Food for Infertility

Food for Infertility

Infertility problem is a complex condition and there is no fixed formula for success. Every case is unique and therefore, needs unique solution. There are multiple parameters that are responsible for it. Physiological problems, genetic disorders, lifestyle, stress, exposure to toxins and chemicals could cause infertility problem.

There is a common question asked to infertility experts. Can incorrect food habits cause infertility? If yes, then what food can cure it?  What should be consumed and in what quantity?

I would say it is quite tricky question. We need to understand that infertility is a resultant factor of many problems and therefore, food habits and lifestyle certainly affects it. Excessive consumption of tobacco and alcohol, processed and refined food, excess weight and lack of exercise could aggravate the problem. There is certainly no “Super food” that can cure infertility problem instantly, but eating proper food and making corrective changes in the lifestyle could improve the fertility levels gradually.

Food that can help in curing infertility

There has been extensive research done across the globe to understand the correlation between food and infertility. Some food items have shown significant improvement.

a)  Antioxidants:  Antioxidants have immense power to correct the disorders and they help in curing infertility too. Eating food rich with antioxidants or taking supplements is good to get rid of free radicals. These are the elements that cause damage to the sperm or cause low production of the sperms.  Free radicals cause serious health problems in the body and hence, should be removed from the body. Raw fruits and vegetables especially sweet potatoes, spinach, blueberries, tomatoes, carrots, mangoes, oranges and fish, etc. are rich source of antioxidants.  It is better to eat food in raw form because excessive coking would destroy many of them.

b)  Vitamins and minerals: Food rich in vitamins and minerals help greatly in curing infertility problem. Vitamins boost secretion of hormones that are favorable for fertility. It is always better to supply vitamins and minerals to the body naturally by eating foods and vegetables in ample amount. However, vitamin supplements are prescribed by infertility experts in case of extreme deficiency in the body. Vitamin A, B, C, D and B-12 along with Zinc and folic acids are helpful in enhancing fertility in the body.

c)  Protein rich diet: Protein is essential for the growth and it also provides energy and resistance against ailments. Protein rich diet boosts the fertility levels. Liver, fish, poultry, dark red lean beef, salmon and tuna are excellent sources of protein. Veggies need not feel frustrated because they can fulfill the protein deficiency by consuming milk and milk products, beans, soybean, pulses, peanuts and corn. It gives inner strength to the body and boost fertility levels.

These are general guidelines. You need to consult a dietitian before making changes in the diet pattern along with the infertility expert. They will discuss and chalk-out the perfect plan for you. Reducing weight, quitting alcohol and tobacco and adopting correct lifestyle will enhance the impact of food and nutrients

Thyroid problem and infertility

Thyroid problem and infertility

Infertility is a problem that is invisible to the society. You will be astonished to know that almost 20% couples are facing infertility issues. It means one of every five couples go to infertility experts for treatment. Almost one third of these cases are contributed by male partners and the same are because of their better half. Remaining one-third cases are termed as unexplained infertility problem where exact cause is unknown.

Out of the many causes of infertility problems, thyroid related issues are quite prominent and therefore,one should take it seriously.

Thyroid and infertility

There is a direct relation of thyroid gland and infertility problem. When couples come to me for infertility treatment, thyroid test is included in the list of primary tests that I prescribe. Thyroxin hormone secreted by Thyroid gland is responsible for the proper functioning of cells in our body.

It is a case when thyroid gland does not produce adequate amount of hormones. We call it Hypothyroidism in the medical terminology. There is a direct correlation of thyroid problem and infertility in women. There are issues like autoimmune disorders or pituitary gland disorders than can cause hypothyroidism. It leads to the problem of infertility.

Undiagnosed or untreated Thyroid disease can cause miscarriages, problems in conception, abnormalities in the fetus or lower fertility levels. Abnormal levels of Thyroid can cause havoc to the female reproductive system. Lower progesterone level, ovulation problems and the other reproductive disorders can occur due to that.

Due to the ill-effects of thyroid problem on the ovulation cycle, it is not possible to determine the exact time for fertilization. Thyroid problem can also cause irregular or heavy menstrual periods, lower sex drive or recurrent miscarriages. In case of males it causes erectile malfunction or low quality of sperms due to low testosterone level. All these are directly responsible for infertility.

