A study out of Yale University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine has found that women with blood type O are at double the risk of diminished ovarian reserve than women of other blood types. However, one expert on fertility says more research needs to be done after these “surprising and stark” findings.Women under the age of 45 were measured for levels of the reproductive hormone FSH. An FSH level greater than 10 indicated diminished ovarian reserve. Other fertility factors including age and body mass index (BMI) were considered before comparing the blood types and FSH levels of patients.Researchers discovered that women with types A or AB blood were significantly less likely to have an FSH greater than 10 than were women with types O or B blood.“This is a novel look at a poorly understood part of reproductive aging. Through studies like these we will be better able to understand the complexities of the human reproductive system,” says William Gibbons, MD, president of the ASRM. In Australia, 49% of Australians have type O, 38% type A, 10% type B and 3% type AB.More research is needed, however. The FSH method isn’t the most accurate for measuring fertility but can assess approximates of egg reserve. A more precise marker of ovarian reserve is to measure a woman’s anti-mullerian hormones (AMH).Richard Fleming, PhD, and scientific director of the Glasgow Centre for Reproductive Medicine comments on type O women wanting to have a baby, saying “It is an interesting, and to me, quite surprising finding that needs to be substantiated. Therefore, the implication for someone with type O is number one, don’t worry.”“Number two, if women have fertility concerns,” Fleming says, “get their AMH measured, […]
Obesity Linked to Lower Sperm Count in Young Men
Young men who are obese may have a lower sperm count than their normal-weight counterparts, a new study suggests. The findings, reported in the journal Fertility and Sterility, add to evidence tying obesity to relatively poorer quality sperm. A number of recent studies have found that compared with leaner men, obese men tend to have lower sperm counts, fewer rapidly mobile sperm and fewer progressively motile sperm, which refers to sperm that swim forward in a straight line rather than moving about aimlessly.But age is a “confounding” factor in examining the relationship between obesity and sperm quality. Older men tend to have lower sperm quality than younger men, and they also tend to have more body fat. However, among the more than 2,000 men in the current study, obese men between the ages of 20 and 30 generally had a lower sperm count than normal-weight men in the same age group.What all of this might mean for an obese younger man’s chances of becoming a father is unclear. Studies have so far come to conflicting conclusions as to whether obesity actually impairs a man’s fertility. And these latest findings do not reveal whether the difference in sperm count between obese and normal-weight men would be enough to also make a difference in their fertility, according to lead researcher Dr. Uwe Paasch, of the University of Leipzig in Germany.For their study, Paasch and his colleagues used information from a database on men who had come to their fertility clinic for a semen analysis between 1999 and 2005. The 2,157 men included in the study were 30 years old, on average, and had no known infertility problems.Overall, obese men had a relatively lower average sperm count […]
Organic Food Really Is More Healthy
I am a passionate believer of organic food and have been eating organically for many years now. Not only does it taste better but I truly believe that is supports my immunity and gives me more energy. People buy organic produce because they believe it is more environmentally responsible, more healthful and tastes better than produce grown conventionally. When it comes to strawberries, turns out they’re right.A new study of 13 pairs of conventional and organic California strawberry farms over two seven-month growing seasons in 2004 and 2005 revealed that organic farms produced more flavourful and nutritious berries while leaving the soil more healthful and genetically diverse. In a surprising twist, the organic strawberries also had a longer shelf life than the other varieties.The study, published Wednesday, is among the most comprehensive of its kind nationwide. To date, most research has looked at either organic farming’s impact on nutrition or the soil – not both. “There is no paper in the literature that comprehensively and quantitatively compares so many indices of both food and soil quality at multiple sampling times on so many commercial farms,” said lead researcher John Reganold, Washington State University Regents professor of soil, science and agroecology.Reganold said the research team chose to study strawberries because the berries are near the top of the list of produce that retains pesticide residues. According to the Environmental Working Group, strawberries rank third out of 50 popular fruits and vegetables. In a single sample of conventionally grown strawberries, researchers found 13 kinds of pesticides.And California was the obvious location for the study. The state grows 90% of the nation’s strawberries and accounts for 25% of global production. The findings come as state regulators are […]
The Nasty Secret in your Kitchen Cupboard
Some of Britain’s best-known foods contain the controversial chemical bisphenol A. Tins of Heinz baked beans, soup and beans, John West and Princes fish, and Napolina tomatoes are lined with a membrane containing bisphenol A, or BPA. Other companies using it in their tins include the biggest retailers in the UK, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda, who use it for tins of tuna and sardines.Britain’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has given the chemical the all-clear, in contrast to the US Food and Drug Administration, which in January expressed concern over its impact on the brains and development of young children and said it was “taking reasonable steps to reduce human exposure” to it in the food supply. After the American U-turn, the EU-funded European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) launched and is still carrying out a review of BPA.BPA is an endocrine disruptor that interrupts hormones and, in laboratory experiments on animals, has been linked with breast cancer, prostate cancer, hyperactivity and other metabolic and behavioural problems, diseases which are all on the rise in the West. But the plastics and chemicals industries insist its use is safe and accuse campaigners of misleading the public, pointing to industry-funded studies involving large numbers of rodents that have shown no harm.At stake is the future of one of the highest production volume chemicals in the world. BPA is widely used to harden the plastic casings of mobile phones and computers and makes baby bottles shatterproof. In food products, it commonly lines the inside of cans and tins to protect their contents from being contaminated by the metal.To establish its prevalence in food, The Independent surveyed manufacturers of the UK’s 20 best-selling tinned foods. Although it is not stated […]
80% Pregnant Women Low in Vitamin D
Widespread vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women suggests that antenatal screening for deficiency should be extended to all women, not just those traditionally considered to be at high risk, Australian researchers say.A study in a region of northern Victoria found that around 80% of low-risk pregnant women have insufficient vitamin D levels, 28% have mild deficiency during the winter months and 7% have moderate to severe deficiency.The study of more than 330 women attending routine antenatal clinics in Shepparton also found that deficiency was also present in the summer months, with 50% of pregnant women having insufficient vitamin D levels (between 50 and 75mmol/L), 12% having mild vitamin D deficiency (25-50mmol/L) and 3% having moderate to severe deficiency.The findings, published in the Australia and NZ Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology may explain why some children in the region still develop rickets even though there is abundant sunshine, say the study authors from the Rural Clinical School of the University of Melbourne. They note that vitamin D deficiency was almost universal in women in their study who were from high risk groups such as those from Arabic backgrounds.“However, our study would support routine testing for all antenatal women, as even apparently low risk women are commonly vitamin D deficient,” they write. The only question remaining is over the optimum level of supplementation, they say, with some doubt about whether the daily supplements of 800IU of vitamin D a day may be insufficient to raise vitamin D levels.
