SAN
DIEGO, Calif. (Ivanhoe Newswire) - One in eight couples will have problems
getting pregnant. But what they eat could increase their chances of having a
baby.
Balls,
bottles, and boys, that's what fills Laurie Elper's life.
"This
one looks like me and this one looks like my husband," Laurie Elpers, mother of
twins, told Ivanhoe.
Fraternal
twins Noah and Ben are double trouble their parents thought might never
happen. After months of trying, Laurie
suffered a miscarriage at ten weeks.
"That
really, you know, kind of, shook us a little bit," said Laurie.
In
fact, 30 percent of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage.
"The
risk of miscarriage increases with age.
So that women, for example, that are over 40 can have a one in three
chance of miscarriage," Sanjay Acerwall, MD, Reproductive Endocrinologist at
the UC San Diego, told Ivanhoe.
What
you eat could improve your chances of getting pregnant and carrying your child
to full term. Harvard researchers have come up with a fertility diet. Women should avoid trans fats, cut back on
saturated fats, and add more vegetable oils, nuts, and cold water fish like
salmon. Also, women should consider replacing a serving of meat each day with
beans, peas, soybeans, or tofu. Skim milk appears to promote infertility, so
choose whole milk instead. When it comes
to your veggies, go for spinach, beans, tomatoes, and beets. Most importantly, skip the soda, it could
slow ovulation.
For
men, a 2012 study found eating 75 grams, or about two handfuls of walnuts a day
improves sperm quality. Oysters are not only an aphrodisiac, their high zinc
content helps production of sperm and testosterone. You can also find zinc in beef, eggs, and
beans. The antioxidants found in dried fruits, cranberries, and collard greens
help protect sperm from cellular damage.
Another
fertility fact: as long as you don't drink more than six cups a day, coffee and
tea do not affect a woman's fertility or cause miscarriages.
RESEARCH SUMMARY
BACKGROUND: Infertility is when there is an inability to conceive or get
pregnant. Infertility is grouped into two categories:
- Primary infertility refers to
couples who have not become pregnant after at least 1 year of unprotected
sex (intercourse).
- Secondary infertility refers to
couples who have been pregnant at least once, but never again.
(Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth)
CAUSES: A wide range of
physical and emotional factors can cause infertility. Infertility may be due to
problems in the woman, man, or both.
Female
infertility may be caused by:
- Excessive exercising
- Eating disorders or poor
nutrition
- Obesity
Male
infertility may be due to:
- Environmental pollutants
- Being in high heat for
prolonged periods
- Heavy use of alcohol,
marijuana, or cocaine
(Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth )
TREATMENTS: Some fertility problems are more easily treated than others.
Treatment
for women may include:
- Taking medications, such as,
clomiphene; it stimulates the ovaries to release eggs or metformin; it's
used to treat polycystic ovary syndrome.
- If the fallopian tubes are
blocked, treatment may include tubal surgery.
- When a man is having fertility
issues a doctor may recommend insemination. With insemination the sperm is
collected and then concentrated to increase the number of healthy
sperm.
(Source: www.webmd.com)
