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HEALTH FOR LIFE

Fat, Carbs and the Science of Conception

In a groundbreaking new book, Harvard researchers look at the role of diet, exercise and weight control in fertility. Guarantee: you will be surprised.

 
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  • Posted By: Darwinia @ 04/04/2008 1:30:45 AM

    Comment: Sorry the last comment I made should have posted 1/17/08 ish but the system wouldn't let me..... To date: tried the food recommendations and liked the chages I saw overall (it's not much different than a medditeranean style eating plan.) Also went on Progesterone due to my "age" and pretty much got pregnant a month after starting both. Whose to say which helped the most but I am now over 3 months along...yea!

    Rockaway apparently didn't read the article at all......and the stuff about body size???? please list a study conducted long term that verifies the underweight/overweight fertility issues. I've seen anectdotal work but nothing truely serious. I know plenty of examples from both sides of the fence who have gotten pregnant easily (under 35yrs old). Lets try to stick to the science being discussed unless people want to provide 1 deg sources.

    Best wishes to everyone dealing with ovulatory infertility and looking for answers....

  • Posted By: Darwinia @ 04/04/2008 1:16:03 AM

    Comment: Some more to add.....running is not unhealthy when pregnant or trying to get pregnant. I mentioned it only in that my asthma makes me uncomfortable. Comfort is the key- if your exercise of choice is comfortable while pregnant and you see a Doc regularly, continue to do it. Many of my running friends were fine well into their 7th month.
    PCOS is not covered under this article/research. JUST general ovulatory infertility.
    This article is from a well respected group of scientists conducting multiple research studies. Please go to http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/publications/2005.shtml to get an idea of some of their other journal published work. You can also find the questionnaires used for their studies on the site. This 'fertility and diet' article first appeared in the November 1, 2007, issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology (a journal.) It's not just someone's opinion and, as the author states, they were trying to provide solid research data to verify or refute the dearth of opinions and unsubstantiated advice out there. It's the first of it's kind to look at fertility and diet over such a long time period.
    Fertilityfile.com (while not the blog referred to below) gives lots of info (including an opinion on this article) from the perspective of a reproductive endocrinologist. Check it out if you have time.
    Also wanted to clarify my choice of 'Dawinia'- a pointed response to 'evolutionist'- but NOT meant in the false scientific vein of social darwinism. Darwin's paradigm shattering contribution was that life has and will change through time- period.
    In response to eandj62204 - 'Chemicals' are a worth while option for some us looking at our clock and considering IVF or other treatments. Please don't judge us. I would take a chemical any day of the week to prevent another miscarriage and save my child.

  • Posted By: skinnyminny2 @ 03/31/2008 1:41:12 PM

    Comment: Being too thin decreases fertility, too. I'm 25 lb underweight with very little body fat and have not had a period in over a year.
    It's easy for me to stay like this because it's the fat ones who get ripped on, not us skinnies.

  • Posted By: UniqueContent @ 02/15/2008 9:23:37 AM

    Comment: It's long been known that obesity decreases fertility. The mechanism is that adipose tissue absorbs hormones and then leaks them back into the system. That makes the normal hormone cycle flatten out and ovulation is depressed.

    Nice to find out these other factors.

    Best wishes,
    Ron

    =================

    Completely free on demand unique content yours at <a href="http://www.endlessfreeplr.com">Endless Free PLR</a>

  • Posted By: RockawayBrunk65740 @ 02/08/2008 3:32:23 PM

    Comment: one day carbs are good , another day, they aren't. studys contradict each other all the time. I Don't
    worry about studys or what they say is good, or what is not, i just keep doing the same thing, and i am
    just fine

  • Posted By: sbeast @ 01/17/2008 5:15:11 PM

    Comment: And one more... before I forget. "They" actually don't know the reason for PCOS... PCOS for those who do not know, is a symptom based title for having imbalance LH hormones and FSH hormones, along with cysts on the ovaries that never burst into an egg, and don't really go away. There are so many factors that go into why ovaries become cystic- it could be insulin intolerance, it could be genetic, it could be dietary, it could have to do with estrogenic birth controls... the list goes on. I have been diagnosed with PCOS as a very healthy young woman who abides by a whole-foods diet. So, who knows! Again there is nothing but benefits from a healthy life-style.

