Are your Genes Blocking Your Fertility?

Hi lovely people.

I'm just winding down from a manic day in Fertile Ground Nutrition HQ. 

I launched my new website, http://fertileground-nutrition.com/ and talked for around 45 minutes about Genes and their effect on Fertility at the amazing Fertility Focus Summit http://www.fertilityfocustelesummit.com/ 

I'm still buzzing from the day and I've already had so many people sign up to the free guide I have produced on my website and I've also had a few queries already!

My talk was almost at the end of such an amazing week with so many fabulous experts all talking about fertility!  If you missed any of the talks including mine - the upgrade to this is such a reasonable price and includes a massive array of Fertility specialist all under one event so to speak. 

Sarah Holland has done such an amazing job this year! (To be fair she does an amazing job every year and as this is the 5th year running she pushed the boat out with some really interesting speakers for the 2014 line up) 

I spoke to her at around 6pm this evening as, as usual I was a little excited and needed some last minute info about the talk around the logistics ( well prepared as usual - dyslexic bird!) and while we were talking, she had unloaded the dishwasher, was feeding the baby and her eldest son and was preparing for the evening ahead, as she also had her talk that evening!! I left the call feeling a bit in awe! Which put me in a bit more of a clear and present place - that girl was destined to be an EFT guru! My talk went ahead without a glitch, which she assured me it would! I'm now unwinding and took her advice to chill out and relax afterwards and in a sec I'm taking my tired behind off to bed! 

Lots of love

Angela x

AMH Is it all that?

New studies published in the Journal Nature in 2004 led by Jonathan Tilly at the Vincent Centre
of Reproductive Technology in Boston indicate that women may actually regenerate their eggs each month and we may in fact be born with the ability to produce newbie eggs on demand! This is contrary to what we are led to believe and are told when past 30.

As a woman on a quest for a baby I'm sure you are no stranger to that good old chestnut ' You are born with millions of eggs that are literally withering and dying every year past 25’ and my personal favourite ' Why did you leave it so long to try'. Which is always the first thing on a 25 year old womans mind with a mature man at her side and in a career that is paying the mortgage nicely! Sarcasm aside women are amazing and with all that is going on outside and inside the cave its a huge relief we make it through the day sometimes! If you need some inspiration on this watch Dr Libby Weaver on TED Australia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ0SME6Z9rw  

Anyway back to AMH...
When you look inside an ovary you will only see follicles not an egg. They are far too small at the early stages and haven't grown sufficiently to predict overall fertility. It is only by following a woman's ability to produce an egg through careful consideration over a couple of months that will we know if she really is fertile or in fact heading to menopause. However this would be a costly affair involving multiple blood tests, scanning and invasive procedures and unless you are the owner of a clinic this is probably not the cheapest of routes!

In 2002-2004 a new tool in town to help assess fertility came about in the form of Anti- Mullerian Hormone (AMH). This was a simple test and it promised to hold the answers and indicate if our egg reserve was low or high.  Ovarian reserve its a term used to indicate the amount and number of oocytes ( eggs) and also their quality.

As I mentioned above, when women are born they have over a million primordial follicles, which are largely dormant until they are triggered into action by puberty. As a woman gets older these primordial follicles are then pulled into the growing follicle pool, to be used as part of the woman's cycle and given the right chemical markers over the month are grown to maturation.  

As she grows older, less of the primordial follicles are pulled into the growing follicle pool. AMH is the substance given off by the growing follicle pool and is thought to also predict the primordial follicle pool also.

According to the Journal of the Society for Reproduction and Fertility in the Netherlands: ‘…Direct measurement of egg from the primordial follicle pool is impossible.’ 

http://soft-infertility.ca/blog/anti-mullerian-hormone-ovarian-reserve/

When I looked into this further, I wasn't convinced about the science behind it!
According to another study I found low AMH is not an overall measurement of reproductive function. In this study in question overweight and obese women with PCOS and reproductive dysfunction were studied as part of a 20-week weight loss intervention. This resulted in improvements in reproductive function but no change in AMH levels.In this case when reproductive function improves AMH being tied to this should improve also, however this is not the case. 

