We were seeing her because our daughter had severe reflux and nothing 'mainstream' was working. I had always wanted to see a naturopath while ttc but never made the big jump.
Instead I did my own research and put together a herbal tea that worked wonders for my cycle.
Anyways, the supplements.
I was shocked because I had always imagined a naturopath to enjoy the idea of supplementing and selling good quality products.
I asked her why and she told me that if I was eating correctly I would be taking in everything I needed, and, after all, fresh food is best food.
I imagine anyone across town could have seen the look of total arrogance come across my face.
Excuse me? My kid isn't sleeping, not eating, we're not sleeping, not eating and you want me to go cook fresh/uncooked foods for everyone?
Please.
I love supplements and supplementing health.
While I don't think it's any excuse not to eat better and strive to always eat optimally things in the landscape often negate doing so.
I would rather take a multi-vitamin twice daily along with some herbs than eat over-sprayed, overpriced food that's been contaminated since it was a seedling.
Aerial spraying, pesticides, treated wood used to grow the produce all leeches into the soil, into the water table, into the food you are eating.
Even food marked 'organic' is usually grown just down the road from commercial produce that is sprayed.
Sprays travel. Contaminated water travels.
So why not aim to eat the best you can but understand and accept that what you're eating isn't the pristine food from 200 years ago.
Irrigation allows farmers to reuse the same plots and not move produce so the soil never fully 'recovers' from a growing season. Commercial fertilizers are added, sprays are added and all of this negates on the quality of the food you are eating.
So, to me, supplementing is the most important thing you can do for yourself and your body.
I'm not advocating taking 10 different pills daily but a multi makes good sense as does your Essential Fatty Acids. Fish oil, Flaxseed Oil, even Evening Primrose Oil are all excellent supplements to start with.
Men should always include a supplement higher in zinc and B vitamins.
Supplementing FertilityThe first rule of supplementing for fertility is to accept and truly understand that what you are putting into your body is the same concept as medicating your body.
It always amazes me the number of women I see at Ovusoft complaining that some herb has made them anovulatory. Upon further inspection you find that the woman has been using 2 to 3 times the normal amount in addition to other herbs she absolutely doesn't understand.
It would be like waking up one day and deciding to give yourself a high blast of radiation. It's not a good idea!
Herbs to some people are just plants. Like tomatoes. Like potatoes. Like oranges.
But they aren't. Herbs are the most common and accepted method of medication. Aspirin originates from tree bark. Major pharmaceutical companies make dozens of medicines from herbs that grow plain as day.
You cannot just decide to take *something* without any thought and research.
Starting a new regime with vitamin supplements is safer for those new to the concept of suppelenting due to regulations that require a product must be safe for general consumption. Herbs bought locally, fresh, dried or some that have been imported do not have the same standards and government regulations. This is why you must accept that ANY herbal regime must be started slowly and purposefully.
Starting a Vitamin RegimeSo, how does one exactly start a vitamin regime? Do you just jump in the car and hit the grocery store? Do you go to the pharmacy or a health food shop? And just what, when and HOW MANY are you supposed to take?
These are all vital questions you need to work out for yourself. I was told it's best to put your money in a quality supplement but recent research shows that the body will only absorb what it wants or needs and flushes the rest away. So if you were only going to absorb 100mg of X why pee away hundreds of dollars from Health Store products?
Stick with a brand you trust, buy it on sale from the pharmacy and skip the grocery store. Pharmacies stock fewer of each which means there is less chance they have been sitting in storage for 6 months in heat, light and exposed to strong smells. Pharmacies often discount products just before the 'expiry' date and you can get a good deal.
Your best bet is to start small and often.
Week 1 introduces your multi. Take it away from caffeine and tea/coffee/soda.
Week 2 continues your multi and adds an individual vitamin. You'll need to do some research and see if it's best to take them together or take them apart. Some supplements clash heavily with one another, often negating the entire purpose of taking a supplement!
Week 3 continues with your multi and your individual vitamin. Add in your first herb. This is the most crucial time to accept that you are starting small, slow and purposefully.
Week 4 continues with your multi, your individual vitamin, perhaps a new individual vitamin and your herb. This week you will increase your herb or, if you feel it is working, remain the same. For example, if you are taking 1ml of a Vitex Tincture it might be safe now to increase your dose to 1.2ml. If you feel any unusual side effects drop your dose back to 1ml.
Throughout this process you should take your Essential Fatty Acids with meals. I find lunch is a good time to pop them in and you can start pretty much from the word go. I advise people to stick with Fish Oil and Flaxseed Oil as Evening Primrose Oil contains estrogen properties which aren't safe for all times in your cycle.
Here is a run-down I've put together:
Women's Health
Folic AcidFolic acid is a naturally occurring B vitamin that helps a baby's neural tube—the part of a developing baby that becomes the brain and spinal cord—develop properly. It must be taken before and during early pregnancy when the neural tube is developing.