  • Posted By: sbeast @ 01/17/2008 5:11:12 PM

    Comment: I also wanted to agree that the population comment was made rather sarcastically and offensively to those wishing to have a child. I think it's a VERY sensitive topic as it fights our natural desires to reproduce. It is not wrong to have children. The question is, can we do so as a world in a healthy and sustainable manner... THAT is a topic of discussion for another board!!! Not here.

  • Posted By: sbeast @ 01/17/2008 5:06:35 PM

    Comment: I think no matter what, the MOST important thing to take from this article (and this is coming from someone with ovulation/fertility issues) is to be healthy. That may be different for each individual body. There are so many factors that go into our whole body health: diet, sleep, stress, genetic predispositions, emotional well-being etc. It is important to keep this in perspective. Another thought for all this food talk is what about chemicals and hormones in our food? There is not one part of our body that functions without the rest. It is an entire ship that is effected by each individual part.


  • Posted By: eandj62204 @ 01/12/2008 5:11:35 PM

    Comment: Oops did not realize 1st comment actually posted

  • Posted By: eandj62204 @ 01/12/2008 5:09:04 PM

    Comment: Wow! What an article. And the comments are shall we say heated. From the researching I have done PCOS is a polygenic disorder(affecting 2 genes) not environmental like someone alliterated to. You can get it from either parent. I also have PCOS and think I got it from both parents(both are dead now but looking back at their health history). It is amazing how one article can get so many people fired up. Just because something is printed does not mean it is 100% true. When it comes to health there are too many gray ares to cover everything. It was not someones thesis after all. Someone like me who did not have parents that followed a good balanced diet to educate me better at home and give a good example find alot of the nutrition facts intriguing. I am willing to try just about anything to provide a safer womb environment for a 2nd child that does not involve man made chemicals not found naturally in the body or environment. Its just an article, lets remember that. Its just friendly advice incase someone did not know some of the info in the article. If they had gone into some of the areas posted here it would have led to a medical journal not a mag article.

  • Posted By: eandj62204 @ 01/12/2008 4:53:47 PM

    Comment: Wow what a story. And some of the comments posted are shall we say heated. It was just an article not someone telling you what to do or how to live your life. It is just for informative purposes for people like me who didn't realize some of the nutritional facts. I also have PCOS. Looking back at family histories from both sides in my case it is genetic. Most is. It is in a book by a DR I read many yrs ago that PCOS is a polygenic disorder. Meaning 2 genes are invoved. You can get from either parent. Just because a magazine publishes some research does not mean anyone has to believe any or all facts or follow any of its advise. I personally am willing to give anything a try to make a safer womb environment for a 2nd child without the use of man made chemicals that are not found naturally in the body or in the environment. Besides, its free and that is a plus. Now lets just see how my carnivore husband sees the changes

  • Posted By: detreid @ 01/02/2008 7:16:03 PM

    Comment: I very much agree with IVFMD. For Darwinia, I agree with cutting back on the running.

  • Posted By: Darwinia @ 12/31/2007 2:29:34 AM

    Comment: Sorry, I think I need to clarify one thing....It dawned on me the next day that PCOS is not the acronym for general ovulatory infertility. I don't have PCOS currently but I do have Ovulatory Infertility. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is different and I believe from the authors statement below that this article was not ment to address that issue nor any other more serious infertility complications.
    "At least for now, these recommendations are aimed at preventing and reversing ovulatory infertility, which accounts for one quarter or more of all cases of infertility. They won't work for infertility due to physical impediments ..." I also think it's important to note the age statistics mentioned early in the article (only 10% of 20 yr olds but 30% in their thirties have fertility issues...) The authors don't state that this has changed as a result of their research and so I'd say it's a safe bet that the sample group of established RNs over 8 years ranged from early twenties to late thirties. I think it's unlikely the group included women older than forty as the prevalence of so many other fertility issues would complicate the data. As they stated this was only ment to address general (but very commmon) ovulatory infertility.

