We are waiting until later and later in life to have children, and so more and more couples have concerns about their fertility. Additionally, infertility rates have been on the rise since world war 2 and show no signs of slowing. In order to support natural fertility, we must both address the environmental factors that lead to infertility as well as support the reproductive organs specifically.
First, let’s talk about what infertility is. A couple is diagnosed with infertility if they are unable to conceive after one year of trying to conceive. While the assumption is that female infertility is normally the cause, somewhere between 40-50% of infertility is actually due to male infertility.
A woman can have an irregular cycle, endometriosis, PCOS, or other reproductive disease and still be fertile. However, some of these conditions, for instance PCOS, make it harder to conceive due to infrequent ovulation, or in the case of endometriosis, scar tissue can obstruct implantation. So the first step in female infertility is to address these hormonal issues and get her cycle normal and healthy.
This is an area in medicine where naturopathic medicine really shines. We have a whole host of wonderful herbs and nutrients that can work to regulate cycles, balance hormones, and clear hormone breakdown products. Getting your period should be a painless event, with no PMS, no hormonal acne, no night sweats, no moodiness, and no breast tenderness! You can find more information about fixing your period HERE, but generally the better and more regular your period, the less likely you are to be infertile.
For a man, it is less obvious when he is infertile (except of course in the case of impotence) because men don’t typically get hormonal symptoms like women do to warn them that something is awry with their reproductive system. So for men the first sign of infertility is often the inability to conceive with their partner and subsequent testing to determine whether they are making viable sperm.
For both men and women who want to improve their fertility whether or not they have been diagnosed with infertility, it is critical to decrease environmental factors that disrupt the reproductive system. The cells that make eggs and sperm, called gametes, are very sensitive to toxins like pesticides, phthalates, BPA, and other endocrine disruptors.
We know this because those who work in industries with more exposure to these chemicals have higher rates of reproductive issues. The CDC lists the following as causes of infertility for women:
a variety of pesticides
carbon disulfide (CS2)
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
organic solvents
jet fuel
shift work
For men, the list from the CDC is even longer, but this is likely only because it is easier to study male fertility, not because the male reproductive system is more fragile than the female:
Insecticides
Lead
Organophosphates
DDE
Manganese
Phthalates
Diesel exhaust
Bisphenol A
Chromium
Paraquat/malathion
Carbon disulfide
Carbofuran
Petrochemicals
Pesticides
Fenvalerate
Benzene
Welding
N, N-dimethylformamide
Abamectin
We also know that sperm production can impaired by too much heat as in the case of placing a warm laptop in his lap for extended periods of time, and from trauma to the area, specifically bicycle seats.
Recipe for infertility! Yikes!
For men and women a lot of these exposures can be reduced by simple practices like not microwaving anything in plastic, not drinking from plastic bottles that have gotten warm in the sun, buying organic produce when possible, buying organic grains, not using lawn chemicals, and by switching personal care items to natural versions.
However, for some people these chemicals are from their job, for instance, mechanics, farmers, dentists and dental techs, lawn care, nail stylists, and dry cleaning personnel all have high exposures. Living next to a freeway, golf course, farm, or other industry that uses lots of chemicals also puts you at a higher exposure level.
In these situations, it is best to minimize exposure by wearing proper safety equipment, and to minimize the negative effects by increasing your antioxidant status. It is also important to work on optimizing detoxification processes to help get these chemicals out of the body. I wrote a whole post on detoxification which you can read HERE.
There are some antioxidants that have specific research for their impact on fertility. For both sexes grape seed extract, NAC, and CoQ10 can improve gamete quality. Folate and other B-vitamins can also benefit fertility. Woman-specific support includes inositol, melatonin, essential fatty acids like omega 3s, and alpha lipoic acid. Man-specific support includes zinc, arginine, and carnitine.
Of course the dose always matters as does the bioavailability. In order to overcome infertility you’re going to need a higher dose than you would if you are just looking to optimize function. Some antioxidants like CoQ10 are very difficult to absorb from the intestinal tract and so they need special technology to get across the intestinal barrier into the bloodstream. For these sorts of supplements, you get what you pay for insofar as the cheaper supplements won’t actually be providing a nutrient your body can utilize effectively.
My favorite CoQ10 is CoQMax Omega from Xymogen. This product uses the incredible bioavailability of MaxSimil fish oil (3 times more absorbable than normal fish oil) to carry CoQ10 right into the bloodstream. I love the enhanced bioavailability of this product, but I also love that it delivers half a gram of omega 3s which are so anti-inflammatory.
Amino acids like arginine and NAC on the other hand are readily absorbed from the intestines and don’t require any special formulation. For amino acids it’s just the purity of the product and of course the dose that matters. There are slight variations in form, for instance L-carnitine versus acetyl-L-carnitine, but this won’t have nearly as drastic of an impact on absorption as compared to other types of nutrients. Consequently, amino acids tend to be less expensive supplements across brands.
Not sure where to start? Start by talking to your local friendly naturopath (*hint* that’s me) to put together a regimen that works for your body and your specific needs. Want to manage on your own? You can find access to physician quality supplements at www.wholescripts.com using the referral code 202020. Check out the CoQmax omega, ALA CR, Activ-B, and zinc chelate for a really great combo!