Fertility
Stress reduces conception chances – Journal of Chinese Medicine, Feb 2011
A study by US and UK investigators suggests that high levels of stress le- ay reduce the chances of a woman conceiving during the fertile days of her monthly cycle. The team looked at 274 healthy women aged between 18 and 40 who were trying to become pregnant. During the study, the women provided saliva samples to test for levels of the stress hormone cortisol and alpha-amylase (an indicator of adrenalin levels). They found that those women with high levels of alpha amylase (but not cortisol) across their fertile window were less likely to succeed in conceiving. The results showed that the chances of getting pregnant for women with the highest levels of alpha-amylase were roughly 12% lower than the quarter of women with the lowest levels of alpha-amylase. The authors comment that their findings support the use of relaxation techniques, counselling and approaches such as yoga and meditation to increase the chances of conception. (Stress reduces conception probabilities across the fertile window: evidence in support of relaxation. Fertil Steril. 2010 Aug 5. [Epub ahead of print]).
Acupuncture benefits ICSI in certain kinds of infertility – Journal of Chinese Medicine, Feb 2011
A Brazilian team has found that the ability of acupuncture to benefit fertility treatment may depend on the cause of the woman’s infertility. Four hundred and sixteen patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles were randomised to either a control group or acupuncture treatment (performed immediately before and after embryo transfer). When the results were analysed as a whole, no influence of acupuncture treatment on clinical outcomes was seen. However, when the causes of infertility were exclusively tubal-uterine or idiopathic, a positive effect of acupuncture on pregnancy rates was seen. Women in this subgroup who had acupuncture were five times more likely to become pregnant than those who did not. Trends toward an increase in implantation rates were also seen in this subgroup when acupuncture was performed. The authors conclude that for the subgroup of ICSI patients in which the embryo is not affected by an ovarian or seminal influence, acupuncture is beneficial. (Effect of acupuncture on assisted reproduction treatment outcomes. Acupunct Med. 2010 Dec;28(4):180-4).
Diet improves fertility – Journal of Chinese Medicine, Feb 2008
Following a ‘fertility diet’ may favourably influence fertility in otherwise healthy women. A cohort of 17,544 American women, without a history of infertility, were followed for eight years as they tried to become pregnant. Researchers calculated a dietary score of one to five points for each woman, based on factors previously associated with reduced ovulatory infertility (higher consumption of monounsaturated versus trans fats, vegetable rather than animal protein sources, low glycogenic carbohydrates, high fat dairy, multivitamins and iron in plants and supplements). The results showed that the higher the score indicating increasing adherence the ‘fertility diet’, the lower the risk infertility associated with ovulatory disorders. A combination of five or more low-risk lifestyle factors, including diet, ‘weight control, and physical activity was associated with a 69% lower risk of ovulatory disorder infertility. (Diet and lifestyle in the prevention of ovulatory disorder infertility. Obstet Gynecol. 2007 Nov;110(5):1050-8).