  • Posted By: Darwinia @ 12/24/2007 6:04:03 PM

    Comment: This is such an emotionally charged issue (see the comments below!) My own story: EASILY pregnant 1st try at 34, trying now (at 36/37....38 coming fast) for a year with 2 early miscarriages and PCOS. Started Clomid 3 months ago. I have had a healthy diet and have worked out regulary for the last 10yrs- I ran my first half marathon just before the fertility issues started- but I've also been 10-15lbs over average that whole time.
    Fertility is a result of many factors (I've had thyroid isses for 20 years) and I think the authors clearly try to say this- they're are just offering one more possible solution. I appreciate the research they conducted over eight years and the source is a good one with a good population studied. This research HASN'T been done on humans before- anything else I've read has been anecdotal guesswork.
    Is there more to do? SURE! Age would have been a nice factor to include but grow up people- even I knew that at 35 (yes! NOT 40) most women's egg production slows and uterine lining changes to be less hospitable (fibroids, etc, etc) but I waited to have kids. Family history would be really interesting and give light to any genetic component (but both my grandmothers had kids in their late 30's so??)
    It's such an individual soup of life history, chemical exposure, age, genetics, diet, excercise- we all know this- but I am willing to try something as simple and free as this based on statistically significant results and not someone's "theory". I do not think I fit in the ratios the diet outlines currently, there a couple of changes I can make- switch to whole organic milk instead of the lowfat organic; switch to only nuts, beans, fish and eggs for a protein source (hard for me personally but I'm willing); and go back to a little more muscle building excercise (I had cut back on the running worried that it was too much of a stress with my asthma- but didn't add anything else back...); I can boost the amount of fiber I eat. this is very much what I did and craved while breastfeeding all those months (except nuts and protein switch).....anyway we'll see and I'll come back and write again.
    PS- to EVOLUTIONIST- You aren't truely one or you'd believe in having babies to at least replace ourselves and further our individual genotypes. But perhaps your patchouli-esque phenotype missed that lecture in Biology 101.

  • Posted By: IVFMD @ 12/24/2007 11:09:58 AM

    Comment: There's no doubt that diet might have an effect on some people's fertility, but they should avoid inferring from your article that it is THE single most important factor. Thanks for the information. I have blogged my feedback at FertilityFile.

  • Posted By: Mercedesgal @ 12/20/2007 2:20:15 PM

    Comment: I have a daughter who is 11-1/2 yrs old i had her when i was 33. I also have a 3 yr old who I had when I was 42! yes ...Before my husband and i decided we would have another child, I worked out and excercised for a whole year before we started on working on our second one. In fact I got pregnant the same month we tried to have a baby! so you see...being fit and eating healthy does have a bearing on getting pregnant to a point.

  • Posted By: Mercedesgal @ 12/20/2007 2:18:51 PM

    Comment: I have a daughter who is 11-1/2 yrs old i had her when i was 33. I also have a 3 yr old who I had when I was 42! yes ...Before my husband and i decided we would have another child, I worked out and excercised for a whole year before we started on working on our second one. In fact I got pregnant the same month we tried to have a baby! so you see...being fit and eating healthy does have a bearing on getting pregnant to a point.

  • Posted By: coach1313 @ 12/13/2007 8:03:37 PM

    Comment: hey evolutionist. your comments are insensitive! you obviously have no empathy for people who are well deserving of having children but for whatever reason are having issues with fertility. i'm assuming you don't have children and if you do, i pray for them.

