GOOD FOOD SOURCES OF CARNITINE
Red meats
Fish
Poultry
Milk and dairy products
Whole wheat
Avocados
Take Up to 200 Micrograms of Selenium Daily
Fertile men need selenium; it is necessary for healthy sperm production and for a healthy sex drive. It is also critical for liver, heart, and white blood cell function, and it contributes to the breakdown of fat in the body.
While researchers don’t fully understand the role of selenium and fertility, they do know that almost half of a male’s selenium supply can be found in the testicles and the seminal ducts next to the prostate gland. Since selenium is a powerful antioxidant, it may work by protecting the sperm from the hazards of exposure to damaging free radicals. Men with low levels of selenium—and consequently high levels of exposure to free radicals—are much more likely to have abnormal sperm and low sperm counts, compared to men who are not exposed to free radical damage. In fact, high levels of free radicals are found in the semen of 40 percent of infertile men.
Signs of selenium deficiency include liver disease, skin problems, and arthritis.
GOOD FOOD SOURCES OF SELENIUM
Note: The selenium content of foods is highly variable because of the wide variability of this element in the soil
Fish and shellfish
Organ meats
Whole grains
Brewer’s yeast
Dairy products, especially egg yolks
Molasses
Mushrooms
Brazil nuts
Eat a Diet Rich in Soy Foods
To boost your testosterone level and promote fertility, have a heaping helping of legumes, seeds, or other soy-rich foods. Soy is a good source of isoflavonoids or phytoestrogens, compounds that function like a mild form of estrogen in the body. These compounds actually bind to estrogen receptors, preventing the body’s own estrogen from binding to the receptor. Making a few changes in your diet may be enough to help if your testosterone levels are marginal or low.
GOOD FOOD SOURCES OF SOY
Soybeans
Soy flour
Soy milk
Textured soy protein
Tofu
Miso
Tempeh
Legumes
Nuts and seeds
FOUR SIMPLE WAYS TO ADD SOY TO YOUR DIET
In baking, substitute one-third cup of soy flour and two-thirds cup of wheat flour per cup of flour in recipes.
Use soy milk instead of cow’s milk.
Use textured vegetable protein instead of ground beef in recipes.
Snack on roasted soy nuts.
Take Up to 10 Micrograms of Vitamin B12 Daily as Part of a B-complex Supplement
Vitamin B12 is involved in cellular replication and the formation of genetic material and red blood cells. A deficiency of vitamin B12 (or cyanocobalamine) can lead to reduced sperm count and sperm motility. Even in the absence of a vitamin B12 deficiency, taking supplements seems to stoke the body’s sperm manufacturing systems. In one study, men with low sperm counts (less than 20 million per milliliter) took 1,000 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily. By the end of the study, almost one out of three men had achieved a total sperm count of more than 100 million. You should not take megadoses of vitamin B l2 without consulting a doctor; high levels of one ? vitamin can cause an imbalance in the other ? vitamins. However, taking a moderate dose as part of a B-complex supplement may help overcome a vitamin deficiency that may be contributing to your infertility problems.
GOOD FOOD SOURCES OF VITAMIN B12
Organ meats: liver, kidney
Dairy products: milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese (especially Camembert and Gorgonzola)
Fish and shellfish
Meat: beef, poultry, pork
Be aware that anti-gout medications, anticoagulant drugs, and potassium supplements may block the absorption of vitamin ?12, possibly contributing to a vitamin deficiency.
Take Up to 3,000 Milligrams of Vitamin C Daily
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can almost be considered a wonder vitamin, especially when it comes to fertility. In the body, it helps bind cells together and strengthens the walls of the blood vessels; it helps fight infection; it promotes wound healing—and it does a fabulous job of promoting healthy sperm. Vitamin C levels are much higher in seminal fluid compared to other body fluids, including the blood.
Studies have shown that men who took as little as 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily showed increased sperm count and improved sperm motility and longevity. One study looked at the impact of vitamin C deficiency on sperm clumping, a problem that contributes to infertility because sperm must swim alone in order to build enough momentum to penetrate and fertilize an egg. (The experts say that a clumped sperm figure of more than 25 percent often separates fertile from infertile men.) Researchers looked at thirty-five young men with high rates of sperm clumping; they found that all the men had low levels of vitamin C in their blood. But vitamin C offered a simple and effective cure: After just one week with a daily supplement of 1 gram of vitamin C, the men had normal levels of vitamin C in their blood and normal sperm motility.
Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have found that vitamin C also helps protect sperm’s genetic material—its DNA—from damage caused by free radicals in the body. To test the role of vitamin C on sperm, the researchers at Berkeley reduced the dietary vitamin C intake in healthy male subjects from 250 milligrams to just 5 milligrams per day. In response to this vitamin C deficiency, the vitamin C levels in the seminal fluid dropped by 50 percent and the number of sperm with damaged DNA shot up by 91 percent. When the men resumed their normal diet (which included 60 to 250 milligrams of vitamin C), the DNA damage to the sperm declined within one month. The bottom line: Vitamin C not only helps prevent infertility, it may also help prevent birth defects in offspring.
