Acupuncture for Stress with Infertility

Acupuncture for Stress with Infertility

In Fertility and Sterility a research article delved into the stress component of conceiving.   By obtaining salvatory samples from women, the researchers found a clear link between stress induced hormones and infertility.  Women in the study were tested for the hormones called alpha-amylase, which is secreted from the adrenal gland in response to perceived stress.  Salvia testing indicated a clear relationship to increased alpha-amylase and non conception for that tested fertile cycle. 

Western medicine is uncertain how alpha-amylase can impact the reproductive system.  One theory believes it may decrease pelvic blood flow/follipan tube movement and resulting in poor egg transportation.   Unfortunately, the reproductive system contains many receptors for alph-amylase and is highly reactive to it.    

With time research is demonstrating how acupuncture has become a tool to improve fertility.  Acupuncture has been found to decrease stress hormones and increase pelvic blood flow – two simple factors which can be significantly changed with Chinese medicine.  Plus Chinese medicine is continually reviewing all components of a women’s life, thus allowing the practitioner discuss with the client when other therapies may need to added to address stress.  Many acupuncturists have associates who are involved in other therapies which could provide a different type of support to de-stress.

This is such an important topic.  Stress can be ignored but the physical body will show the signs.  Over the years I have noticed a very clear trend with women who experience high levels of stress; anxiety and depression have a much harder time conceiving.  It is very important for women and their partners to reach out and de-stress.  Decreasing stress is a complicated topic as each person responds to different therapies.   Some find yoga helpful, while others find meditation to be the key.  It is important to explore and find people, places and activities to support your emotional health.  If you can view the situation to de-stress as a different way to approach life and not as failing against ourselves, it could change you by preparing you for life’s other surprises. 

Stress reduces conception probabilities across the fertile window: evidence in support of relaxation

Germaine M. Buck Louis, Ph.D.a, Kirsten J. Lum, M.S.a, Rajeshwari Sundaram, Ph.D.a, Zhen Chen, Ph.D.a, Sungduk Kim, Ph.D.a, Courtney D. Lynch, Ph.D.b, Enrique F. Schisterman, Ph.D.a, Cecilia Pyper, B.S., M.B.c

10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.06.078

Discussion 

To our knowledge, this is the first study to empirically demonstrate that stress is statistically significantly associated with reduced female fecundity as measured by a lower probability of conception for each day during the fertile window as women’s salivary α-amylase concentrations rise. Moreover, the reduction in fecundability was mediated via the sympathetic medullar system (SAM) pathway rather than through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis as evidenced by the opposing directions in fecundability odds ratio (FOR) and the day-specific probability of conception for salivary α-amylase and cortisol. Irrespective of the day or frequency of sexual intercourse during the fertile window, women with higher concentrations of α-amylase were less likely to conceive than women with lower concentrations, underscoring the importance of a statistical model that is biologically responsive to the timing of intercourse relative to the fertile window and inclusive of other relevant covariates. Although the findings were statistically significant for α-amylase and the daily-specific conception probabilities in the first cycle, the results based on all cycles per woman were not. This most likely reflects a loss in statistical power, with the most fecund women contributing one cycle coupled with the variability associated with α-amylase while trying.

Our findings do not support an earlier study involving 13 women prospectively followed that reported no differences in urinary adrenaline, noradrenaline, or cortisol concentrations between conception and nonconception cycles). Among Chinese textile workers trying to conceive, perceived stress during the follicular phase was associated with dysmenorrhea, underscoring the importance of timing when assessing stress-related effects. We did not measure dysmenorrhea in our study, but all saliva samples were collected during the follicular phase. A recent cohort study of women undergoing their first IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle reported greater treatment success for women with lower urinary adrenaline concentrations at oocyte retrieval and lower adrenaline and noradrenaline concentrations at embryo transfer in comparison with women with unsuccessful cycles. In addition, stress reduction behavioral therapies have been shown to improve IVF outcomes.