I think AMH may be a good indicator together with detailed blood analysis that something isn't right hormonally, but should not be used as the only indication of whether a woman can conceive or not. I also feel we have a lot to learn when it comes to analysing AMH hormone which will unfold in years to come and maybe use it in a much less cruder fashion. Using it to predict egg reserve and quality can be tricky. As a measure of fertility it never seems to stack up in my clinic. This is especially when women are frightened into not going for fertility treatment by a low AMH level, only to find that when they began to relax, eat well and look after themselves their stress levels reduce and all their key fertility hormones, such as FSH reduced and they produced viable eggs that survive implantation.

Scientists are basically making assumptions based on the number of growing follicles that they can see on the ovaries based on a substance released by these follicles, AMH and using this to 'predict' primordial egg reserve isn't in my view the cleverest way to pinpoint fertility. This method really is like counting the chicks by looking at the chicken!

There are no long term studies to see if AMH levels are an indicator of overall egg count. I have researched through many journals and have not found any studies or peer reviewed studies that have looked at women and AMH levels in their 20's or 30's and then followed these women until menopause to determine who had children.  This would be a little difficult I hasten to add as the test only started to be used as another stick to beat  'Infertile' women in clinics from 2002.

Until we have proof that it really is a useful test then, in my view, it should be used with caution and along side a thorough hormone panel over a period of 4 months to look at patterns to diagnose fertility.

FSH  (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) is another test that clinics and surgeries use to indicate possibly infertility. A crude assessment is given again and high levels of this hormones are enough evidence in some consultations that a women is not producing eggs any more. However the human body and particularly female reproduction is incredibly complicated and the precarious waltz it dances in order to produce an egg, is more than the sum of one hormone! 

In regards to FSH; I have seen many clients with varying FSH levels and personally think if this is high in one month I need to consistently see a high level over a 4 month period to indicate that the ovaries have ‘shut up shop’ so to speak. As part of this assessment I look at all the key hormones and how they are also presenting.  I have supported women with FSH as high as 30, and I  have helped them to bring these levels down. I don't look at FSH in isolation I have also put programmes together that look at all fertility hormones in order to bring them into a more natural state. Many have gone on to become pregnant 'defying the odds' with both a high FSH and Low AMH level.

http://soft-infertility.ca/blog/anti-mullerian-hormone-ovarian-reserve/ 

http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/27/scientists-say-ovary-stem-cells-can-make-new-human-eggs/  

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19380385If  

I'm talking at the Fertility Focus Summit on genes and fertility - why not join me on the 2nd May?

Short post today lovely people! My fabulous friend and colleague Sarah Holland is yet again hosting the amazing and free Fertility Focus Telesummit.

This is the 5th year of the Fertility Summit - and its shaping up to be the best year yet with lots of amazing speakers! I'm really excited and privileged to be part of this great event this year. I’m going to be talking about  a subject you may not be familiar with, but have been eluding to on this blog for a few months now …'Are your genes blocking your fertility? How lifestyle and good nutrition can provide a solution' 

This might be for you - If you been trying to get pregnant for over a year with no sign of a baby. Or have you had more than 1 miscarriage at either early or after 12 weeks. You might have consulted more than a dozen health care practitioners, seen General Practitioners,  tried all sorts of super foods’ even tried every supplements you ever heard of on the many forums claiming it healed their fertility. If this sounds like you then it might be time to look a little deeper and dig around in your genetics. Join me on Friday, 2nd May at 1pm Pacific | 4pm Eastern | 9pm UK time 

http://www.fertilityfocustelesummit.com/

Why I'm not in love with Folic Acid

Folate is the name given to a water soluble b-vitamin and is also known as B9. Folic acid refers to the oxidized synthetic compound used in dietary supplements and food fortification, whereas folate refers to the natural substance which is derived from eating folate rich food.

