Inflammation, Immunity & Infertility

We often think of pain and inflammation as a result of localised injury due to sprains, cuts and insect bites.  However, when pain and inflammation is happening internally (as in the case of immune system problems), it is not so easy to detect.  What we do know though, is that inflammation is a key driver of many chronic, degenerative conditions such as fatigue, hormonal imbalance and lowered fertility.

You may not even be aware that your body is inflamed.  You may think that the ongoing tiredness, digestive problems or those aches and pains that you feel when you wake up in the morning are a sign of old age. If only it were that simple!

Top 5 Causes of Inflammation Affecting Fertility

Many elements of our modern lifestyles can perpetuate and exacerbate inflammation, including:

1. toxicity
2. stress
3. poor dietary habits
4. drug and alcohol abuse
5. low levels of physical activity

Top 5 Reasons To Lower Your Body's Inflammatory Response

1. Inflammation Triggers Increased Fat Cell Production - As a safety mechanism, toxins that cannot be eliminated are stored in fat cells. As more toxins are ingested, more fat cells are added to store them, causing weight gain. Eventually the fat cells can become unstable and toxins start leaking into the blood. This can set up an inflammatory response to clean up the ‘foreign bodies'.  A 5 kilo fluctuation in body weight can decrease your changes of conceiving naturally by 20%.

2. Inflammation Causes Leptin Imbalance - Leptin is the hormone responsible for helping regulate appetite and energy production.  Studies conducted at Harvard Medical School suggest the chemicals which help to control the inflammation can have a disrupting effect on leptin a key hormone in metabolic regulation and fertility health.

3. Inflammation Triggers Insulin resistance - The same study showed the same effect on insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. The body's chemicals which control inflammation have a disrupting effect on insulin causing insulin resistance. This is why there is a strong correlation between being overweight, insulin resistance and lowered fertility.

4. Inflammation Triggers Complex Hormone Imbalances -  A number of studies have shown that overweight individuals have high levels of leptin but it is no longer effective. High levels of this hormone are a problem because they further increase inflammation, interfering with the entry of glucose into the cells and with the body's insulin response. This may, in turn, lead to insulin resistance and influence the production of other reproductive hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and thyroid hormones. 

 5. Increased Fat Storage Triggers More Inflammation - When you have an increase in fat storage, the inflammatory response becomes heightened and so the vicious cycle continues.

Symptoms to look out for:

• Lowered Immune System
• Fluid retention
• Headaches
• Stubborn weight gain
• Tummy fat that won't budge
• Uncontrollable cravings
• Aches and pains

Food Power to Produce or Reduce Inflammation

Fruits, vegetables and good fats from fish and nuts all help to reduce inflammation, whilst other foods can increase inflammation. Inflammatory foods include high sugar foods, heavily processed foods that are high in colours, flavours and other artificial ingredients and foods that are high in certain fats, such as many processed and fast foods.

Steps to overcoming chronic inflammation and eliminate toxins

• Remove processed foods from your diet
• Eat organic foods whenever possible
• Eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Limit intake of saturated fats
• Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids
• Buy a water filter and drink 2 liters of filtered water a day
• Undertake moderate physical activity

Effective Natural Anti-inflammatory and Fertility Support

Fortunately nature has provided us with many remarkable herbs which have been used traditionally for centuries to treat acute pain and inflammation. Some of these are:

• Turmeric has anti-inflammatory actions and has traditionally been used in herbal medicines to support digestive health,reducing toxicity and inflammation.
• Boswellia has anti inflammatory properties.
• Ginger has traditionally been used as an anti-inflammatory for arthritis.
• Hemidesmus, Echinacea and Rehmannia to regulate the immune system
• Chaste tree, Licorice, Paeonia to support female reproductive health

There are many natural herbal and homeopathic treatments to help you detoxify and overcome inflammation. These should only be undertaken with the help of a qualified practitioner who can take your individual circumstances into consideration. Some herbs may be contraindicated if taking certain pharmaceutical medications or if sensitive to salicylates. A naturopath can develop a supplement program designed to help you detoxify, overcome inflammation and lose weight naturally and safely.

Narelle Stegehuis, CEO of Bumpfertility is a practicing naturopath with over 30,000 hrs of in-clinic experience. Specializing in the natural treatment of women's hormonal imbalances and fertility she has a trained eye forgetting to the cause of infertility challenges.  Uniquely, for patient convenience, her programs are offered via the internet. She is both an accomplished writer and recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award. To find out if hormones are making you fat, visit http://www.bumpfertility.com.au


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Obesity. Gabriel I Uwaifo, MBBS, Clinical and Research Attending, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology, MedStar Clinical Research Center, MedStar Research Institute and Washington Hospital Center