Treating Infertility Naturally
ART or Not?
At least 25 percent of couples planning a baby will have difficulty conceiving. This phenomenon has increased over the past three decades and more couples are seeking answers to their fertility issues through assisted reproduction techniques (ART) than ever before.
Although ART offers great opportunities for couples to have a baby, they also require a huge commitment of time, money, energy, emotion and physical stamina. The price for failure is exacting and it often takes its toll.
Another method, in response to the growing needs for answers to fertility issues, is the natural approach which is largely multifaceted, just as infertility is often multifaceted. Whether you and your partner have chosen ART as a means of conception or if you've decided to use natural methods, the following information will be useful in terms of preparing you both for conception and pregnancy. Often, just applying these steps and including diet changes and integrative methods, a couple can bypass ART and conceive on their own.
Getting Down to Basics
First of all, it is no secret that there are pollutants that should be eliminated from your lifestyle immediately - before conception - to ensure a healthy conception and pregnancy.
· Diet - Get rid of the junk food and eat organic vegetables, fruits, meats and dairy. You'd be surprised how negatively impacted your hormonal balance can be by the foods you eat.
· Alcohol - Drinking any amount of alcohol can reduce your fertility by half, and the more you drink the lower your chances are for conception.
· Caffeine - The evidence is plentiful to support the fact that caffeine decreases fertility, especially in men.
· Environmental hazards - Pesticides, poisons and chemicals in the workplace and at home are causes of infertility in many men and women.
· Smoking - Evidence continues to support the fact that smoking affects fertility, especially male fertility, and it has been linked to miscarriage in women who smoke.
Enhancing Fertility
Now, let's look at what you can do to enhance your health and hormonal balance to prepare for conception. There is a large body of scientific knowledge about the use of nutritional supplements and their beneficial effects on both male and female fertility. Supplements are important because, even if you are eating the very best way possible, you will still be missing out on minerals and vitamins that enhance your chances of conception.
· Folic Acid - It is well known that folic acid reduces the risk of neural tube defects in babies. This supplement should be taken well in advance of trying to conceive, as well as during the pregnancy to protect the baby from defects like spina bifida. Additionally, folic acid is part of the B-complex family of vitamins that are important and necessary to production of the genetic materials DNA and RNA. It works together with vitamin B-12 to make sure the baby's genetic codes are intact. Folic acid is good, but it is important to take all of the B vitamins. Research shows vitamin B6 is effect for increasing fertility in women and B12 improves sperm counts in men.
· Zinc - Probably the most widely studied nutrient in terms of fertility for men and women, zinc is essential to genetic material development. A deficiency of zinc can cause chromosome changes in you or your partner leading to decreased fertility and an increased risk of miscarriage. Zinc affect estrogen and progesterone, the pregnancy hormones and it is found in high concentration in sperm. A deficiency in zinc reduces a man's sperm count and sperm development.
· Selenium - This antioxidant protects against free radicals and thus prevents chromosome breakdown, which is a known cause of birth defects and miscarriages. Sperm formation is affected positively by selenium and low sperm counts are often found in men who are selenium deficient.
· Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) - EFAs affect every part of the body and they are vital for healthy hormone performance. The prostaglandins in semen are produced from EFAs. Poor sperm quality, abnormal sperm, poor motility and low sperm count are all affected by inadequate levels of prostaglandins.
· Vitamin E - Another powerful antioxidant that has been shown to enhance IVF treatment in men, increasing fertilization rates by 10 percent, from 19 percent to 29 percent. It is suggested that the antioxidant activity might make sperm more fertile.
· Vitamin C - Yet another antioxidant has research to back up the claims that it enhances sperm quality as it protects sperm and the DNA within it from damage. DNA damage can affect conception and cause an increase in miscarriage.
· L-Arginine - An amino acid found in abundance in the head of the sperm. It is essential for sperm production and using it can help increase sperm count and quality.
· L-Carnitine - Another amino acid necessary for normal function of sperm cells. High levels of this amino provide enhanced sperm count and motility.
· Vitamin A - This vitamin has important antioxidant properties that are healthy for eyes and prevents birth defects that affect the eyes. When it is in the form of retinol, it is problematic and cause problems. Taken in the form of beta-carotene (vegetable form) it is healthy and does not carry risks.
By making some serious changes in vitamin and mineral intake, it is possible to improve the quality of the sperm, enhance egg production and increase your chances for a natural conception.
Infertility is a difficult condition. If you find yourself in that place and want to explore natural ways of dealing with it, be sure to check out the articles in this section.
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