The mechanisms by which α-amylase may reduce fecundity are as yet unknown, but the reproductive tract has long been known to contain catecholamine receptors, which may alter blood flow through the fallopian tubes and gamete transportation.  Alpha-amylase is the principal salivary protein whose secretion from the parotid gland is regulated by the SAM system in response to sympathetic stimuli (physical and/or emotional stressors), resulting in increased blood catecholamines. Because this biomarker is produced locally in the oral cavity, it is in relatively high concentrations compared with other salivary markers such as cortisol that are serum constituents produced elsewhere in the body and transported to saliva via ultrafiltration.  To this end, α-amylase may be a novel biomarker for assessing psychosocial stressors and reproductive end points as mediated via the sympathetic nervous system. The opposing effects for stress biomarkers and fecundity observed in our study underscore the importance of measuring multiple stress biomarkers of stress-related systems such as the HPA and SAM.

We have found a promising biomarker, but several important methodologic issues await further study to help interpret the findings. Our cohort was constructed within the Oxford Conception Study, a three-arm randomized trial to assess the efficacy of fertility monitoring in helping women conceive. Our Bayesian models incorporated a woman-level random effect term to accommodate unobserved heterogeneity. The findings need to be interpreted within the context of using the LH surge as a proxy for ovulation. Given the variability associated with ovulation, we have no reason to believe that the variation is nonrandom in this study cohort. Nater et al. observed 76 participants who contributed 857 α-amylase measurements during the course of the day and reported a marked diurnal profile that was unrelated to perceived stress. However, a 4% increase in α-amylase was observed for every 1 point increase in the perceived psychosocial stress scale completed by participants.

Our findings support a reduction in the day-specific probability of conception among women with higher salivary α-amylase concentrations in comparison with women with lower concentrations. Our data support clinical and public health messages aimed at helping couples relax and minimize stressors when attempting to achieve pregnancy. This message becomes even more important when considering the maternal-fetal unit, given the longstanding concern that stressors during pregnancy adversely affect fetal and infant well-being.

Unfortunately, the majority of dairy products on the market come from mass production dairy farms, which force feed cows corn and rely on hormones/antibiotics to meet quotas (if you want to understand the health complications, politics or morality of mass production food, watch the movie Food, Inc.). This is the primary source of our dairy products and potentially it may not contain the healthy fats compared to grass fed cows. Cows evolved to eat a diet based on grass, not corn. It appears a grass fed diet enhances the good fats in milk. According to the research, a grass fed diet influences the concentration of good fats in whole milk and thus improves heart health. Is it possible that whole milk from grass feed cows is an opportunity to enhance fertility and not produce phlegm? Maybe future research?

Is milk from grass-fed cows more heart-healthy?
If milk does the heart good, it might do the heart better if it comes from dairy cows grazed on grass instead of on feedlots, according to a new study.

Earlier experiments have shown that cows on a diet of fresh grass produce milk with five times as much of an unsaturated fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than do cows fed processed grains. Studies in animals have suggested that CLAs can protect the heart, and help in weight loss. Hannia Campos of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and her colleagues found, in a study of 4,000 people, that people with the highest concentrations of CLAs — the top fifth among all participants — had a 36 percent lower risk of heart attack compared to those with the lowest concentrations.
Those findings held true even once the researchers took into account heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure and smoking.

The new findings suggest that CLA offers heart-healthy benefits that could more than offset the harms of saturated fat in milk, Campos said. “Because pasture grazing leads to higher CLA in milk, and it is the natural feed for cattle, it seems like more emphasis should be given to this type of feeding,” she told Reuters Health by email. Dairy products in the U.S. come almost exclusively from feedlots, she added. And cow’s milk is the primary source of CLA. (Beef contains a small amount.)
Campos and her colleagues looked to Costa Rica for their study, where pasture grazing of dairy cows is still the norm. They identified nearly 2,000 Costa Ricans who had suffered a non-fatal heart attack, and another 2,000 who had not. Then they measured the amount of CLA in fat tissues to estimate each person’s intake.

Since CLA typically travels with a host of other fats, the researchers went a step further to tease apart its effects from those of its predominantly unhealthful companions, they report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The difference in risk attributed to CLA subsequently rose to 49 percent.

“Whole-fat milk and dairy products have gotten such a bad reputation in recent years due to their saturated fat and cholesterol contents, and now we find that CLA may be incredibly health-promoting,” Michelle McGuire, spokesperson for the journal’s publisher, the American Society for Nutrition, and associate professor at Washington State University, told Reuters Health in an email. “Whole milk is not the villain!”

Each year, approximately 1.5 million Americans will suffer a heart attack. A third will not survive.
The evidence may now be piling up: another paper out of Sweden in the same issue of the journal as the Costa Rican study also hints at heart attack protection through milk fat.

