Boost Your Fertility

Boost Your Fertility

 

Reported June 13, 2005

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) — It takes a lot of luck to get pregnant. Some couples have a harder time than others for a variety of reasons. For these men and women, there are some ways to boost their fertility.

She’s a happy mom these days, but once author Fern Reiss and her husband struggled with infertility. She searched for answers and found some on her own. She says, “I found over 500 medical studies that linked fertility to food.”

The research went into her book. It contains advice for men. “Both pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are really good for male infertility.” And for women, leafy greens, veggies, almonds and walnuts are great. But there are foods to avoid. Reiss says, “Ginger in large quantities can cause a miscarriage.” Even milk can have a negative effect on fertility.

Another problem … women like Gretchen Dobson who eat right and exercise a lot may not weigh enough to get pregnant. Dobson, who was a study participant, says, “For the last eight years, we’ve tried unsuccessfully.”

 

The reason may be because she lacks a hormone produced by fat — called leptin. Without the hormone, the brain tells the body to stop the menstrual cycle, making it unlikely a woman would get pregnant.

Researchers are testing leptin replacement treatments. Endocrinologist Corrine Welt, M.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, says: “When leptin rises, the leptin then tells the hypothalamus that there’s plenty of fat here. Go ahead. You can get pregnant now.”

And there’s also the mind-body connection. Psychologist Alice Domar, Ph.D., says: “If you accept the hypothesis that depression contributes to infertility. If you treat the depression, and the depression goes away, the person should be more likely to get pregnant.”

No one diet or method will work for everyone, but knowing there are numerous options may give struggling couples hope.

The infertility diet is favorably reviewed by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Leptin treatments for fertility are not yet approved by the FDA.