Natural therapies for infertility

This post will seek to simplify a seemingly complicated issue that is sadly all too common.  Some of the information may not be a surprise and yet some might be astounding.   

Infertility is a multi-faceted issue, so this post will only cover the biochemical aspect, not the structural or emotional aspects.  (For more on the structural foundations of infertility, check out my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Solutions-Integrative-Health-Care/167024840053867)

According to www.americanpregnancy.org there are 6 million women that deal with infertility per year (up from 4.6 million in 1988).

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH) are both secreted by the anterior pituitary gland in the brain.  These two hormones work synergistically in reproduction.  Estrogen’s affect on the anterior pituitary greatly decreases the release of FSH, which inhibits follicular development and then prevents ovulation.

The major players in the hormone game are the hypothalamus, anterior pituitary, thyroid, and ovary glands.  Secondary players are the adrenal glands, pancreas and liver.     

The best way to analyze hypothalamus, pituitary and ovarian hormones is through salivary testing, as this gives an indicator of active hormone levels.  Blood tests tend to give inactive levels of these.  This is the same for the adrenal hormones, cortisol and DHEA.  The best way to gauge thyroid function is through blood tests.  If your physician is testing your thyroid and just running a TSH, ask him/her to run a full thyroid panel.  This would include not just a TSH, but T3 and T4 levels.  If they won’t do this, find another doctor that will.  Optimal blood levels of TSH are 1.5 to 3.  .9 to 5 or generally the lab values and many people in this “gray area” will have no diagnosis.

I have written several articles on thyroid dysfunction, so please check those for more information. 

If you have had your hormones tested through your saliva, chances are you already have met a doctor that utilizes natural therapies.  If not, most doctors in general are not aware of this type of testing, so the likelihood of your general physician knowing about this type of testing is not high.

The liver is a much overlooked organ when discussing fertility, as ALL hormones are broken down in the liver.  If this breakdown is inefficient, imbalances can easily occur.  For example, many women use progesterone creams.  If this progesterone is not broken down efficiently, the liver then spits it back out as estrogen and thus creates more of an imbalance.  Faulty liver function can also affect pancreatic function.  If the liver is working sub optimally, the blood levels of glucose will be out of balance; sometimes too high (diabetes) and sometimes too low (hypoglycemia).  The low aspect is overlooked as being problematic frequently.

The best way to gauge liver function is also through blood testing.  Normal lab values for liver enzymes (AST and ALT) are typically 5 to 50 with some variance on the high level.  Now, optimal levels are different; those being from 10 to 30.  Clinically, I have noticed that the body functions better when those levels are between 20 and 30. 

If these liver enzymes are elevated, it means your liver is starting to become toxic and potentially storing fat.  In this case, a good solid bio-detoxification program is essential.  Any doctor skilled in natural methods should be able to help you with good quality detox procedures.  These liver enzymes are dependant of vitamin B6.  If your levels are below 20, that is suggestive of a deficiency of B6.  Care must be taken with B6 as too much can inhibit pituitary function.  Please see an earlier post about types of B vitamins.

While we are on the subject of liver function, we must discuss (shortly) cholesterol function.  Cholesterol is formed in the liver and is the precursor of adrenal and sex hormones.  There is mass confusion in society about cholesterol issues, but if your cholesterol levels are too low (yes…too low), your body will not be making these hormones in sufficient amounts.  This can inhibit your ability to get pregnant or hold a pregnancy.  Anything below 160 for total cholesterol is too low for hormone function.  The only way to increase your cholesterol production efficiently is to increase your intake of good quality fats like fish and flax seed oils, black currant seed and evening primrose oils, and coconut oil.  Check out an earlier post on cholesterol medications and their side effects.

The most common reason for B6 deficiencies in women today is estrogen dominance.  Estrogen dominance has been plaguing our society for decades now.  Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has since been removed from most medical doctor’s treatment regimens for many years now due to the Women’s Health Initiative’s findings of significantly increased risk of coronary heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, and pulmonary embolism.  Estrogen dominance can be multi-faceted and has been proven to cause these prior issues.  Estrogen is not only produced by the ovaries, but also by the adrenal glands.  Much lesser known is that estrogen is also produced by adipose tissue (fat cells), can be absorbed through the use of cosmetics and skin lotions and also through the use of plastic bottles and linings of most cans (xenoestrogens).  So, optimizing your insulin levels not only can help you lose weight, but also decrease your estrogen levels.  Read labels of all cosmetics and anything you put on your skin; the big print gives and the fine print takes away. 

Do not get me wrong, we all need estrogen for our bodies to function properly.  There is “good” estrogen and “bad” estrogen and these must be in the proper ratios.  One nutrient that works very well with balancing estrogen these ratios is iodine.  I have also written much about iodine (blog and facebook) as it relates to thyroid function.  Iodine supplementation can also be useful in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).  Most women with PCOS are told that they are not likely to get pregnant.  I can tell you first hand, that I have helped several women with this diagnosis. They have gone on to raise beautiful families.   