Further, the benefits of CLA may extend beyond the heart to the prevention of cancer and diabetes, suggests McGuire, pointing to results of other animal studies. “Milk is actually the only food ever ‘designed by nature’ to be fed to mammals,” she added. “We need to look to milk as the perfect food and learn everything we can from it.”

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online May 12, 2010.

Pregnancy is often fraught with complications, not least for women suffering from depression while carrying a child: new research suggests that women who take antidepressant medications during pregnancy may have an increased risk of miscarriage.

Scientists at the University of Montreal reported Monday, May 31, in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that women taking the drugs most often prescribed to treat depression and anxiety — including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and the older tricyclics — had a significantly higher risk of miscarriage than a matched control group of women who did not take antidepressants. The study is the first of its kind to analyze which antidepressants and which doses are most likely to be associated with spontaneous abortion. Led by Anick Bérard at the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Montreal, the research team also documented that two SSRIs, paroxetine (Paxil) and venlafaxine (Effexor), are associated with the greatest risk.

Bérard analyzed data from a pregnancy registry she established in Quebec that collects records on births and spontaneous abortions occurring in hospitals in the Canadian province. The study included 69,742 women from the registry, 5,124 of whom had had a clinically recorded miscarriage. Among the women who had miscarried, 5.5% had filled at least one prescription for an antidepressant during pregnancy, compared with 2.7% of the control group. Researchers calculated that antidepressant users had a 68% higher risk of miscarriage than nonusers, after controlling for other influences that could potentially confound the association.

Overall, the risk was greatest among women who combined the use of two or more classes of antidepressants. When researchers looked at the small amounts of data on patients using specific drugs, they found that those taking paroxetine alone had a 75% higher rate of miscarriage than women without depression, while women taking venlafaxine had a more than doubled risk. “To my knowledge, we are the only ones to go further and look at which class [of antidepressant] and which dosage increased the risk most,” says Bérard.

However, the study was an observational one that looked retrospectively at data already collected, which means that it’s possible that some part of the miscarriage risk picked up by Bérard can be ascribed to depression itself rather than the drugs used to treat it. Indeed, the authors acknowledge that some past research has shown that women who are depressed during pregnancy are at increased risk of spontaneous abortion. But while acknowledging that limitation of the current study, Bérard stresses that it’s unlikely that such a large difference — the 68% increase — could be wholly attributable to underlying causes. “The effect is too big,” she says, “and while it may explain a small portion, it wouldn’t explain the totality of the effect.”

Still, obstetricians are not ready to stop writing prescriptions for antidepressants. Taken together, research on the risks of using antidepressants — and most other prescription drugs — for expectant moms and their developing babies is limited and often inconsistent. Evidence for the risks associated with depression drugs has been increasing in recent years, however, with studies finding a link between the medications, particularly when used during the first trimester, and as much as a sixfold increase in lung, heart and other congenital birth defects in newborns. Bérard’s study adds solid evidence for a new risk factor, but because it is an observational study, says Dr. Alex Vidaeff, director of research in the division of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, “with this level of evidence, immediate changes in practice may be ill-advised.”

Such findings leave women with depression facing increasingly complicated treatment decisions when they are pregnant or considering starting a family. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), depression during pregnancy is common: about 14% to 23% of pregnant women will experience depressive symptoms; in 2003, about 13% of women took an antidepressant at some point during pregnancy. But both antenatal depression and the use of antidepressant medications are associated with health risks to the newborn. Past studies have shown that pregnant women who are depressed are more likely to have premature births and low-birth-weight babies and that their infants are at increased risk of irritability, sleep problems and high blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol compared with babies born to mothers without depression.

As with many clinical decisions, depression treatment during pregnancy is a matter of balance. Experts advise women to discuss with their physician the severity of their depression or anxiety and weigh their past history of miscarriage before deciding whether to change medications or reduce their doses while carrying a child. For its part, the ACOG recommended in a 2009 report that women with severe depression stay on medication during pregnancy and that women who are psychiatrically stable may also be able to continue medication after consulting with their mental-health-care provider and obstetrician. Depressed women who are not taking antidepressants or are not helped by them should seek treatment, whether it is psychotherapy or other interventions that can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Although Bérard’s analysis did not include a side-by-side comparison of antidepressant use in alleviating women’s depressive or anxiety symptoms, other research has documented the importance of maintaining such treatment for women who otherwise would struggle to function at their best, much less under the added stress of expecting a child.

