the implantation window to the hormones being secreted.

So what can you do about LPD? The western medical approach is often to provide a synthetic version of progesterone, in the hopes that the problem will be corrected: often by flooding the system with large amounts of the hormone that the body might not be able to produce in smaller amounts on its own. The eastern perspective takes a more holistic approach: by working to correct the underlying issue and return the body to a balanced state we aim to help the body get to where it needs to be organically. Ultimately fertility acupuncture (along with Chinese herbs when appropriate) have been shown to help improve the endometrial lining and the body’s ability to produce its own hormones. And Chinese medicine can help you reach your fertility goals whether or not you are going through western medical interventions concurrently.

Chinese medicine is a wonderful way to get your body to where it needs to be. Most hormonal imbalances (which contribute to about 40% of documented cases of infertility) respond to traditional Chinese medicine - many of our patients with LPD have gone on to conceive and carry a baby to term. Wondering whether acupuncture for fertility can help you achieve your fertility goals? Contact Suzie at Husami Integrative Acupuncture in Paradise Valley to find out more.