Acupuncture – Why You Should Do It
Acupuncture treatments appear to help to reduce insulin resistance, according to a report just released from the Kanazawa Medical University in Japan. Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years in China and has been increasingly used worldwide for insulin resistance-related diseases.The report was based on the analysis of 234 publications on the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for problems related to insulin resistance. All together, these publications provide clinical evidence indicating that acupuncture is effective for reducing insulin resistance.Researchers at Goteborg University in Sweden published a review article on acupuncture for PCOS. They concluded: “Clearly, acupuncture can affect PCOS via modulation of…the sympathetic nervous system, the endocrine and the neuroendocrine system.”Have you overlooked acupuncture as a wholistic way to help you deal with polycystic ovary syndrome and insulin resistance? I love acupuncture and always tell women going through IVF to have sessions before and after their embryo transfer. Acupuncture is also fantastic when women are overdue with their pregnancy and a very easy, non invasive way to get labour started. Maybe you should give it a try.Consider adding an experienced acupuncturist to your personal healthcare team. At Darling Street Health Centre we have a very experienced clinician, Lina Thornton who I can’t say enough great things about!Sources: Liang F et al, Acupuncture: is it effective for treatment of insulin resistance?, Diabetes Obes Metab. 2010 Jul;12(7):555-69Stener-Vuictorin E et al, Acupuncture in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Current Experimental and Clinical Evidence, J Neuroendocrinol. 2008 Mar;20(3):290-8
Importance of Vitamins in Pregnancy
Vitamins could help nutrient-deficient mothers have healthier babies a study has found.402 poorly nourished women from a socially deprived area in east London were given a multivitamin and mineral supplement (including iron and folic acid) or a placebo from their first trimester of pregnancy to see if it would have any effect on their health and the health of their babies.Women who took the supplement were found to have better nutrient status at 36 weeks than those who took placebo. Women taking the supplement were less likely to have a baby who was small-forgestational age.It makes sense that pregnant women should have a healthy diet and take a multivitamin supplement in order to ensure that they are taking in, and passing on, all the essential micronutrients. There is a school of thought that in developed countries, there is no need for pregnant women to take a supplement as diets in these countries are adequate, but one of the study authors says that the results “blows out of the water the idea that all women in the UK are adequately nourished”. The trial of 400 women in east London, found the number of “small-for-gestational age” babies was reduced among those who took a multivitamin supplement compared with those given a placebo.http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0007114510000747
Pregnancy & Vitamin D – Latest Research
Pregnant women should take 4,000 IU vitamin D daily recommend researchers after publishing their study.
494 pregnant women were given a daily dose of vitamin D (400, 2000 or 4000 IU) from 12-16 weeks’ gestation until delivery to evaluate the effects of vitamin D during pregnancy. Women who took the highest vitamin D dosage had the lowest rates of preterm labour and preterm birth, and the lowest rates of infection. No adverse events related to vitamin D were reported for mothers or babies with any of the doses tested.
Recent studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is a serious public health issue and this study found that not only was taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy safe for mother and baby, but also that it can prevent preterm labour/births and infections.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100501013417.htm
Pregnancy&Vitamin D – Latest Research
Pregnant women should take 4,000 IU vitamin D daily recommend researchers after publishing their study.494 pregnant women were given a daily dose of vitamin D (400, 2000 or 4000 IU) from 12-16 weeks’ gestation until delivery to evaluate the effects of vitamin D during pregnancy. Women who took the highest vitamin D dosage had the lowest rates of preterm labour and preterm birth, and the lowest rates of infection. No adverse events related to vitamin D were reported for mothers or babies with any of the doses tested.Recent studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is a serious public health issue and this study found that not only was taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy safe for mother and baby, but also that it can prevent preterm labour/births and infections.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100501013417.htm
Mediterranean diet increases chances of pregnancy after infertility treatment
The diets of 161 women undergoing IVF treatment were evaluated to see if their dietary habits affected their chances of becoming pregnant.Two main dietary patterns were observed: a healthy diet characterised by high intakes of fruit, vegetables, fish, and wholegrains, and a Mediterranean diet characterised by high intake of vegetable oils, vegetables, fish and beans.Women who most closely adhered to a Mediterranean diet had a 40% greater chance of pregnancy after infertility treatment than those who ate the least Mediterranean-like diet.In vitro fertilisation is a costly and emotionally stressful experience – anything that increases the chances of a successful pregnancy would be of huge benefit for thousands of women and couples. This study from the Netherlands found that adhering to a Mediterranean diet could increase the chances of success by 40%. The authors stress that this was an observational study and cause-and-effect have not been proved. But given that it is a very healthy diet anyway, it is strongly recommended for women undergoing IVF and the studies that prove that it works are eagerly awaited.http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(09)04338-6/abstract