Read more http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1992988,00.html#ixzz0sB0tp0Bl

What is phlegm/damp? Chinese medicine observes how energy flows and issues that block it. One of the major energy blockers is damp/phlegm which hinders moving/circulating energy in the body. A visual description of phlegm/damp: the gooey greasy blockage in the drain for a kitchen sink. The blockage stops water from making its way down the pipe and allows greasy dirty water to collect in the sink. It is important for dirty water to move out of the sink and provide space for clean water to accumulate. As in the example it’s important for fluids in the body to circulate correctly to be healthy. If you have a yeast infection, your body is seeking a way to remove the infection (via discharge) and return to a healthy environment. If the yeast is allowed to grow, the infection becomes itchy and smelly turning the vaginal area into a hostile environment. Other common physical examples of damp/phlegm are sinusitis, phlegmy coughs, vaginal discharge, breast cysts, ovarian cysts, fibroids and polyps. This sampling would indicate the removal of dairy products.

From a modern perspective, certain enzymes in the milk cause mucosal membranes to produce phlegm in some individuals. Certain cow breeds produce a milk enzyme called beta-CM-7 which can trigger mucosal membranes in the digestive track and lungs to produce phlegm. Thus you might notice after eating cheese or drinking milk, phlegm in your throat or the need to spit out phlegm. The phlegmy reaction results in inflammation – constricting blood flow to cells – stopping the body from proper cellular function.

As most people have experienced sinus headaches, the pressure and pain from inflammation is intense. Yet, many times the inflammation in tissues is not noticed and this subtle phlegmy inflammation can cause imbalances. In the example of mild vaginal discharge, there is no itching, swelling or order, but mild inflammation causes cellular swelling and decreased blood flow. Thus chronic discharge could result in a uterine environment that discourages implantation. A good visual picture – if you were a little embryo would you want to make a home in a greasy slick slimy swollen lining? Probable not.

This small change (removal of dairy) can make a big impact. Many clients notice after several weeks off dairy products that they have less cloudy thoughts, stop having a feeling of phlegm in their throats and less bloating. A great substitute is goats milk (does not contain the same enzymes as dairy) almond or rice milk. If you love milk this change can be made for the time you are trying to conceive and once your baby is here you can drink milk again.

Most Young Women with Menopause-like Condition Retain Store of Eggs
Discovery May Lead to Treatments to Restore Fertility

Contrary to what researchers had previously believed, most young women and girls who experience a menopause-like condition called primary ovarian insufficiency still have immature eggs in their ovaries, according to a study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health.

Primary ovarian insufficiency, or POI, results in a menopause-like condition years before normal menopause begins—sometimes as early as the teens and twenties. Women with primary ovarian insufficiency stop producing normal amounts of reproductive hormones, develop hot flashes, and typically become infertile.

“The discovery that most women with primary ovarian insufficiency have immature eggs remaining in their ovaries raises the possibility of developing treatments for the infertility that accompanies the condition,” said Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., acting director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the NIH institute at which the study was conducted.

The findings were published online in Fertility and Sterility. The study’s senior author was Lawrence M. Nelson, M.D., head of NICHD’s Integrative Reproductive Medicine Group.

POI occurs in 1 out of 100 women by age 40. In addition to experiencing hot flashes, women with POI cease having regular menstrual periods. The symptoms may be lessened or relieved by therapy to replace the missing hormones. Although most women with POI are infertile, Dr. Nelson said, about 5 to 10 percent become pregnant unexpectedly at some time after their condition is diagnosed.

The findings expand on earlier research showing that ovulation is possible in this group of patients. Refinement in ultrasound technology allowed the researchers to detect ovarian follicles in three quarters of the POI patients who took part in the study.

For the current study, Dr. Nelson and his colleagues used ultrasound to assess follicle maturation in a group of women with POI. A follicle is a fluid-filled sac in the ovary that gives rise to the egg cell. The researchers compared 97 women who had POI with 42 women with normal menstrual cycles. When the scientists performed ultrasound examinations on the women with POI, they were surprised to discover that 73 percent of the women had ovarian follicles. Moreover, these follicles were capable of producing ovarian hormones.