Special diagnostics are required

Unfortunately thyroid problem can't be revealed in the routine blood examination and in 80 percent cases; it gets surfaced only when there are specific tests for thyroid like TSH are conducted. It is important that the infertility experts are vigilant enough to suggest for advanced thyroid tests as soon as there is slightest of doubt about it.

Symptoms and cure

The symptoms of thyroid problems are quite misleading and therefore, often ignored by the patients and the infertility experts. Weight gain, joint pain, muscular pain, fatigue, sleeplessness are some of the symptoms.

To cure the problem, it is necessary to know the hormone level by doing TSH blood test, x-ray examination of the chest and T4 or Thyroxin test. Medication can correct the thyroxin levels in the body, but the treatment will require four to six months to correct the problem.Reduction of weight, taking adequate sleep and rest, avoiding stress and tension and regular exercise could boost the effects of medicines.

It is a big challenge for us to identify reasons for infertility in men and women. We ate supposed to look into every aspect carefully because any of them could be the cause.

Weight-gain during infertility treatment

Weight-gain during infertility treatment

Being an infertility expert, I need to answer various questions asked by the patients. There is a frequent question about the relation of weight and infertility. I always suggest my patients to lose a few pounds to increase the chances of pregnancy. They agree to it, work hard and come back with a young and charming personality. However, the things go wrong with the infertility treatment. As we move forward female patients see the weighing scale showing upward trend in later months!

Strange, isn't it? Infertility treatment certainly increases weight because of multiple reasons.

Depression: Women do not agree to it because they don't realize it either. However, it is a fact that depression of not getting pregnant triggers overeating and later weight gain. The urge to eat more, especially sweet substance is quite common during infertility treatment.

Drugs: Infertility treatment is a complex procedure where multiple rounds of drugs are given to control hormonal secretion. Weight gain is a side-effect of some of the drugs. It is inevitable and therefore, can't be controlled.

IVF procedures: Sometimes womensee a lot of weight gain during IVF procedure. Nevertheless, it is a temporary phenomenon that you should ignore. It is mainly because of extra fluid accumulated in the body that goes away with the next menstruation cycle.

Feeling of joy: Couples are in a state of utter disappointment when they start infertile treatment. As we move forward positivity tends to increase and they feel quite comfortable. In some females, it triggers eating temptation and they tend to eat more. It results in phenomenal weight gain during the infertility treatment!

The way out!

Surely it is a tough task to cut weight during infertility treatment, but not an impossible one certainly.

There is nothing much can be done for the weight gain due to medication. However, reducing the daily calorie intake and consuming less sodium could help greatly. Fruits and vegetables with high potassium content, fish and lean meat and a daily exercise are also important. Light aerobic exercises and walking is also equally useful. You need to be cautious about not giving unnecessary strain to the body.

Weight gain due to excessive eating can be easily controlled. Reducing the stress level would control the urge of eating. Brisk walking, light exercise and meditation help significantly. Breathing exercises and Yoga would calm the mind and body. It is always recommended that the exercise should be light and easy. Weight-training and heavy aerobic exercises should be avoided completely.

Make a support system: It is extremely important to create a support system. It helps in reducing the stress level. Sharing the experiences of infertility treatment is effective in reducing the trauma and agony. It will help in controlling the temptation and eating drives.

Weight gain is a common problem after infertility treatment. It can be avoided by conscious and serious efforts. Individual temperament and personal traits play major role in getting success. Females with strong will-power and determination can reduce the extra pounds gained during infertility treatment.

Vitamins to improve sperm quality

Vitamins to improve sperm quality

Around one third of infertility cases are contributed by the male partners. Among various aspects of male infertility, sperm quality is a significant one. Sperms cause fertilization and the quality and quantity of sperms determine the success ratio of fertilization. For successful penetration, there should be adequate quantity of healthy sperms reach to the uterus.

Causes of low quality sperm

There are various causes of lower quality of sperm in men. A complex process causes sperm production in the body. Pituitary and hypothalamus glands trigger specific hormones to produce sperms. Malfunctioning of these two glands, infections, physiological problems abnormality in the seminal fluid, obesity, exposure to chemical or radioactive substance and genetic defects are some of the prime causes of low sperm quality in men.