Oral contraceptives have been around since the early 1950’s.  With these containing estrogen (sometimes large amounts), it is likely that a woman taking these will be estrogen dominant and hence, deficient in B vitamins, especially B6.  Taking the birth control pill (BCP) for even short periods of time can suppress pituitary function and as mentioned earlier, this is crucial for overall hormone balance.  Not to mention, crucial for fertility.

Taking the BCP for actual birth control is one thing, but taking it to help rectify some issue with your menstrual cycle, like cramps or heavy bleeding, is not a great idea.  Women, your bodies are giving you signs that something is out of balance, don’t ignore it and be careful covering things up.  Messing around with Mother Nature can have long lasting effects.

If a woman is taking the BCP and looking to get pregnant, she needs to stop taking it for at least one year prior (optimally two) to allow for her body to balance some of the hormones.  Working with a doctor skilled in nutritional therapies as it relates to hormone function can make this transition much easier.  Doing this also can minimize the likelihood of miscarriage also (see facebook). 

Saliva hormone testing can be done for about $50 to $250 depending on the type of test.  Blood chemistry panels can be run to test for all of the above for about $70.  Comparing this to In vitro fertilization, which can cost from $10,000 to $20,000 per attempt, you do the math.  The big key with these tests is knowing what to do with the information that they provide.  Working with nutriceuticals (high quality nutrient companies) can have very profound affects. 

Working with women’s hormones can get very complicated as the endocrine system is like a big symphony all playing the same song.  Each organ or gland has a separate role to play, but each is vitally important to the whole system working correctly.  

Above all, NEVER stop looking for answers to your questions

I hope this helps those of you looking for natural fertility methods.

Bone health is more than vitamin D and Calcium

Bone is not a static entity; it is a dynamic organ that is constantly ebbing and flowing with all the shifts of the body; just like your liver or pancreas.  Bones act as reserves of minerals important for the body, most notably calcium and phosphorus.  In vivo bone (living bone in the body) contains between 10% and 20% water and of its dry mass, approximately 60-70% is bone mineral. Most of the rest is collagen and inorganic salts and as you will see, this is a very important factor.

With that being said, this article will keep to basics; as a discussion on what bone actually is and does can get very extensive.  This will only consider the biochemical aspect and not the biomechanical (weight bearing exercise) or the hormonal aspects.

Commonly, bone health is thought to be related to vitamin D and calcium metabolism.  While that is very true, there are other factors that are very important.

Let’s first discuss vitamin D (D) and some of the basic affects that it has in general.  (For a very detailed description of vitamin D’s benefits, please check out www.mercola.com)  Most people have heard that vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium (Ca).  D picks up Ca from the gut and puts it into the blood.  The similarity of the effects of D to the parathyroid hormone is striking.  In fact, this hormone has been called the “winter hormone” because it is suggested that it performs when people do not get enough sunshine during the winter months. 

Some signs and symptoms of D deficiency are:

·         Hyperirritability (Insomnia, restlessness, cramps)

·         Tetany (muscle spasms)

·         Lung conditions (bronchitis)

·         Lowered resistance (worse in winter due to lack of sunshine)

·         Hypotension (LOW blood pressure)

·         Epistaxis (nose bleed)

·         Delayed healing (bed sores, ulcers)

The synthetic varieties of D have been found to be toxic.  Examples of synthetic D are:  ergosterol and ergocalciferol.  This is not true of the natural varieties, as they can be tolerated at higher levels.  Some examples of good quality D are cholecalciferol (make sure to get an emulsified version as this bypasses the liver and goes straight to the lymphatic system) and what is obtained from cod liver oil.  However, if you are looking to use D therapeutically, the fish liver oils may not be the best bet as they also contain vitamin A.  Vitamin A and D tend to “compete” for absorption.  Skin exposure to natural, uninhibited sunlight is the very best way to increase blood levels of D.  Very high levels of D from sunlight are never toxic when balanced with other factors.  D absorption is also facilitated by vitamin K which is found in deep green leafy veggies like spinach and alfalfa. 

Now…on to the most talked about mineral…Calcium.

There is more Ca in the human body than all of the other minerals combined.  More Ca supplements are sold than any other mineral, but most of them are not absorbed from the gut.  Ca is essential for various body functions beyond bone mineralization, including, but not limited to:

·         muscle contraction

·         nerve conduction

·         maintenance and function of cell membranes and membrane permeability

·         blood coagulation

·         Proper functioning of many enzymes. 

White sugar has an extremely negative effect on Ca balance in the body.

The most common form of Ca sold is the carbonate form.  This is limestone (rock) and is very hard to absorb, very hard.  However, there are several types to look for that are very easily broken down and absorbed.  These are:  citrate, lactate, and glycerophosphate.

Most of the population is aware that in order to be utilized, Ca must be with magnesium (Mg), phosphorus, and many other minerals. 

The most common source of phosphorus in developed countries, unfortunately, is soda pop.  This is in the form of phosphoric acid and not only is detrimental to Ca balance, but also upsets the delicate pH balance of the body.    The pH balance of the body is also VERY important for bone health and that will be a discussion for a later date.