Dr. Nelson explained that during a normal menstrual cycle, the pituitary gland releases follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which causes follicles to grow. While they are growing, follicles release the hormone estradiol, a form of estrogen. The pituitary also produces another hormone, called luteinizing hormone (LH), which remains at low levels during most of the cycle and then surges when it is time to ovulate. This LH surge gives the follicle a signal to break open and release the egg.

The scientists found that in women with primary ovarian insufficiency, both FSH and LH levels are higher than in women without the condition.

“The high LH levels indicate that the pituitary is continually sending the ovaries the message to ovulate.” Dr. Nelson said. “The follicles get the message to mature before they are ready, and so they don’t grow normally, and in most cases, fail to release the egg.”

In women of reproductive age who do not have POI, the ovary produces what Dr. Nelson refers to as a support group of extra follicles. These extra follicles develop along with the dominant follicle—the one that eventually releases the egg. Dr. Nelson theorizes that the extra follicles produce estradiol and other hormones to provide negative feedback to the pituitary. The hormones from the support group follicles regulate the pituitary, keeping FSH and LH blood levels in the normal range. In an earlier study, Dr. Nelson and his colleagues found that most women with POI do not have the follicle support group.

Without the support group, Dr. Nelson said, the solitary dominant follicle fails to mature properly due to the high LH levels. The patients develop what Dr. Nelson refers to as lonely luteinized follicles.
In the current study, women with primary ovarian insufficiency had lower levels of estradiol than women with normal menstrual cycles. But the women’s follicles were producing some estradiol, the scientists found, and they had higher levels of estradiol than did women who had no detectable follicles. They also had higher levels of progesterone, a hormone that follicles produce in response to LH.

“These follicles aren’t inert structures,” Dr. Nelson said. “They are producing reproductive hormones—just not enough.”

Women with primary ovarian insufficiency are usually treated with a patch that releases estradiol to alleviate their menopause-like symptoms. In a few instances, participants in Dr. Nelson’s studies at NIH have become pregnant during their treatment with the estradiol patch. Dr. Nelson hypothesizes that the estradiol supplied by the patch allowed their follicles to mature by suppressing LH levels into the normal range. He is planning a study to determine if, in addition to relieving their menopause like symptoms, the replacement estradiol supplied by the patch will also improve their chances of ovulation.

“The body needs estradiol both to prepare the lining of the uterus to support pregnancy and also to regulate FSH and LH levels in a feedback loop,” Dr. Nelson said. “We hope to test whether giving estradiol via a skin patch to women with primary ovarian insufficiency will tamp down their LH level, allow the follicles to mature at an appropriate time, and help women with this condition to ovulate.”

Dr. Nelson thinks that the one-quarter of the women in his study who did not have follicles that could be detected by ultrasound may simply have been observed at a time when the follicles were not growing. If the women were examined on another occasion, follicles may have been visible, he said. With POI, ovarian functioning appears to be intermittent and unpredictable. So the fact that the researchers were unable to detect follicles in some of the women during the study doesn’t preclude that on another occasion the women would develop follicles large enough to be detected by ultrasound.

In previous research, Dr. Nelson and his coworkers reported that women who experience a delay in diagnosing POI have an increased risk of low bone density.

“It’s really important for women with POI to get a diagnosis as soon as possible so they can begin treatment,” he said. “Lack of reproductive hormones may result in bone thinning and, possibly, bone fractures, later in life.”

Other authors of the study were Ziad R. Hubayter, Vaishali Popat, Vien H. Vanderhoof, Obioma Ndubizu, and James F. Troendle, also of NICHD; and Diane Johnson, Edie Mao, and Karim A. Calis, of NIH’s Clinical Center.

The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Institute’s Web site:

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2010/nichd-26.htm

“What if I redefine what it means to be a mother?”

“What if I redefine what it means to be a family?”

“What if I let go of the doubt, the worry, the fear or self judgment for one day…one week…the rest of my life?”

“What if I become an advocate for infertility research and treatment?”

“What if I lived in the moment rather than living in an uncertain future?”

“What if my story could help one person?”