The treatment

As an infertility expert, I need to look into the case minutely before deciding the treatment. Diagnostic plays an important role in deciding the correct line of action. There are various treatments to improve the quality of sperms and they are quite effective as well. Vitamins are very important in treating male infertility caused by low quality of semen.  Balanced diet, correct lifestyle, adequate exercise and vitamin supplements can cause miracles and we can see significant improvement in the sperm quality. Vitamins that can bring great improvement are:

a) Vitamin C: It is most vital amino acid that helps in correcting the damage caused to male productive system. Vitamin C reduces the damage caused at the DNA level and corrects the abnormalities. It also helps in combating against the ill-effects of pollution and toxins. Regular intake of vitamin C improves the quality and quantity of sperms in the semen.

b) Vitamin E: Studies have indicated significant correlation between Vitamin E and fertility in men.  It helps in improving the inner strength and correcting the hormonal disorder. However, we examine the patients thoroughly before prescribing Vitamin E because it may cause harm in the patients having anemia, liver problems or high blood pressure.

c) Zinc: The importance of Zinc is sure in human reproduction system. Even a mild deficiency of Zinc can cause lower sperm count. It boosts the testosterone level, the male hormone responsible for reproduction. However, one must take Zinc supplements under infertility experts surveillance.

d) Vitamin B-12: Excessive smoking and regular consumption of processed and refined food cause deficiency of Vitamin B-12 and B-complex. It causes lower testosterone levels and lower quality of sperms. Supplements taken under consultation of infertility expert can improve the condition dramatically.

e) Vitamin A: Vitamin A is one of the important, but it is better to take in the multi-vitamin tablet form. Vitamin A is vital in increasing the production of sperm and enhancing the quality.

It is not enough to take vitamin supplements only. I discuss with the couple about the problem at-length and suggest them to change the lifestyle. Increasing consumption of natural and raw food, taking adequate sleep, quitting tobacco and alcohol and reducing stress levels helps a lot. These changes boost the effect of vitamin supplements and major improvement can be seen!

Vitamin E and fertility

Vitamin E and fertility

Vitamins and minerals are important for the health and well-being of human body. Health ailments are often caused by deficiency of one or the other vitamins in the body. Infertility is one of the biggest problems in the modern age. When I treat infertility problem of a couple, the approach is always to look at the problem from all the perspectives. This is because infertility problem might be just a symptom to some other cause. Regular exercise, good food habits and proper lifestyle helps in maintaining better vitality in the body. There is no need to take food supplements and vitamin tablets.

Removing the root cause of the problem may boost the fertility levels significantly. Checking for vitamin deficiency is one of the important aspects during infertility treatment. I prescribe additional vitamin to bridge the gap.

Role of Vitamin E

Vitamin E is greatly beneficial for the body. It improves the health of heart and brain. It also keeps the respiratory system and blood circulation in correct order. It is an antioxidant and controls the free radicals.

Vitamin E is found in the food items like nuts, spinach, apricots and sunflower seeds. There has been significant correlation found between infertility problem and Vitamin E. Experts tell that it helps in maintaining male and female fertility levels.

Vitamin E and male fertility

Male infertility problems are caused mainly due to sperm related issues. Inadequate quantity and quality of the sperms causes lesser probability of conception. Free radicals are toxins that cause harm to the sperms and also affect hormonal secretion. Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant to control the free radicals. Taking Vitamin E rich diet and supplements help a lot. Combining it with Vitamin B, E, Zinc and beta carotene brings synergized effect.

Vitamin E is soluble in fat and therefore, it reaches to the layers of body fats and membranes. It gets attached to the free radicals. Studies have indicated high improvement in the sperm count by regular intake of Vitamin E. It promotes mobility and strength of the sperm and enhances the flexibility of sperm cells. It is a non-toxic and safe treatment for male infertility problems.

Vitamin E and female fertility

Although researches have indicated apparent benefit of Vitamin E on male infertility problems, but their role in treating female infertility is equally prominent. Regular consumption of Vitamin E increases the amount of cervical mucuos and there are better chances of sperm reaching to the mature egg. It corrects the defects of eggs. It boosts the hormone levels in females and thus increases the chances of conception.

