Can Inflammation Cause Infertility? - 6 Ways To Fight Inflammation
Can Stress Cause Infertility?
Turn Down Stress and Turn Up Your Fertility
Epigenetics is the scientific study of how specific genes in our DNA get turned on or off. This can be genes for chronic diseases. When it comes to fertility it’s not surprising that our lifestyle impacts which genes are dominant - that’s well known. Damaged unhealthy genes are more likely to result in implantation issues, miscarriage or complications in pregnancy. But there’s lots you can do to increase natural anti-inflammatories to prepare for pregnancy. There is lots of debate on the impact of stress and infertility (it’s a whole ‘chicken and egg’ discussion), but even if you’re living your best life - fertility treatments can be rough going on your mental health. There’s plenty of evidence that our cells (including sperm and egg quality are impacted by stress hormones).
The way we live impacts our hormones (this goes for partners too and the production of healthy sperm) and how our body prevents potential infection. The level of inflammation found in the body is directly associated with our health. Infections happen when fungi, bacteria or viruses invade your body. Inflammation occurs when your body tries to remove those invaders. Inflammation plays a critical role in maintaining your body’s immune system and cardio vascular function, and in keeping you healthy but when inflammation becomes chronic it becomes a problem.
Stress and Inflammation
Stress induced inflammation of eggs, sperm, uterine inflammation and other organs is a big deal. You’re doing a fertility diet, you’re exercising, taking key supplements, drinking turmeric tea… you’re doing all the right things but until you address mental and emotional stress a big piece of the puzzle is still missing.
Chronic Inflammation like Endometriosis and Infertility
Inflammation is your body’s way of protecting you against bacteria, viruses, infection and other harmful pathogens that can damage your health. Acute inflammation helps you in a short lived emergency (when you cut your finger your body automatically sends specific cells to that area to fight infection). Chronic inflammation such as chronic endometriosis however, is harmful and as it’s invisible from the outside. Inflammation is not something most women (and their partners) are aware of when TTCing - with or without medical assistance.
My clients are always surprised to learn that a simple mindfulness practice can turn down gene activity that causes inflammation (especially clients with endometriosis as nobody has mentioned inflammation markers to them). Back in cave woman days we might have to escape a predator so that stress (and expected physical injury) led to an increase in NF-κB (Nuclear Factor kappa B) a protein that helps regulate inflammation. But today we’re not stressed from a wild bear chasing us but all of the ‘stuff’ that comes along with infertility and fertility treatments. Chronic stress can induce a state of ‘low-grade inflammation’ - but it’s unlikely you’ve had a blood test to check for inflammation (if you have I would love to hear from you). It’s called a CRP test.
Researchers in California suggest inflammation may play a role in miscarriage.
How to Reduce Stress-induced Inflammation? Mindfulness is the way!
The good news is that new research shows that mindfulness turns down the activity of genes that increase unnecessary inflammation. Interestingly this study had a control group who listened to educational podcasts. Both groups reported a reduction in perceived stress but only the mindfulness group demonstrated a measurable change in how their genes actually behaved. This is why mindfulness is as important if not more important than relaxation practices.
That warm lavender bath can be so soothing after a stressful day but add in a short mindfulness session from the FertileMind app and you can have an even bigger impact on your fertility and longterm health.
Clinical trials measure cortisol levels and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8) as well as anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10.
6 Ways to Turn Down Inflammation
Learn how to breathe properly - through your nose (Nitric Oxide is released in the nasal passages).
Reduce refined sugar intake and other foods that increase inflammation. The Mediterranean Diet is considered the best anti inflammatory diet for fertility.
Start a regular mindfulness practice to manage stress.
Exercise and maintain a healthy body weight.
Get your Vitamin D levels checked and consider other supplements associated with reducing inflammation such as Vitamin C and E.
Note:
***A recent study suggests taking a daily low dose of aspirin may increase pregnancy rates in women with chronic inflammation. Women with high inflammation levels benefited most from the aspirin treatment. In their case, the treatment resulted in a 35 percent increase in live births, compared with the placebo control group.