To make new cells, an existing cell divides in two. But first it copies its DNA so the new cells will each have a complete set of genetic instructions. Folate is a vital component in this cell replication, and understandably an important nutrient to developing a new life, as well as sustaining your own cell life!

The history of folate dates back to 1931 when chemists concluded that anaemia was caused by a dietary deficiency of the vitamin, based on their discovery of it in folate rich foods. Pharmaceutical and supplement companies moved quickly to counterfeit this vitamin. Folic acid was created in a lab in the early 1940s and today has largely replaced natural folate consumption as part of pregnancy support. In the US and also in other countries like Australia this was taken one step further in the late 1990s through mandatory food fortification. Government intervention in this areas was due to what scientists deemed as overwhelming evidence that folic acid would protect babies and as part of preconception plans  to ensure that that development of neural tube defects (NTD) in new-borns was eliminated.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/498421883731034732/

The body recognises the natural form of folate which can enter the methylation cycle, a cycle of donation of methyl groups which enables us to carry on living, so pretty important. However in order to complete this cycle we need specific enzymes to break  down substances in a multi step process. This is also the case for many things we ingest; they need converting many times before the body can use them.   Folate is such an important nutrient for fertility and sustaining life! The folate you eat has to be converted via many steps to the active folate 5-MTHFR

The low activity of this enzyme in the human liver, combined with a high intake of folic acid, may result in unnatural levels of unmetabolized folic acid entering the bodies systems.

Several studies have reported the presence of Unmetabolized folic acid in the blood following the consumption of folic acid supplements or fortified foods. Human exposure to folic acid was non-existent until its chemical synthesis in 1940s.

Risks associated with excessive folic acid intake

While the incidence of NTDs in the United States been significantly reduced since folic acid fortification began,  (as up to 60% people can process folic acid) there has been concern about the safety of chronic intake of high levels of folic acid from fortified foods, beverages and dietary supplements. In recent years this has been increasingly studied in terms of how we are made and our genetic make up. Genetics is the reason why some people can smoke and drink like a trouper and live to a ripe old age and some people develop chronic diseases when they live a wholesome life and fade away in such a short time. 

It’s all in your genetics                                                         Chromosomes are organized into short segments of DNA called genes. If you imagine the chromosome as the bookshelf then your DNA as a cookbook in a shelf, and your genes are the recipes. Written in the DNA alphabet - A, T, C, and G, which are the DNA bases - the recipes tell your cells how to function and what traits to express. For example, if you have blue eyes it is because the genes you inherited from your parents are instructing your eye cells to make blue eyes!

To make new cells, an existing cell divides in two. But first it copies its DNA so the new cells will each have a complete set of genetic instructions. Cells sometimes make mistakes during the copying process – a bit like typos. These typos lead to variations in the DNA sequence at particular locations, called single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs  (this is where the DNA bases have paired with the wrong base. One I want to look at that has been widely studied as to implications around folate and currently  has a total of  34 mutations is a more widely known SNP called MTHFR.

The MTHFR gene sits on Chromosome 1. There are two key variants we test for.

·         MTHFR C677T  so the 677 position

·         MTHFR A1298C – on the 1298 position

If you get a mixture of the Gene bases and one bases is wrong you may be ‘Heterozygous’   = 1 copy of the gene from either parent.

Or if you pair wrongly with both base pairs you are then deemed ‘Homozygous’  = 1 copy of the gene from each parent

MTHFR C677T Heterozygous = 40% loss of function
MTHFR C677T Homozygous =  70% loss of function

MTHFR A1298C Heterozygous = 20% loss of function (research on this SNP is limited)

MTHFR A1298C Homozygous  = between 50-70%

MTHFR C677T & MTHFR A1298C heterozygous = compound heterozygous = 50% loss of function in this SNP

http://io9.com/10-unusual-genetic-mutations-in-humans-470843733/all

What does having a mutated gene at chromosome 1 and position 677 or 1298 have to do with folic acid?

