Fertility Experts: Winter Waistlines a Swelling Problem for Indianians Trying
to Get Pregnant
Food, exercise choices may lower risk by almost 80 percent for those with
ovulatory disorders
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of New Year resolutions
and American waistlines bulging ever outward, Indiana fertility experts are
targeting lifestyles and diets as worsening culprits in preventing couples
from conceiving.
Reproductive specialists say that January is traditionally a milestone
month for infertile couples, in terms of making resolutions both to trim off
holiday-related weight gains and to conceive some time in the New Year. In
addition to requiring a perfect balance of reproductive hormones, healthy eggs
and sperm, the fertility equation demands more attention than ever on
maintaining healthy nutrition. The best chances of pregnancy, they say,
includes a diet of the good fats found in whole dairy products plus regular
exercise, as well as eliminating the obvious evils of nicotine, alcohol, and
drugs.
"More and more research is supporting the idea that lifestyle and diet are
a probable hindrance to fertility, and this is the time of year to be
particularly focused on diet," said Laura Reuter, M.D., medical director at
Midwest Fertility Specialists, the largest single group of reproductive
endocrinologists in Indiana. "At the same time, it's becoming more of a
necessity for us to preach the gospel of a healthy diet and regular physical
activity, which is not always easy in the midst of winter."
"Recent research is unlocking more of the complex puzzles of diet and
activity often surprising patients as to just how delicate the proper balance
can be," said Laura Tritt, registered dietitian for Organic Health Services, a
reproductive wellness center that works closely with patients of Midwest
Fertility Specialists. "For example, low iron, too much or too little body
fat, or even too much exercise can impair fertility," said Tritt. The
latest research includes:
-- A recent Harvard Medical School study suggests food and exercise
choices may lower risk by almost 80 percent for those with ovulatory
disorders.
-- In February 2007, Human Reproduction reported that women who consumed
one or more servings of whole-milk products a day were 27 percent less
likely to experience infertility caused by a failure to ovulate than
those who ate less than one serving a week. Additionally, those who
ate two or more servings a day of low-fat dairy food were almost twice
as likely to fail to ovulate as women who ate less than one serving a
week. An extra eight-ounce serving of whole milk daily cut the risk of
anovulation by more than 50 percent.
-- A recent Harvard Nurses Health Study concluded that 4.5 grams of
transfat per day -- the amount in one glazed donut -- could disrupt
ovulation because transfats could indirectly lead to a rise in
testosterone, which suppresses the function of the ovaries.
The analysis of 17,544 married women participating in the ongoing Nurses'
Health Study II found those with the highest fertility scores: ate less trans
fat and sugar from carbohydrates; consumed more protein from vegetables than
from animals; ate more fiber and iron; took more multivitamins; had a lower
body mass index (BMI); exercised for longer periods of time each day; and
consumed more high-fat diary products and less low-fat diary products.
The "fertility diet" is characterized by higher consumption of
monounsaturated fat rather than trans fats, which is found in natural foods
like nuts and avocados, and olive oil.
Women should also opt for vegetable protein rather than animal protein,
low-glycemic carbohydrates like whole grains, moderate consumption of high-fat
dairy, multivitamins, and iron from plants and supplements, Chavarro and
Willett's team reports.
About Midwest Fertility Specialists
Founded July 1, 2004, Midwest Fertility Specialists is the largest single
group of reproductive endocrinologists in the state of Indiana serving
patients in Carmel, Ind., Fort Wayne, Ind., Noblesville, Ind. and Champaign,
Ill. Midwest Fertility is a member of IntegraMed America, an exclusive network
limited to the highest performing infertility practices in larger metro areas
around the United States. Nearly one out of every four IVF procedures in the
United States is performed in an IntegraMed practice. For more information,
visit http://www.midwestfertility.com
SOURCE Midwest Fertility Specialists
Jordan Peel or Ron King, both of Vanguard Communications, 1-877-382-2999, for
Midwest Fertility Specialists; or Tessa Delong of Midwest Fertility
Specialists, +1-317-571-1637
