9 Tips For
Supporting Hormones And Fertility Health
U
by Marisa Kahlich
In this article:
Supporting Fertility Health
Meet The Author
We partnered with Marisa Kahlich, L.Ac MSAOM, Owner and Clinical Director of the Texas Center For Reproductive Acupuncture to provide her top tips for supporting hormones and fertility health.
1
Consult your physician
2
Start with the basics
3
Consider supplements
4
Track your symptoms
5
Sleep, sleep, sleep
6
Maintain and support gut health
7
Manage stress and prioritize self-care
8
Exercise
9
Show your endometrium some love
Consult Your Physician
First, and most importantly, schedule a visit with your RE, OB, or doctor if you or your partner have a health concern that needs further investigation or treatment. If you have an irregular cycle, have your hormones and thyroid function tested on day three of your cycle. It’s also wise to have a wellness check and basic blood labs (CBC, CMP) drawn annually. Additionally, there are plenty of actions you can take on your own to support healthy, balanced hormones and fertility.
Start With The Basics
Make sure you’re getting adequate nutrition, staying well hydrated, and avoiding environmental toxins when possible. In terms of nutrition, it’s important to eat a balanced, clean diet while minimizing processed foods, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine. It’s also best to avoid anything you know or feel your body disagrees with such as dairy, gluten, or refined oils. Depending on where you live, you may also consider filtering your water. If you’re curious, you can check to see what’s in your water directly via ewg.org.
Consider Supplements
Supplements can provide nutrients that we otherwise cannot get enough of from diet alone. This regimen might look different from person to person, but there are certain supplements that many can benefit from, like CoQ10, DHA, and a prenatal vitamin. Someone with PCOS may consider taking myo-inositol (Tagliaferri et al.). When buying a prenatal vitamin supplement, look for a good quality brand and forms and levels of folate or folic acid, as well as iron and iodine. Many people, unknowingly, have an MTHFR gene mutation, meaning they don’t adequately use or convert folic acid to its active form (Long and Goldblatt).
In this case, folate in the form of methylfolate is recommended. Most importantly, all women of child-bearing age should take a folate containing multivitamin to ensure adequate intake of folate. It is generally advised to start taking a good quality prenatal vitamin at least 3 months before trying to conceive, throughout pregnancy, and postpartum while breastfeeding (Mayo Clinic). The main difference between a prenatal vitamin and a regular multivitamin are the higher levels of folate (to prevent neural tube defect), iron and iodine, among other differences in nutrient levels (Centers for Disease Control). If your prenatal doesn’t contain DHA, then it’s generally recommended to add a DHA Omega-3 fatty acid supplement to your regimen as well (Nehra et al.).
Track Your Symptoms
Practice listening to the messages your body gives you. Anytime you have a symptom, such as pain, headache, spotting, etc… write it down in an app, notebook, or on a calendar. The timing and quality of your symptoms is a clue as to what's going on internally — you might even start to notice patterns.
If you aren’t already, get in the habit of tracking your monthly cycle. You don’t have to use every method of tracking, but at least find one or two that work with your busy schedule. You can start by downloading an app or buying a journal.
Sleep, Sleep, Sleep
Make sure you’re getting enough sleep — aim for 8 hrs. or a minimum of 7 hrs. nightly. Sleep is imperative to having balanced hormones for both men and women. Start with healthy habits like getting to bed early enough, keeping the thermostat at or below 70 degrees at night, and eliminating light pollution in the bedroom. Turn off screens at a reasonable time, and keep electronics out of the bedroom (Scholl).
Maintain And Support Gut Health
The multitude of individuals suffering from gut issues or indigestion probably don’t realize how important gut function is for hormone balance. The gut is involved in healthy hormone metabolism, so it’s important to stay regular. If you aren’t already, take a probiotic daily, or include fermented foods like kefir or kombucha.
Additionally, if your bowel habits are not regular, slowly add more fruits and vegetables to your diet to increase fiber intake. You may also consider adding magnesium citrate to your daily routine. And, always speak with your doctor!
Manage Stress And Prioritize Self-Care
Whatever your healthy preference is to unwind, whether it’s yoga or meditation, gardening or cooking — do more of it. Stress is unavoidable, so making time to do more of what helps you relax is imperative. Self-care is also important to your overall health and well-being. Make it a point to see an acupuncturist, massage therapist, chiropractor or therapist. Everyone needs maintenance, and there are so many wonderful professionals out there who can help.
Exercise
Find balance with exercise and staying active. Too little or too much can be a bad thing. Don’t force an early morning run or workout if you’ve hardly slept or are feeling exhausted. Prioritize listening to your body and give yourself permission to move more or less depending on how you’re feeling day-to-day.
Staying active can be as simple as adding in a daily walk, activities, or chores around the house. It’s also important to take breaks from prolonged sitting, especially if you work a sedentary job.
Show Your Endometrium Some Love
Include strategies to improve your endometrial lining and support implantation. Two ways to do this include consuming organic bone broth and additional sources of collagen in your diet. Both provide plenty of amino acids like proline, glycine, and glutamine which are vital for collagen production in the body and support cellular function.
They both provide additional proteins and micronutrients that boost overall health and are essential for healthy tissue development. Studies show that both also support gut health, metabolism, and reduce inflammation (Chris Kressner). Another way to support endometrial function is by increasing nitric oxide (NO) in the blood. NO plays an important role in endometrial receptivity and implantation, and can be increased supplementally, but also through diet and lifestyle (Chwalisz and Garfield).
Note: This article is the words of Marisa Kahlich, L.Ac MSAOM. The information provided in this article and on the UpSpring website is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control. “Use of Dietary Supplements Containing Folic Acid Among Women of Childbearing Age --- United States, 2005.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2005, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5438a4.htm. Accessed 3 April 2021.
- Chris, Kresser. “The Bountiful Benefits of Bone Broth: A Comprehensive Guide.” chriskresser.com, 2019, https://chriskresser.com/the-bountiful-benefits-of-bone-broth-a-comprehensive-guide/. Accessed 20 4 2021.
- Chwalisz, K., and R. E. Garfield. Role of nitric oxide in implantation and menstruation, PubMed, 2000, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11041226/. Accessed 21 April 2021.
- Long, Sarah, and Jack Goldblatt. “MTHFR genetic testing: Controversy and clinical implications.” Men's Health, Australian Family Physician, April 2016, https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2016/april/mthfr-genetic-testing-controversy-and-clinical-implications/. Accessed 5 April 2021.
- Mayo Clinic. “Healthy Lifestyle: Pregnancy week by week.” Prenatal vitamins: Why they matter, how to choose, Mayo Clinic, 1 May 2020, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/prenatal-vitamins/art-20046945. Accessed 4 April 2021.
- Nehra, Deepika, et al. Prolonging the female reproductive lifespan and improving egg quality with dietary omega-3 fatty acids. NBCI, 2012, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5624332/. Accessed 7 April 2021.
- Scholl, Juliann. “Sleep and Fertility: Can Sleep Affect Conception?” Science, March 2021, https://www.sleep.org/can-sleep-affect-conception/. Accessed 3 April 2021.
- Tagliaferri, Valeria, et al. “Metformin vs myoinositol: which is better in obese polycystic ovary syndrome patients? A randomized controlled crossover study.” NCBI Literature Resources, Feb. 2017, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28092404/. Accessed 7 April 2021.
