Can you anti-age your eggs?
This is one of the big questions women often ask when they are trying to get pregnant. Is my age against me and is there anything I can do about it. In this month’s Red(July 2013) magazine there is an interesting article around improving the environment of the eggs themselves – that is the oocyte (egg) environment. “Improving this might improve chances of conception” says Dr Rebecca L Krisher of the US National Foundation for Fertility Research. It is possible that if you give the eggs the perfect surroundings, the ideal hormonal input, plenty of blood flow and the best nutrition you may be able to stop make up for, or even reverse the aging of your eggs. Improving blood flow is where acupuncture is important: “It has been shown to increase blood flow to ovaries and the lining of the womb, potentially having a mild rejuvenation effect on the quality of follicles” says Mr Michael Dooley of the Poundbury Clinic.
Other suggestions include supplementing the diet with antioxidants, especially Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamin D. Zita West believes that low Vitamin D is an important factor in fertility There is also a discussion on the use of DHEA and melatonin. However neither of these are licensed for use in fertility treatment in this country and should not be taken except under medical supervision. Professor Geeta Nargund, medical director of Create Health says: “DHEA is not without side effects of future health risks. Please check its risks before you consider taking it. It’s not licensed for use, for all the right reasons”
So what can older women do to enhance their chances of conceiving. Professor Ledger, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney argues that lifestyle change may be the most important aspect to getting pregnant. Certainly eating a good diet, giving up smoking, being neither under- nor overweight and taking regular, moderate exercise are something that most experts in this field all agree will help. Exercise may be linked to the anti-aging mechanism. It may well boost blood flow like acupuncture.
To find out the other benefits of acupuncture for fertility visit my fertility page. To book a consultation call 07919930188 today.