There have not been sufficient evidence about the correlation of Vitamin E and female fertility; it is surely beneficial by boosting the hormonal secretion and controlling the free radicals that could cause miscarriages and immature termination of pregnancy. Research and studies will reveal many unknown things about vitamin E for infertility treatment.

As an infertility expert I always undergo vitamin deficiency tests for my patients and execute the treatment plan accordingly. 

The fear factor during infertility treatment

The fear factor during infertility treatment

Every case of infertility that I treat is a new challenge. Couples come to me with immense hope and belief. They have already seen quite a bad time and now look forward to an end to it. Undoubtedly, I also work hard to resolve their problem. However, the process of infertility treatment is a long journey and there are various moments of sorrow and joy for us. There is always the third color of emotion and that is, the feeling of fear!

The horror factor

When couples come for the first time to discuss infertility problem, their temperament is quite timid and nervous. The first thing that I am supposed to deal is immense frustration! Why me? This is perhaps the question that has been asked maximum number of times in my consulting room!

As I proceed further, the frustration turns into assurance and hope. Couples feel that neither they are the only couple facing this problem, nor the problem is incurable. The procedures of infertility treatment impose a fear factor in the minds of my patients. The fear of unknown and the fear of failure! They do not like to think about it, can't stop either. They feel that this kind of failure cuts much deeper as compared to the natural pregnancy. The efforts of getting pregnant through a series of invasive treatments, medicines and intravenous drugs, tests and ultrasounds are undergone with just one hope of getting pregnant. What if it doesn't happen, a great disappointment?

Mini-IVF, the shortcut method of success

Mini-IVF, the shortcut method of success

It is quite a difficult task for me to explain the requirement of a particular procedure to my patients during the infertility treatment. They are so much aware nowadays with the popularity and availability of information on the internet. For example, a couple recently insisted for MS-IVF, a shortcut alternative to the traditional IVF with certain limitations. The case was not ideal for MS-IVF and I succeeded ultimately in explaining the suitability of traditional IVF to them. However, it took a great amount of time and energy in doing that.

The process is also known as Mini IVF or even Micro IVF, the more stylish names! Fundamentally this procedure uses lesser hormonal stimulation and equivalent lesser monitoring and laboratory work, reduced risk to hyper stimulation syndrome and fewer chances of multiple pregnancies. The procedure is quite inexpensive as well.

The advantage

MS-IVF is especially suitable option to achieve conception with some distinct advantages:

It is especially a better option for older patients where Gonadotropin stimulation is not much helpful. As women grow older, there is a reduction in the number of follicles and eggs.  I have observed that the yield of eggs in MS-IVF is as good as complete IVF stimulation.

There is a risk of hyper stimulation of ovaries in some women. In my opinion MS-IVF is the best procedure It has the minimum risk of over stimulation and problematic pregnancy with reasonable high success probability.

The process requires much lesser time for egg retrieval and hence it can be performed under local anesthesia. It lowers the discomfort, time and obviously a lot of cost as well.

Some patients do not like the idea of cryopreservation of embryo that is a mandatory process in traditional IVF. In this case, only one or two follicles are extracted and all are used for transplantation.
There would be an obvious question crop up in the mind that why clinics do not offer Micro IVF instead of complete IVF program, if it is so much effective? Well, there are two reasons. Firstly, the success rate of complete IVF is almost double as compared to Micro IVF. Secondly, they are not counted two different procedures statistically. Obviously lower success rate of Micro IVF would lower down the overall success rate of IVF procedure in an infertility clinic. Nobody would like to drop the success rate of a clinic because it is one of the major parameters considered by the patients before joining an infertility program.

For me, obviously the welfare of my patients takes the front seat. I would never recommend a procedure that is unnecessary or may harm the patient’s health. While the objective is always to achieve a successful pregnancy, I would always weigh the negative aspects and then take the appropriate decision.  My endeavor is always to take the best and most cost effective decision with the maximum probability of building a family. I always wish that IVF brings the safest successful pregnancy to the couple desperately waiting for it!