These profound questions touch every couple on the fertility journey. Unfortunately most couples feel alone in this journey, as it is kept a secret. I ask – why should infertility be the hidden secret? There is nothing shameful in this journey and if more couples spoke up uneducated people (usually the one who had no problems conceiving) could see infertility as a disease. First, by speaking up you could help a couple struggling with fertility issues. Secondly, fertility treatments should be covered by insurance and this will only happen if couples demand change. Thirdly, with speaking up it allows society to grow and redefine what is a family/mother/father. We are the people with the power to change the fabric of society and reweave it for the better.

http://www.beautifulcervix.com/welcome/

Go Raw Granola comes in different flavors – plain (white packaging), slightly sweeter (red packaging) and chocolate (brown packaging). I have enjoyed the slightly sweet and chocolate flavors. The plain package is too plain and tastes like cardboard. The granola is tasty, crunchy and sweet. I’m posting the nutritional facts from the revise of the package. Though this product is very high in carbohydrates, it is also very high in protein and fiber, two components that slow absorption and control blood sugar levels. No additional sugars are added to the product and the sweetness comes from the fruit and spouts. A small bowl of this product is filling and gives you energy that lasts. If you have diabetes or PCOS you will want to avoid this product due to the high carbohydrate level. Most common granolas do not contain fiber or high levels of protein, thus you will experience the sugar rush and still feel unsatisfied later. Thus is product is useful for individuals looking to fuel up in the morning with a healthier alternative.

One disadvantage to the Go Raw Live Granola is the price – about $12 to $14 for one package. Yet a bowl of this product is a great breakfast meal or afternoon snack.

What are signs of gluten sensitivity? Well some very common symptoms can be caused by gluten, such as: bloating, constipation/diarrhea, fogginess and sleepiness after eating, abdominal cramping, skin rashes and many more. I believe the best rule of thumb is trying out the 80/20 gluten free rule. That means eating 80% of your diet from gluten free products, fresh fruits/veggies and protein. The other 20% coming from gluten products when the situation does not provide the flexibility, such as eating out or eliminating that last favorite product. If after a month you feel increased energy, less bloating, consistent bowl movements and stable blood sugars, more than likely you might be sensitive to gluten. At this point you might want to try a complete gluten free diet and see if your health improves. Generally most of my clients feel a hundred times better on the 80/20 gluten rule.

How does gluten potential effect fertility? When the gluten sensitive body digests food containing gluten three common components happen:

1) Gluten molecules stick to the gut lining causing inflammation.

2) Inflammation/destruction of the gut lining causing mal absorption of basic nutrients, such as Vit D, B and iron resulting malnutrition.

3) Inflammation of the gut activates the immune system. Over activation of immune systems causes miss signaling and autoimmune disorders. I often wonder could POF or the poor responder be caused at some level by antibodies attacking the ovaries or reproductive hormones. I have yet to find information supporting this idea, but researchers are only starting to understand the power of the immune system.
The above items can lead to imbalances in the body, thus infertility.

What does it mean to go gluten free? Nothing fancy here, just simple little modifications can make a big difference. As time passes I will post more information about this topic.

What’s the hardest part of the gluten free diet? I found substituting gluten products in my kitchen’s pantry to be the hardest. Even my clients feel overwhelmed by this, since gluten is in almost everything. With time I have learned a lot (and still learning) but I want to pass this knowledge on. I will post the products I am buying and give mini reviews as a tool for my clients and women reading this blog to integrate these small changes for improved well being (and of course improved fertility).

Almost three months later, I have not looked back and don’t miss the gluten products I gave up. Developing new habits and dealing with uneducated friend’s weird comments at restaurants has been difficult. Yet the power of this simple step is never ending, treating your body with respect, recognizing its need for support and making the steps to heal it.

What is fructose?

Fructose is a special crystalline sugar that is super sweet. Sucrose and HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) both contain fructose. White sugar is just as bad as HFCS. Raw cane sugar is just as bad as white sugar.

There is no difference between HFCS and sucrose. Both are equally bad, since they both contain the molecule fructose. Fructose (if seen on a list of ingredients) is purely fructose and produced in a lab.

Why is fructose, sucrose, sugar or HFCS bad?

They contain a molecule called fructose. Fructose does not suppress our appetites or promote insulin secretion. More importantly it is completely metabolized in the liver leading to byproducts such as direct fat storage (in liver and general weight gain), high cholesterol and high blood pressure. These health issues have a profound effect on reproductive health. Plus we are not even aware of all the hidden components at this point.

All sugars are not created equally. Fruit has sugar, but also contains fiber, which reduces the rate of absorption thus reducing the insulin response. It increases the speed of intestinal contents to tell the brain to stop eating and reduces hunger. The bigger problem is coming from all the processed foods in our lives, which contain no or little fiber.