  • Posted By: baglady94 @ 12/13/2007 4:53:06 PM

    Comment: Hey Evolutionist,
    You are so ignorant. This is to help people that are struggling with infertility. Not to help everyone to have a baby. You clearly do not understand what this article is about. Your comments are very insensitive.

  • Posted By: Evolutionist @ 12/12/2007 7:41:40 AM

    Comment: Wonderful, research to show people how to make more babies, just what this world needs,...another baby

  • Posted By: Homeopath @ 12/11/2007 1:15:35 PM

    Comment: I will be willing to help women believing in natural healing (homeopathy) to conceive. I need volunteers. I have had exceptional success in treating hypertension, diabetes and non_Hodgkin's lymphoma

    Homeopath Dec. 11, 2007

  • Posted By: Homeopath @ 12/11/2007 1:12:38 PM

    Comment: I would love to help any volunteers who want to be come pregnant with homeopathic remedies. I have no record in this field but have been successful in diabetes, hypertension and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. And of course, I have done all this gratis.

  • Posted By: runnermom @ 12/11/2007 4:39:51 AM

    Comment: I have been trying to get pregnant for 5 years now...but I blame it on too much exercise. I have been an avid runner for 10 years and have not had a period (naturally) for that amount of time. I am more careful with my diet now and get plenty of "good fats," and I have also gained 20 pounds, which I hate, but which are good for my body. I just don't think I'll be able to reverse 10 years of no periods...I want to be optimistic, but even the doctors I see (and I've seen a ton of them) aren't opitmistic. So my husband and I recently adopted a baby, and if I never have my own children naturally, I think I'll be okay with that.

  • Posted By: SassyLuLu @ 12/11/2007 3:14:28 AM

    Comment: You cannot always CHOOSE, regardless of diet, if you will have PCOS or other fertility issues. Just because you are vegan and got pregnant easily means nothing.

  • Posted By: dazzler81 @ 12/10/2007 1:14:32 AM

    Comment: Not surprising at all. I conceived very easily for both of my pregnancies. I am a vegan who exercises daily. I can't remember the last time a white grain or trans fat was in our house. I think most health problems can be solved with diet changes.

  • Posted By: harvetta @ 12/08/2007 6:42:19 PM

    Comment: Interesting, informative but ask me if I want to see a picture of a naked pregnant lady on the cover or keep it on my coffee table? Not!

  • Posted By: harvetta @ 12/08/2007 6:38:14 PM

    Comment: This article is interesting and imformative but ask me if I want to see a picture of a naked pregnant lady on the cover of the magazine or keep it on the coffee table? Not!

  • Posted By: travelchick @ 12/07/2007 7:53:41 PM

    Comment: One other factor that is important that the study did not mention was age. What age groups did the study incorporate? Age plays a HUGE factor in determining egg quality. Alot of the information shows that a woman's ability to conceive (i.e egg quality)decreases after the age of 40 and moreso after the age of 43.
    What about the use ofalternative therapies such a acupuncture or chinese herbs? many people believe that these treatment modalities increase egg quality and fertility as well.Talk about something we don't know!

  • Posted By: travelchick @ 12/07/2007 7:45:39 PM

    Comment: One important factor seems to have been omitted from the information provided. Age. What age were the women in the study featured in this article. That has a HUGE effect on fertility. How were these populations broken down by age or were they? Research indicates that fertility i.e egg quality greatly decreases after the age of 40 and even further after the age of 43. One could do all of this and still not be able to conceive.

