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Female Infertility
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| It is a strange fact of nature
that after years of taking precautions to prevent pregnancy, all too
often, once a couple decides they want a baby, it doesn't happen as
quickly as they had planned. |
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Between 10 and 20% of couples
are infertile - that is they are unable to conceive after one year of
unprotected sexual intercourse.
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In about 40% of these cases
the problem is sperm related. In 10% of cases no cause can be found. In
the remaining 50% of cases something about the way the woman's body
functions prevents pregnancy from occurring.
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There can be many reasons why
a woman has difficulty becoming pregnant. If she is underweight or
obese, had a recent weight loss or has a poor diet she may find it
difficult to conceive. Other causes of infertility include hormonal
imbalance, pelvic inflammatory disease and chlamydia, which is often
undiagnosed.
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| What
Can Help |
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Start eating a
healthy, well balanced diet. Avoid animal fats, sugar, junk
foods and fried foods. |
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Try to cut out
caffeine. A recent study showed that women who drank more than
300mg of caffeine daily (2 - 3 cups of coffee) may reduce
their chance of conceiving by as much as 25%. |
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Cut out alcohol. It
has been shown that even moderate consumption of alcohol
(about 2 drinks per day) can reduce the chance of pregnancy. |
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Quit smoking - and
try to avoid cigarette smoke |
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Stay out of hot tubs
and saunas, and avoid vigorous exercise as these can cause
changes in ovulation |
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RELAX ! Stress
is well known as an excellent contraceptive. |
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| Some
Nutrients Worth Considering |
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Multivitamin and
mineral supplement - a good place to start to ensure your
body gets adequate nutrition |
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Vitamin B6
(pyridoxine), 50mg three times daily - Some studies have shown
that women who take this supplement improve their chance of
pregnancy |
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Vitamin B complex,
50 mg daily - Important for reproductive function |
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Vitamin E, 400 - 800
iu daily - Needed for the balanced production of hormones |
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Vitamin B12 -
Infertility is an early symptom of Vitamin B12 deficiency. |
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Folic Acid, 400 mcg
- a small number of studies show increased Folic Acid
intake increases fertility. |
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Zinc, 75 mg daily -
deficiency may disrupt the normal menstrual cycle. Some
studies have shown that zinc can help correct infertility. |
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