Within the nervous system itself, different minerals function differently.  Mg tends to have a calming affect to the nervous system and Ca tends to accelerate the nervous system.  The pertinence of this is: if a person tends to be “ramped up” most of the time (stressed out and wired), the last thing they should be taking is more Ca because it will only accelerate them even more.  On the contrary, if a person tends to be very calm and collected in stressful situations, they need to be taking more Ca because, under stress, they need to be accelerated.  Mg for a calm person can have devastating effects and Ca for a “wired” person can also be deleterious.  So, with this explanation, taking Ca and or Mg for bone health is not just a black or white issue. 

Let’s move on to the other main constituent of bone; protein.  Bone is a type of dense connective tissue comprised of collagen, a fibrous protein.  This protein comes from dietary intake of good quality foods that supply a broad spectrum of essential amino acids.  These can be animal proteins like: grass-fed free-range beef, organic free-range chicken and eggs, and wild-caught cold water fish.  Some examples of non-animal protein are:  avocado and quinoa.  Strict vegetarians need to be aware of the amino acid content of their foods so that correct combinations can be made to make a complete protein.

For this discussion, there are two major constituents of bone:  protein and minerals.

Many of you are familiar with the disease Ricketts.  Rickets is a softening of bones in children due to deficiency or impaired metabolism of vitamin D, magnesium, phosphorus or calcium; much like scurvy being a lack of vitamin C.  Osteomalacia is the term used to describe a similar condition occurring in adults.  The typical postural makeup of an individual with Ricketts is being “bow-legged”.  Their bones get soft and bend; if bone gets soft, it doesn’t break easily.  Treatment involves increasing dietary intake of calcium, phosphates and vitamin D. Exposure to ultraviolet B light (sunshine when the sun is highest in the sky) and cod liver oil, as stated earlier, are both good sources of vitamin D.

If D helps with Ca absorption, and a lack of D produces bones that bend, it is very difficult for bone to bend and break at the same time.  In a nutshell, taking away the calcium from bone causes it to bend, not get brittle and break.

The other component of bone is protein.  The minerals that comprise bone physiology are encased within a protein matrix.  Removal of this protein matrix leaves minerals (Ca, Mg, Phosphorus, boron).  In this situation, the bone will be comprised of a bunch of minerals (rock) and this creates bones that are brittle and break.

Osteoporosis is a condition of very low bone density.  This low density is caused from a lack of dietary protein, NOT a lack of minerals.

...this is the abbreviated version.

George Bernard Shaw stated that, “All great truths begin as blasphemies”.

Thyroid testing before and during pregnancy

http://news.yahoo.com/debate-over-needs-thyroid-check-pregnancy-130147923.html

In my 11 years of clinical practice, I have seen and helped people with many issues; sprained ankles and carpal tunnel problems to migraine headaches and lower back pain.  Unfortunately, nothing prepares you for the time when a patient says that she has had a miscarriage.  I can only imagine, because I have seen first hand, the emotional trauma that a husband and wife go through in that situation.  Sadly, miscarriage is becoming more and more prevalent.

There are about 4.4 million confirmed pregnancies in the U.S. every year and more than 500,000 pregnancies each year end in miscarriage (occurring during the first 20 weeks).  Approximately 26,000 end in stillbirth (considered stillbirth after 20 weeks).  That equates to about 25 to 40% of pregnancies ending in miscarriage.

These are staggering statistics and a large culprit is undiagnosed thyroid imbalance.  If you have read some of my prior posts regarding hormones, you are familiar with the phrase "estrogen makes the bed and progesterone keeps the baby in the bed".  So...if progesterone is responsible for "holding" the pregnancy, then progesterone balance is of the utmost importance in regard to preventing miscarriage.    There is one key factor that many people are missing; thyroxine (thyroid hormone) is responsible for carrying progesterone. 

Do not get me wrong, not every miscarriage is related to a progesterone imbalance.  An not every progesterone imbalance is directly related to thyroid problems.  It could be a lack of pregesterone, too much estrogen (very common), faulty liver function (also common), candida (yeast), NOT ENOUGH CHOLESTEROL (yes, you read correctly), structural imbalances (see your chiropractor), or many other issues.  Whatever the case may be, proper diagnosis is the absolute key.

If a couple is planning a pregnancy, thyroid testing should be done a minimum of three (3) months prior to conception and 2 to 3 times during the pregnancy.  If a woman is high risk, testing should be done every 4 to 6 weeks.  Now, most mainstream physicians may very well disagree with this aspect, but it is my professional opinion that this can help PREVENT miscarriages and still-births.  Providing the treating physician knows what to do with the tests. 

When I read this article, I was blown away by the statement, "If you don't know what to do with the results, you probably shouldn't order the test,".  Wow... 

This is a decent article, but I don't think there is much to debate.  Get your thyroid checked (not just TSH) and have the numbers evaluated by a physician skilled in functional thyroid analysis.