  • Posted By: loboms @ 12/07/2007 1:50:46 PM

    Comment: ive been trying to concieve for 2yrs but couldn't. my doctor gave me clomid still i couldn't ovulation, i think the problem is my menstruation, it is scanty and it stays for 2days. advice me on what to do

    • Posted By: baglady94 @ 12/13/2007 16:56:29

      Comment: Hi there,
      I have been struggling for over a year. I did not get a period for 18 months. They wanted me to get on more drugs, I tried Clomid and we were not successful. I am going to treatments of Acupuncture. I have finally have been getting periods. That is what I wanted to try and tackle first before I started on anymore drugs. I would do some research on acupuncture, It can only help your body.
      Stacey

    • Posted By: SassyLuLu @ 12/11/2007 03:20:21

      Comment: Ask your Dr. to induce a cycle using Prometrium (I do not have any cycle at all, and this is a hormone withdrawl cycle). And then use the Clomid or perhaps Clomid isn't doing the job... and you would perhaps do better injecting yourself with Follistim using the Follistim pen (VERY easy, I've done it many times). Clomid worked for my first child. Injecting Repronex worked for the 2nd (but not an easy process) and Follistim injectibles worked for the 3rd. (A much easier process and it truly does not hurt). And then IUI can greatly increase your chances since all these methods make your system more acidic. But more than anything, make sure your Dr. is more than just an average OB/GYN. Look into Dr. Robert Greene, Specialty Care for Women. He is nationally known and amazing. It isn't as simple as diet all the time either, so dont' think its necessarily anything you have any control over. OH, and some women only do have a 2 or 3 day cycle... so, track your cycles... buy an ovulation testing machine and track yourself daily for several months. But I have found that *most* Dr.s know nothing about PCOS or infertility and cannot adequately help.

    • Posted By: mark2000 @ 12/08/2007 01:45:56

      Comment: Hi Loboms, you can try Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. You can check my website it has some info on infertility and how Acupuncture can help. www.NewYorkAcupunctureCenter.com
      Mark.

  • Posted By: katblubel @ 12/05/2007 7:25:58 PM

    Comment: Like many of you I too suffer from PCOS. My doctor put me on Metformin to start with, and if that didn't help he was also going to add Clomid after 6 months. I also started following the glycemic index (so hard at first). I lost some of the weight and I felt a whole lot better and not like my body was out of whack. I then read an article about caffeine and fertility, so I started cutting caffeine out of my diet. Within a month of cutting out caffeine I finally ovulated and got pregnant (it took a total of four months since I was diagnosed) I don't know if it was the Metformin, the dietary changes, nixing the caffeine or a combination of everything, but it worked. I'm currently pregnant with my first child. I am hoping that I do not develop any PCOS side effects during my pregnancy, like gestational diabetes or hypertension.

  • Posted By: obvious_thinker @ 12/05/2007 5:58:39 PM

    Comment: HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD PROBLEMS POSTING - MESSAGES THAT YOU CANNOT POST NOW , TRY LATER???

    • Posted By: Homeopath @ 12/11/2007 13:20:38

      Comment: Yes, yes and then there are duplicates of the same message.

      Homeopath

  • Posted By: Erinm @ 12/05/2007 10:51:21 AM

    Comment: Sorry, I posted twice...I didn't think the first on worked! :)

  • Posted By: Erinm @ 12/05/2007 10:18:15 AM

    Comment: I was not surprised. This article states the obvious; a good diet and exercise will help with your health. What I don't agree with is that it will restore your fertility. As a PCOS sufferer with a BMI of 22, who has always eaten as described in the article and who exercises 4-6 times per week (including having run four marathons), I was offended that they simplified fertility so much. Yes, the things they suggest in the article may help your general health, therefor helping fertility, but it isn't a given. This article made it sound like we bring infertility upon ourselves. I think I, and PCOSers like me, are proof that much of it is genetic. The only thing this article was missing to help 'cure' infertility was to say we should all go on vacation or adopt.

  • Posted By: Erinm @ 12/05/2007 10:12:36 AM

    Comment: As a PCOS sufferer who has always eaten as described in this article and has always exercised 4-6 times per week (including running four marathons), and has a BMI of 22, I take offense at this article. It simplifies the problem making it seem that with a few simple steps it can be eliminated and that we bring this syndrome upon ourselves. I believe the PCOSers like myself, are proof that there has to be a genetic link. I appreciate what was trying to be accomplished with this article, but I wish it would have explained that infertility can, and often is, much more complex than eating right and exercising!