When ingested and as part of the break down process folic acid will bind to folate binding proteins to help carry folate around the body. It also binds to folate receptors, which are important as these are the keys that allow folate to move in and out of cells when needed. These proteins and receptors are really designed to recognise the broken down  methlyfolate and not folic acid, so in effect folic acid as it is an early part of the methyl pathways will be recognised by the receptor, will  go into the lock and jam it, as its meant to be broken down many times by the time it gets to the receptor. It will also do the same with proteins riding on the back of the proteins leaving no room for the correct passenger methyl folate in the transportation of folate round the body. This then gives your body less of a chance to complete the transfer and allow your body to gain the right type of folate.  With this happening it would make sense to assume that harm would occur as folates are needed for DNA production, balancing methylation and to support neurological development. In fact there have been studies that have shown that high metabolized folic acid have been found in the breast milk of mother, and also seen in serum blood tests.

How does this harm you?

If you have one of the polymorphisms mentioned above MTHFR your ability to break down folic acid is negated. In fact you may be one of those people as an early indication of having MTHFR if your  serum blood levels of this are very high! Unmetabolized folic acid can also do more harm.  If you aren’t getting enough folate you can’t replicate DNA, and it will further damage your ability to uptake B12 which is a vital cofactor to helping you transport Oxygen in red blood cells, so over time you can suffer from anaemia!  In terms of pregnancy and preparing, if you have this SNP you won’t be helping reduce NTD also, as your body can’t complete the transfer process. There will also be effects in the baby as folate helps to build healthy intestinal mucosa. If not properly built there may be issues with weakened ability to uptake nutrients and disease may set in or at the very least allergies, which will then be passed to future generations.

What can I do – I’m already taking a multi with folic acid and regularly eat fortified food

Do some reading around this! One of my main sources of early knowledge and continued information is www.mthfr.net you will find a load of information on how folic acid isn’t the panacea of all for preconception and pregnancy.

Dr Ben Lynch is a Naturopathic doctor who set up this site. He has tons of experience in this area and campaigns tireless about the dangers of folic acid. He has a fabulous action plan and if you want more ‘technical’ detail please read his blog on where he raises the possibility of having a folic acid awareness week.

His recommendations are:

• Throw out all folic acid enriched foods. These are processed foods such as cereals, breads, pastas, energy bars, drinks, snacks.
• Throw out all folic acid containing supplements.
• Eat folate rich foods. Note that when I state folate, I mean naturally-occurring folates such as dihydrofolate, folinic acid and methylfolate.
• Eat uncooked leafy greens (more you cook greens, the more folate gets destroyed)
• Eat beef liver (organic, free range)
•  Eat various beans such as lentils, pinto, garbanzo,  black, navy, kidney and lima.
•  Opt for supplements containing active folates.  
• Test your genetics and see where you may have blocks in your folate pathway. Knowing this is useful as you can be proactive in bypassing these blocks with various nutrients, avoiding various medications and increasing certain foods.
• After you test your genetics via www.23andMe.com  then run your raw data through something like  www.MTHFRSupport.com
•  Most of all speak to a practitioner who can help you fight  your way through this new world 

For further information visit this link:http://mthfr.net/folic-acid-awareness-week-2014-want-awareness-here-you-go/2014/01/08/

How I met Joe Cross 'Reboot' King and how cleansing helps fertility

It’s been a while since I have updated my blog, so I hope you are still following!!

Busy times since the Fertility Show in November 2013 in the run up to Christmas. Lots of  people were really keen to get in some valuable information on how to super charge their diet in early December, so I was asked to speak at Natural Fertility Experts regular ‘Fertility Question time’ or FQT as its now being called. So many people responded to the information about fertility food for Winter, it was silly season! But all fabulous as I have now met a whole bunch of new lovely fertility clients and 2014 is kicking off with a bang!

