http://butternutrition.com/why-we-are-more-infertile-than-our-ancestors/
With an abundance of “healthy” food, medicine and healthcare available, we should be gaining fertility, not losing it– right? But that’s NOT the case. There a quite a few things you can do nutritionally to support fertility, that are NOT happening in the standard American diet. To name a few:
1) Less saturated fat is eaten and this equates to less fat soluble vitamins in the diet (A, D, E, K2).
That egg white omelet, fat free milk and margarine in your diet is what I am talking about! They are at the center of this problem. You see, the fat soluble vitamins are found in the FAT, when you eat low fat, you lose these vital fertility nutrients! These vitamins are imperative for hormone production and reproduction. When you don’t get enough of them, your body can’t made adequate amounts of sex hormones! You also need these fat soluble vitamins to keep cavities away, but that is another story…2) Increased toxins in the diet increases the body’s toxic burden, especially if not met by an abundance of nutrition to help detoxify these toxins from the body and neutralize free radicals from the detox process.
With added coloring, flavors, thickeners, chemicals, antibiotics, GMOs in the food supply, who is making sure you are keeping your liver healthy enough do to all the “dirty work” of detoxification? Certainly no one. In result you suffer from increased inflammation in the body, simply because the body doesn’t have the nutrients it needs to do the job RIGHT.3) Less efficient liver function and detoxification.
This is usually due to a protein deficiency, particularly of anti-inflammatory proteins like the amino acid glycine that fuel phase 2 detoxification in the liver (found in gelatin).4) Increased use of synthetic hormones: the birth control pill, estrogen replacement, etc.
YIKES! Who is telling your body what to do? Is it a hormone made in a lab?5) Increased intake of polyunsaturated fats (think vegetable oils), that slow hormone synthesis.
Polyunsaturated fats (also known as PUFA fats) are now consumed in mass quantity in place of traditional fats (lard, butter, animal fats), and these vegetable oils are VERY detrimental to our health (they actually hurt hormone production and increase the signs of aging)! Definitely not fertility’s best friend.“Unsaturated fats cause aging, clotting, inflammation, cancer, & weight gain.” Ray Peat, PhD (PMS to Menopause: Female Hormones in Context).
6) Increased intake of processed food in the diet with very little nutrient value, that doesn’t allow a women with sufficient nutrient stores for supporting a growing fetus.
The body is very smart. If there is not enough nutrition to support the mother and the fetus, pregnancy will not happen. It’s a part of your body’s innate intelligence for our own survival.7) Hormonal imbalance.
An excess of estrogen and low levels of progesterone set the stage for cyclic female issues. Read more about this here.8) Deficiencies, particularly those vital for hormone production, namely:
- Cholesterol (butter, eggs, and animal foods): I know you’ve heard the cholesterol fearing messages from the media, urging Americans to lower their intake of cholesterol rich foods, when in reality that message is very SILLY, as cholesterol is the RAW MATERIAL for making hormones!
- Animal sourced vitamin A (liver, eggs, butter, whole milk, cod liver oil). Vitamin A deficiency is one of the biggest nutrition deficiencies I see with my clients, and this is happening because of #1 on the list (re-read if needed to connect the dots).
- T3 thyroid hormone: thyroid hormone drives the speed your body converts the raw materials into sex hormones (see info-graphic below).
9) Last but not least– STRESS!
Did you know that when you are under stress, your body instinctively makes less progesterone (the pro-gestation hormone to support pregnancy) and makes more cortisol (the stress hormone) instead? This is why some of you ladies will skip your monthly cycle when under a lot of stress! Chronic stress is a growing trend, and it definitely plays an important role in sex and reproduction.It doesn’t have to be this way! The time is NOW to transform the generation of infertility into a powerful world of fertility. Fertility is a sign of health, and a lack of it is a key clue your body is trying to tell you something! It’s also important to remember that infertility is not just about women! Men’s reproductive health/nutrition is equally important (so share this with the men in your life too)!