Be aware that the use of aspirin, alcohol, analgesics, antidepressants, anticoagulants, and steroids may reduce vitamin C levels in the body. Medications for diabetes and sulfa drugs may not be as effective when taken with vitamin C. Signs of vitamin C deficiency include scurvy, bleeding gums, loose teeth, slow healing, dry and rough skin, and loss of appetite.
GOOD FOOD SOURCES OF VITAMIN C
Rose hips
Fruits: oranges, pineapples, grapefruit, lemon, lime, kiwi, mangos, cantaloupe, cherries, papayas, strawberries, tomatoes
Peppers (red, yellow, and green)
Green vegetables, especially broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and spinach
Avocados
Cauliflower
New potatoes
Onions
Radishes
Watercress
Calves’ liver
COUPLES
Take Up to 800 IU of Vitamin E Daily
Vitamin E is necessary for balanced hormone production in both women and men. It also helps the body form red blood cells, muscles, and other tissues, and it is necessary for the breakdown of fats.
Vitamin E has been shown to improve sperm count and motility. In the laboratory, it has been found to enhance the ability of sperm to fertilize eggs in test tubes. As an antioxidant, it also helps protect cell membranes-including sperm membranes—from free radical damage.
The body needs zinc to maintain the proper levels of vitamin ? in the blood, so you might consider taking supplemental zinc as well as vitamin E. People suffering from diabetes, heart disease, or thyroid disorders should not use this vitamin without consulting a physician.
GOOD FOOD SOURCES OF VITAMIN E
Note: Vitamin E is the only vitamin destroyed by freezing; it is also nutritionally diminished by exposure to extreme heat.
Wheat germ
Whole-grain cereals and breads
Green vegetables
Nuts: almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts
Vegetable oils
Take Up to 50 Milligrams of Zinc Daily
Zinc
is an essential mineral for both female and male reproductive health. In women, zinc deficiency can lead to hormone imbalance, abnormal ovarian development, and menstrual irregularity. Once a woman is pregnant, zinc deficiency can also increase the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, pregnancy-related high blood pressure, and low-birth-weight infants.
In men, zinc is important for the healthy functioning of the prostate gland and the reproductive organs. This mineral is crucial for cell division, growth, and repair, and it plays a role in the metabolism of carbohydrates and vitamins. Low levels of zinc can cause a loss of taste, delayed wound healing, and infertility.
Even mild zinc deficiency can lead to low sperm count. Fortunately, taking supplemental zinc can improve sperm count and motility. One study of thirty-seven infertile men involved the use of 60 milligrams of zinc sulfate for forty to fifty days. Of the men with low testosterone levels, sperm counts increased by 8 million to 20 million. Other studies have demonstrated an improvement in semen quality and motility.
GOOD FOOD SOURCES OF ZINC
Meat, poultry, pork
Eggs
Seafood, especially oysters and herring
Whole grains and wheat germ
Brewer’s yeast
Seeds: sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
Bonemeal
Molasses and maple syrup
Zinc also appears to play a role in regulating sex drive, adding credibility to the use of oysters as a male aphrodisiac. (Just six medium eastern oysters contain a whopping 76 milligrams of zinc.)
FERTILITY CHECKLIST
HERS
Vitamin A: up to 10,000 IU daily.
Vitamin B6: up to 50 milligrams three times a day.
Copper: up to 2.5 milligrams daily.
Evening primrose oil: up to 500 milligrams three times a day.
HIS
Arginine: up to 4 grams daily.
Cottonseed oil: Avoid.
L-carnitine: up to 500 milligrams daily.
Selenium: up to 200 micrograms daily.
Soy: eat a diet rich in soy foods.
Vitamin ?12: up to 10 micrograms daily.
Vitamin C: up to 3,000 milligrams daily.
COUPLES
Vitamin E: up to 800 IU daily.
Zinc: up to 50 milligrams daily.
4
Herbs: Mother Nature’s
Medicines for Maternity
Getting pregnant is a balancing act. For both women and men, fertility involves a complex hormonal chain reaction; for the system to work, the entire system has to be in working order.
All too often, low levels of a hormone may knock the system out of balance, inhibiting fertility. While synthetic drugs like clomid or perganol can stimulate egg release, sometimes more subtle treatments—such as herbal remedies—can jump start the hormonal system, often without the undesirable side effects of the stronger drugs.
Every culture on earth has relied on the natural healing ability of plants (or botanicals) to treat many ailments. Worldwide, four out of five people use herbs as the basis of their medical care. Though most Americans rely on synthetic drugs produced in a laboratory, European doctors often prescribe herbal treatments for their patients. One of the main reasons that synthetic medicines are more popular than herbs in the United States is that drug companies can patent those drugs they create, but they cannot patent Mother Nature’s cures. Still, about 25 percent of all prescription drugs sold in the United States contain active ingredients isolated from plants, and most synthetic drugs are little more than synthesized versions of chemicals that occur naturally in plants.