  • Posted By: NYrByChoice @ 12/05/2007 2:01:02 AM

    Comment: The comment about carbs is very biased. For years I exercised moderately, watched my calories, and limited my fats. I kept gaining weight. i did the Atkins in 2003 and dropped 50lbs. I have been on a later stage Atkins since and have kept the weight off. My HDLs are thru the roof, and my Trigycerides dropped from 200 to 25 and my overal cholesterol stabized at 210. Atkine was right. period....

  • Posted By: helskel @ 12/04/2007 2:56:13 PM

    Comment: I'm also a PCOS sufferer. I got myself on a healthy diet, eating only whole grains and cutting out the "bad carbs" like potatoes and white pastas and rices. No processed sugars, or anything of that sort. Lost almost 100 pounds a couple of years ago, and got pregnant the first month I started trying. I firmly believe that it is all in the diet. All of my PCOS symptoms faded, and I had no troubles after that.

  • Posted By: MeMyselfandmyboys @ 12/03/2007 6:42:10 AM

    Comment: I suffered from PCOS for years. I was a milk drinker, up to 1/2 gal a day. I read an article about the hormones being given to cows and stopped drinking milk not realizing when I switched to soy I'd get pregnant in three months, and I did after 17 years of marriage, we conceived three months after I began drinking soy and stopping all cow milk. My cycles are normal now, my weight has leveled and I had my tubes tied to stop getting pregnant. My first child by the way took eight years to come via IVF -- all the rest came very quickly naturally. And they say there's no difference in the milk that's treated and untreated... un-huh, whatever.

  • Posted By: shrela @ 12/03/2007 3:05:42 AM

    Comment: The truth is that no matter what kind of PCOS you have maintaining a healthy weight and a low glycemic load diet is a good step. The other side of it is that it is absolutly necessary for any insulin or hormone involved PCOS and can even upon returning to a healthy weight and maintaining medications, effect for all intents and purposes a cure.

  • Posted By: shrela @ 12/03/2007 2:51:29 AM

    Comment: While some PCOS can be a congenital disease it is mostly an environmental and dietary one. It is a complex disease having relationships not only with insulin insensitivity, diabetes but also with androgen, estrogen, testosterone and thyroid levels. Add to that that some PCOS is not related to any of the above but rather a result from immunological actions or from being prone to scarring.

  • Posted By: shrela @ 12/03/2007 2:38:16 AM

    Comment: What I've heard before is that protein taking 3 days to digest and breaking down into toxins is mostly myth and that the seed of truth in it is for those who have abnormally slow digestion or intestinal movement. The reality is that if your in good health and your digestive track is in good health and you get an adequate amount of fiber all foods are out of your body in about 15 hours.

  • Posted By: switzerdave @ 12/03/2007 12:29:55 AM

    Comment: What about covariates? People who eat different foods might also behave differently -- many things go in to making babiesl.

  • Posted By: allie @ 12/02/2007 11:17:05 PM

    Comment: women who have PCOS also have an increased risk of infertility problems- no matter what they eat. you touched on this with the male hormones but included them in your totally unscientific study - if you have this wrong I can only imagine what else you have sensationalized. Sorry, Newsweek - normally I love you but in this case you clearly didn't look into everything... not even close.

  • Posted By: adele climber @ 12/02/2007 4:43:21 PM

    Comment: this is the wrong notion that every dieter should avoid carbohydrates. because carb diets are readily digestible and therefore expelled in a day after consuming. rather than proteins wherein it stays in the body for three days or more because it is not digested easily. so we have a hard time expelling it and sometimes worse than that it is the toxin supplier to our body. isn't it?

 
 
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