From Science News:
Report links obesity with infertility
Published: Aug. 24, 2007 at 12:05 AM
ADELAIDE, Australia, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- An Australian researcher says she has confirmed the link between obesity and infertility.
Cadence Minge from the Adelaide University Research Center for Reproductive Health said animal studies show that obese women whose eggs are damaged by high levels of fat and cholesterol have difficulty sustaining healthy embryos, The Age newspaper said Thursday.
"(Embryos) were much slower to divide and grow," Minge said. "And the way that the cells developed was also disturbed."
She found that some of the damage could be reversed using an anti-diabetic drug such as rosiglitazone, although the drug can have potentially serious side effects.
Minge said weight loss was a more effective way to restore fertility.
Stacey's comment:
It is great now that someone has confirmed why obesity can contribute to fertility issues. This protein is most likey effected secondary to the insulin resistance that a person who is obese is experiencing. Insulin resistance is also associated with leptin resistance and based on the book Mastering Leptin, leptin helps to regulate estrogen output in the ovary.
But please be caution regarding medication to control this. The medication that showed an improvement in mice (rosiglitazone otherwise known as Avandia), has been show to have serious side effects in humans increasing cardiovascular risk by up to 43% in people taking it to regulate diabetes. There have also been a few cases of liver failure.
Its important to remember that a quick fix usually isn't the best for your body and good old exercise and balanced eating plan are effective in improving fertility as well. A study by Dr. Anne Clarke, an IVF doctor in Australia showed this in women with PCO.
So if you find yourself experiencing fertility issues and are in the category of obese (Body Mass Index over 30) then it would be probably be beneficial to work with a naturopath, dietician, and or exercise specialist to addrss these issues.
We had one women who was on blood pressure medication and who had a BMI over 40, utilise our herbs and get on a regular exercise program and healthy eating plan. In one and a half years time she lost 80 pounds (37kilos), was able to get off her blood pressure medication, from which time her cycle improved drastically and 6 months later after a few missed conceptions (overdue cycles) she became pregnant naturally. Her husband experienced poor morphology as well and he improved this with a healthy eating plan and supplements.