STRONG MEDICINE
Many people who agonize over taking an over-the-counter painkiller think nothing of swallowing an herbal treatment because they consider it “natural” and therefore not dangerous. But herbs powerful enough to heal are also powerful enough to harm, if misused. In general, herbal remedies are safer and have fewer side effects than man-made drugs, but they can be as potent and as harmful as synthetic drugs, and they should be treated with the same respect. Like any other drugs, herbs can have negative and sometimes dangerous side effects if taken in excessive doses. When it comes to herbs—as with many things—more is not necessarily better.
Part of the confusion about safety stems from the way herbal treatments are labeled. Unlike synthetic drugs, herbal remedies do not have to go through the formal approval process from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because they are classified as foods or food additives, rather than drugs. This means that manufacturers of herbal remedies must be cautious about the claims they make on package labels; drug-related claims and warnings are prohibited. It’s up to you to understand the safety and efficacy of the products you buy. You should always read the package directions and follow the dosage information on the product label. If you have any questions about how a product should be used, contact the manufacturer for more information.
You can find many herbal remedies in health food stores, but in recent years they have been showing up in conventional supermarkets and pharmacies as well. If you can’t find what you need at local stores, refer to the listing on pages 183-184 for information on mail-order companies that sell herbs.
USING HERBS
While all herbal medicines rely on plant materials, different medicines use different parts of the plant, such as the leaves, seeds, flowers, roots, bark, or berries. The particular “recipes” for herbal remedies have been refined and improved by herbalists over thousands of years. Though only a tiny fraction of the world’s plants have been tested for their medicinal potential, American herbalists use more than one thousand different herbs to treat a wide range of illnesses and medical conditions. The following remedies are among the key treatments for infertility.
Regardless of what plants they are made of, herbal medicines come in one of several forms, including:
Teas: Made by steeping one teaspoon of dried herbs or three teaspoons of fresh herbs in one cup of boiling water for five minutes or so, then straining. Most herbal teas are not strong enough to provide medicinal value, so in most cases you can drink as much herbal tea as you wish.
Infusions: Made much the same way as strong tea, with several important exceptions. The water should be just short of boiling (since boiling water releases important volatile oils in the steam), and the herbs are steeped for twenty to thirty minutes, so the resulting liquid is much more potent and often more bitter than tea. The infusion should be strained before drinking. Most infusions are made with one-half to one rounded teaspoon of dried herb or three teaspoons of fresh herb per cup of water. The standard dose for most infusions is one-half cup, three times a day.
Decoctions: Made like infusions, only the bark, roots, or berries of the herbs are simmered (never boiled), rather than merely steeped, for twenty to thirty minutes (or sometimes longer). Most decoctions are made with one-half to one rounded teaspoon of dried herb per cup of water. The standard dose for most decoctions is one-half cup, three times a day.
Tinctures: Made by soaking herbs in an alcohol solution (25 percent alcohol/75 percent water) for a specified period of time (from several hours to several days, depending on the herb). Commercial tinctures use ethyl alcohol, but apple cider vinegar, vodka, brandy, and rum are suitable for home use (and the brandy and rum can help to disguise the bitter flavor of some herbs). Because alcohol acts as a preservative, tinctures can be stored for up to two years. To prepare a tincture, soak one ounce of crushed dried herbs in five ounces of distilled spirits for six weeks. Shake the mixture every few days to encourage alcohol uptake of the herb’s active ingredients. The dosage for a tincture depends on the herb being used. Warning: Do not use methyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) when making tinctures; they are toxic if taken internally.
Extracts: Made by distilling some of the alcohol off a tincture, leaving a more potent concentrate behind. Most commercial extracts use vacuum distillation or filtration techniques, which do not require the use of high temp
eratures. The dosage for an extract depends on the herb being used.
Powdered herbs: Made by removing the moisture from an extract, then grinding the solid herbal concentrate into granules or powders, which can be shaped into capsules or tablets. The dosage for powdered herbs depends on the herb being used.
Most of the herbal treatments mentioned in this book involve infusions or decoctions, which may have a sharp, bitter taste. If you don’t care for the flavor of an herbal remedy, try covering the unpleasant flavor with sugar, honey, lemon, fruit juice, or even flavored tea mix. You can also purchase prepared tinctures, extracts, or powdered herbs and follow the dosage information on the product labels.
Before using herbs, check with your doctor, since herbal medicines can interact with some conventional drugs. Use only the recommended amounts and take herbs only for the recommended time periods. The risk of side effects goes up when people take large amounts of herbs for extended periods. Start with a low-strength preparation and strengthen it only if necessary.
Getting Pregnant Naturally Page 4