Folic acid, a B vitamin, helps prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord when taken before the end of early pregnancy. It is available in most multivitamins, as a folic acid-only supplement and in some foods. Take a multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before pregnancy and during early pregnancy, as part of a healthy diet.
If all women took adequate folic acid before conception and during pregnancy, 50 to 70 percent of NTDs could be prevented.
Folic acid has no known toxic level. If you ate a bowl of fully fortified cereal (400 micrograms), took a folic acid supplement (400 micrograms), and ate fortified foods and foods rich in folate, you would not get too much folic acid.
Vitamin CWomen should avoid megadoses of vitamin C because it can dry up cervical fluid, preventing sperm from reaching the egg. Limit the amount you take to the dose included in your prenatal vitamin.
Vitamin EVitamin E may increase egg quality. In a preliminary human trial, infertile couples given vitamin E (200 IU per day for the female and 100 IU per day for the male) showed a significant increase in fertility. The suggested dose for Vitamin E is 400 IU per day.
IronAnemia can lead to infertility. Women who bleed profusely may be anemic, those who rarely bleed may in fact be either anemic or too high in iron. Women who took iron supplements had nearly half the risk of developing ovulatory infertility compared with women who did not use iron supplements, according to a new study in the November 2007 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Women taking supplements with high iron content (41 mg or more) had an even lower risk (62%) of ovulatory infertility compared with women who took no supplements, according to this study. Similarly, women consuming high amounts of iron from other non-animal sources had a significantly lower risk of ovulatory infertility compared with women who consumed little iron in their diet. The suggested dose for Iron is 10-20 mg/day.
Men's HealthVitamin CVitamin C and Fertility:
According to a study conducted at the University of Texas Medical School at Galveston, insufficient amounts of vitamin C in a man’s diet can lead to Agglutination of sperm.
When sperm cells clump together, a condition called Agglutination, maximal progression or movement of the sperm is inhibited and fertility is reduced. Vitamin C reduces sperm Agglutination, increasing the fertility of men with this condition. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 60 milligams per day for an adult male. According to Dr. Dawson intake of 200 to 1000 milligrams per day had a beneficial effect on sperm.
According to Dr. Earl Dawson M.D., Ph.D., associate professor at the U of Texas at Galveston, vitamin C is also helpful in smokers who have increased amounts of abnormally formed sperm.
Cigarette smoke is absorbed through the lungs and enters the circulatory system (bloodstream). Once the toxins reach the bloodstream they find their way to the semen and this can lead to less than optimal sperm count and function. It is believed that vitamin C helps to neutralize the toxic effects of cigarette smoke on the sperm.
Vitamin EVitamin E is essential for fertility and reproduction. Deficiency in rats has shown that it leads a loss of fertility in the male. This potent antioxidant plays important roles in male sperm production. It is known that a lack of vitamin E inhibits the formation of sperm. Low vitamin E levels can cause a decline in the formation of key sex hormones and enzymes responsible for sperm production. Although potency is not affected, fertility is improved due to its protective effect on sperm cell membranes. Supplementation with Vitamin E may also aid in improving sperm motility.
Dose: 400 IU daily. Talk to your doctor prior to starting Vitamin E, particularly if you are currently taking aspirin or other blood thinners.
SeleniumA study conducted at the University of Padua in Italy and published in the Journal Science states that a diet low in selenium could be a cause of male infertility. Selenium acts to help prevent oxidation of the sperm cell, thus aiding in maintaining sperm cell integrity. Good sources of selenium can be found in red meat, liver and seafood. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for selenium is 70 micrograms/day for an adult male.
ZincThis mineral is involved in over 200 proteins and enzymes and is essential for male fertility. Zinc is involved in the activation of key sperm enzymes, and moves into the prostate with the assistance of testosterone. A lack of zinc causes a lowering of testosterone, shrinks testicle size and produces misshapen and less healthy sperm, among other negatives. Upon restoring a daily dose of 15 milligrams, testosterone and sperm count levels rebounded to acceptable levels within 12 months. Take zinc with a full glass of water.
Arginine (L-Arginine)Arginine (L-Arginine) is needed to produce sperm. Research shows that several months of Arginine supplementation increases sperm count, quality and fertility.
There is no 'accepted' recommended dose of Arginine so you must accept that less is more. If you can find a multi with this added, or a men's supplement with this added, that should be totally sufficient. Too much of this Arginine can lead to lowered blood pressure and increased stomach acid, among other side effects with a potential for total toxicity. The 'suggested' dose is 2-4g.
Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 is needed to maintain fertility. Lack of B-vitamins is very common in people who eat mostly refined and processed foods as well as those who smoke. Twenty-seven percent of men in one study with sperm counts under 20 million/ml took 1,000 mcg of vitamin B12 per day. As a result, their total sperm count increased in excess of 100 million/ml. A study showed that taking 1,500mcg per day for 2 to 13 months increased sperm counts in 60% of the men.
Part 2 will tackle the often confusing, misleading and varied world of Supplementing Herbs for Fertility.
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