If you have an hour and half, play the following link. It’s a wonderful explanation of how sugar is metabolized in the body. Dr. Lustig is an entertaining lecturer who discusses the reality behind the consumption of sugar in the modern diet. Everyday products contain HFCS and most women are not even aware of it. He indicates that most breads contain sugar and especially HFCS. Have you looked at what’s contained in most yogurts – HFCS! Take a moment and look at the list of ingredients. Yes, even dried fruit can contain HFCS. Not so healthy.

Don’t get me wrong. Sugar is not evil. Its power is reliant on how much of our diet is focused on sugary products or the hidden sugars in “healthy products”. Everything in moderation. Unfortunately, most women are not aware of the issue.

In the end, the metabolic issues caused by sugar – even on a minimal level are powerful, such as:
An over burdened liver cannot detoxifies hormones out of the blood
Unstable insulin levels can promote poor follicular growth
Minimal fat gain can allow hormonal storage.

Sugar degrades the fabric of our health – by moderating sugar consumption our overall health and fertility can improve.

Interested in Dr Lustig’s lecture? Here’s the link:

So here’s a very brief rundown of Dr L discussion:
Sucrose is cane or white sugar. Sweet index of 100. Contains one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose.

HFCS derived from corn. Sweet index of 120.

You would think that you would use less of hfcs than sucrose as it’s sweeter..but they are not. The same amount of hfcs is going into products as when sugar was used even though hfcs is sweeter.

HFCS is 55% fructose.
Sucrose is 50% fructose.

We are not eating more, but eating more sugar.

Fructose is not glucose.
Fructose does not suppress ghrelin
Acute fructose does not simulate insulin or leptin.

Hepatic fructose metabolism is different
Chronic fructose exposure promotes metabolic syndrome

Soda like coke contains sugar, salt and caffeine. Caffeine is a mild diuretic makes you pee free water. Salt will make you thirsty. The sugar covers up the salt. The coke makes you thirsty to drink more.

Carbohydrates raise cholesterol. To make low fat products taste good, they add sugar. Fructose is mostly added for palatability (especially in low fat products) and as a browning agent.

Fiber can help us properly digest sugar. It’s mostly removed in products to decrease cooking time and increase shelf life. In fruits they contain fiber to balance out the sugar.

Sucrose and HFCS are the same. Both bad.

Fructose is not glucose. Fructose is 7 times more likely than glucose to form Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE’s). It does not suppress ghrelin. Does not stimulate insulin or leptin. Metabolized in the liver. Chronic exposure promotes metabolic syndrome.

Glycogen is the stored form of glucose. Glycogen is non toxic.

Citrate byproduct from the creb cycle. De nova lipase genesis. Sugars get made into fat called vldl which is bad and causes heart disease and obesity.

Ethanol is a carbohydrate. It is a toxin. The only difference with ethanol and fructose is that ethanol affects the brain. It is an acute toxin. Fructose is long term toxin.

Ethanol produces more citrate in the liver as it is broken down. Though both fructose and ethanol activates junk 1 – which damages the liver.

Sucrose – all the fructose contained in sucrose will be metabolized in the liver. Why? Because it’s the only place that can metabolize fructose and generates all sorts of problems. Fructose does not activate insulin. During the process of metabolizing uric acid is produced. The uric acid goes in the blood and can cause gout or more commonly HYPERTENSION. Sugar fluids will cause hypertension. Allopurinol is a drug to treat gout but studies have found that it lowers hypertension in adults. One of the byproducts of fructose cause the activation of lipase storage mechanisms – thus weight gain. Up to 30% of the calories of fructose will end up as fat. You are not only consuming a carbohydrate, but consuming fat. High sugar diet is a high fat diet. Some of this fat will not enter the blood stream (ie high cholesterol) but stays in the liver. Junk 1 will cause insulin receptors to be inactive in the liver. On top of this, you don’t know you are full.

What can you do?
Get rid of sugared liquids – only water and milk.
Eat your carbohydrate with fiber
Wait 20 minutes for a second portion.
Buy your screen time minute for minute with physical activity.

Why is exercise important?
Not because it burns calories – ie the idea of calories in and out.
Because it improves skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity.
Because it reduces stress, and resultant cortisol release
Because it makes the TCA cycle run faster and detoxifies fructose, improving hepatic insulin sensitivity. Burn off the byproducts before it can be made into fat.