No science just yet... [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

A study published in the journal, "Human Reproduction" showed that women who ate more than two portions a day of low fat dairy foods were 85 per cent more likely to be infertile due to ovulatory disorders than those who only ate it less than once a week.

Conversely they found that women who ate full-fat dairy foods, including ice cream, more than once per day had a 25 per cent reduced risk of infertility due to ovulatory disorders compared to those who ate full-fat dairy foods only once a week.

The researchers suggest that a fat-soluble substance in the full-fat dairy foods could be responsible for improved ovarian function, and that this substance is removed when full-fat dairy produce is converted to low-fat.

There could be other reasons too, to do with hormone balance. For instance, when full-fat milk is processed to give skimmed milk, whey protein is usually added back in to improve taste and colour. In tests with mice, whey protein is suspected of increasing testosterone-like effects. [ x ]

In the study, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston looked at 18,500 women trying to conceive and found 438 cases of ovulatory problems.  The scientists found that those who took two per cent of their energy intake from trans fats, instead of carbohydrates or polyunsaturated fats such as sunflower oil, had a 70 per cent greater risk of infertility through lack of ovulation.  Those whose energy came from trans fats instead of monounsaturated fats such as olive oil were twice as likely to have problems.

The amount of trans fats needed to reach the two per cent levels was just four grams a day in a 2,000-calorie diet.  This could be as little as that contained in a pie and chips or just one doughnut.  The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggested that women wanting to conceive should watch their trans fat consumption, as well as giving up smoking and maintaining a healthy weight.  [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

A 1994 study published in the “American Journal of Epidemiology” (AJE) provides data on a significant correlation between decreased women’s fertility and both the ability to digest milk (lactose) and milk consumption rates. People who lose the ability to digest lactose are referred to as having adult hypolactasia. Specifically, the study found that female fertility at older ages is lower and the decline in fertility with aging is steeper in populations with high milk consumption. The study surveyed women aged 15-44 from over 35 countries and included information collected from clinical studies, national governments and United Nations reports.

Independent studies have shown that galactose may be toxic to ovarian germ cells which are necessary for reproduction. Therefore, diminished milk digestion would lead to less galactose production, healthier ovarian germ cells and enhanced fertility for women. The correlation between milk consumption and digestion with a higher rate of loss of fertility is greatest at 35-39 years of age, the decade after the peak child bearing years of 25-29. Some experts propose that this delayed impact may be caused by the cumulative effects of long term milk consumption. [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

Wild yam contains a compound called diosgenin, not progesterone. Although diosgenin is chemi­cally similar to progesterone, the body cannot utilize this compound, which means that when ingested, diosgenin remains chemically inactive the your body.

Several studies have evaluated wild yam's efficacy as a treatment for infertility and related conditions, but none has found any benefit compared to placebo. According to the National Institutes of Health, a study investigating the product's effects on menopause found that it does not affect levels of reproductive hormones such as estrogen, follicle stimulating hormone, estradiol or the "pregnancy hormone" human chorionic gonadotrophin. The NIH states that there is "insufficient evidence" to support or recommend the herb's use as a fertility aid.  [ x ]

One study, conducted by Dr. Gloria Chacon of Lima, Peru isolated four alkaloids that are present in the maca root.  The study involved the use of female and male rats that were given either powdered maca root or alkaloids isolated from the roots themselves. Those who received either powder or alkaloids showed multiple egg follicle maturation in females and significantly higher sperm production and motility in males than did the control groups who were not given these substances. Dr. Chacon found that the alkaloids in the maca root produced fertility effects on the testes of the male rats and the ovaries of the female rats respectively. In addition, these effects could be measured within 72 hours of dosing. With the experiments, she found that the alkaloids acted on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. This may explain why both female and male rats gained positive benefits that were gender appropriate. This may also complain why human effects are not limited to just ovaries and testes, but also benefit the adrenals, which gives one a feeling of greater vitality and energy. Maca root also acts positively on the thyroid and pancreas.

Another Maca study showed an increase in libido and sperm production.   Researchers at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia ran a 12 week double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. In this study, active treatment utilizing different doses of maca was compared with placebo.  In the study, men between the ages of 21 and 56 were given 3 g of maca. Within eight weeks of treatment, the sexual desire improved. However, serum testosterone and estradiol levels did not change between the men treated with maca versus those treated with placebo.

A further study looked at the benefits of a four-month course of maca tablets and their effect on semen in normal adult men between the ages of 24 and 44 years old. In this study, nine men received maca tablets totaling 1500 or 3000 mg a day for four months. The following measurements were made both before and after treatment: estradiol and testosterone levels, serum luteinizing hormone, prolactin, testosterone and follicle stimulating hormone levels. Maca treatment caused sperm count per ejaculation, sperm motility and seminal volume to increase. Serum hormone levels were unaffected. [ x ]

According to Sean Ward, professor of physiology and cell biology at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, drinking caffeinated drinks can reduce a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant.

Ward and his team studied the fallopian tubes of mice and discovered that caffeine stops eggs from moving freely down the fallopian tubes.

According to the International Food Information Council Foundation, some studies have suggested that high levels of caffeine intake may actually extend the time it takes to conceive. However, when other lifestyle variables (smoking, for example) are considered, these findings are inconclusive. More recent research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Harvard Medical School and the University of California at Berkeley show that moderate caffeine consumption does not reduce a woman's chance of becoming pregnant.  [ x ]

The Loma Linda researchers subjected four herbs to fertility testing similar to the testing that medications undergo, mixing them with human sperm and hamster eggs. Tested were St. John's wort, which treats mild depression; echinacea, purported to strengthen the immune system and fight colds; ginkgo, a purported memory enhancer; and saw palmetto, which can treat older men's enlarged prostates.

In the Loma Linda testing, only saw palmetto did not damage sperm or eggs. 

The test-tube study is not proof that couples trying to conceive should avoid taking St John's Wort. Indeed, lead researcher Dr. Richard Ondrizek stressed that laboratory research doesn't always accurately predict what happens in humans.

Whilst it is advisable not to take Gingko when trying to conceive, the researchers pointed out that their laboratory work indicated only a potential risk. They said it was possible that people who did not exceed the recommended doses would not experience negative effects, and in the human body such doses might not actually reach eggs and sperm. However, it should be noted that, in the lab, the eggs and sperm were exposed to only minute fractions of the herbal preparations. [ x ]

According to the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, birth defects associated with prenatal alcohol exposure can occur in the first 3 to 8 weeks of pregnancy, before some women are even aware they are pregnant. And although early pregnancy is a particularly vulnerable time, damage to the baby can occur throughout pregnancy as a result of continued alcohol exposure as organ systems grow to maturity.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says that women who drink alcohol may have a harder time getting pregnant.  [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

Mercury occurs naturally in the environment and can also be released into the air through industrial pollution. Mercury falls from the air and can accumulate in streams and oceans and is turned into methylmercury in the water. It is this type of mercury that can be harmful to an unborn baby and young child. Fish absorb the methylmercury as they feed in these waters and so it builds up in them. It builds up more in some types of fish and shellfish than others, depending on what the fish eat, which is why the levels vary [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

No science just yet... [ x ]

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that when there is too much sugar in the diet, the liver converts it into a lipid. The researchers found that an increased amount of lipids in the body shut down a gene called Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) which reduces the amount of SHGB protein in the body. This protein plays an important role in the amounts of testosterone and estrogen available for the body to use.

If there’s less SHBG protein, then more testosterone and estrogen will be released throughout the body, which is associated with an increased risk of acne, infertility, poly cystic ovaries, and uterine cancer in overweight women. [ x ]