If you want to listen to the free replay, visit: http://www.naturalfertilityexpert.com/fertility-question-time/  which is now the biggest worldwide regular free fertility seminar in the world! I’m also speaking in March so feel free to listen then too!

Since the new year,  one of my lovely clients has given birth to her gorgeous baby and this got me thinking about her journey, which all started with a ‘fertility cleanse’ I put together for her. I remember the early days of her experience when I was out with my parents at my regular Sunday lunch. Her husband called 2 times ‘ I’m really sorry to disturb you on a Sunday Angela but Anabel is really suffering with the detox… can you give her some support and help, she’s not a happy thing at all!’

I reassured both Anabel and her husband that it was all part of the natural process of cleansing the body and part of the rotten deal and maybe why you feel so amazing when you pass through to the other side!! J sure enough she was feeling great in 2 days and to this day talks about how amazing she felt on the cleanse!

I’m due to meet the new man in her life very soon and can’t wait for a cuddle.

What is a detox

Not a word I’m too keen on as your body naturally detoxes everyday. Also I'm sure many allopathic doctors will grimace and roll their eyes when you tell them you are on a 3 day juice ‘detox’

A cleanse clears the body of toxins  and can enhance the digestive system to work more efficiently and assists the body to return to homeostasis (balance)     

                                                       

Cleansing will enable the liver to convert fat soluble toxins into water soluble components so that the body can eliminate them via urine, faeces or sweat. 

A cleanse won’t be pleasant and may be the hardest thing you will ever do in the first few days if you are sick or overweight, but its worth its weight in gold in terms of the results you get from it, especially in relation to fertility.

The key organ here is the liver, our old friend that takes a healthy battering in modern life and is a key organ for reproduction and also supports better digestions which in essence is how we feed our hormones and breakdown the essential components for a healthy reproductive function.

As you know I am always keen to make sure I have experienced things for myself before passing on the support to my clients, and regular readers will know of my own hormonal journey and battle with migraines and prolactin. I went on a 7 day juice cleanse in Thailand many years ago during the early days of my nutrition course, and sure enough my hormonal balance turned a corner. 

As A result I: Reduced cortisol, my acne improved, which was initially caused by the hormones being out of kilter. I  lowered my oestrogen, increased my testosterone and more importantly increased my progesterone the ‘happy hormone’ as I like to call it, as it makes you feel so good when levels are high in the luteal phase of ladies cycles! I have since done 2 cleanses another in Thailand and a mini one back in wet and windy UK.  So although anecdotal, it was enough for me to carry on this ‘experiment’ where ever possible with clients and to do a healthy amount of research on the subject!

In short a cleanse  enables your digestive system to work better to effectively eliminate toxins and parasites. The powerful punch of liquid nutrients are now the subject of much research in terms of suggested fertility benefits.  To steal a  phrase from a really amazing inspirational dude Joe Cross it will help your body to ‘Reboot’ .

I had as the chance to meet lovely Joe Cross recently in Planet Organic in Wandsworth. He was talking to a packed audience about his experiences of ‘rebooting’ and his journey from autoimmunity and stressed out exec who was ‘ fat sick and nearly’ dead as he titled his documentary, to living proof and glowing health.

I talked to him about how I recommend a juice detox to my clients in the form of a full 7 day cleanse to help them to reboot their fertility and start on an even keel. He mentioned during our brief chat that he had heard many stories on his travels around the States Australia and the UK about infertile couples after many years of trying getting pregnant after a ‘reboot’

I even managed a sneaky photo as well!

Weather and seasons do make  difference and I don’t normally recommend a cleanse in Winter and Autumn, for me the best time and more in line with how your body naturally works is to do a cleanse in the spring to gently wake it up, followed by maybe another one in late summer if you need it.

For recipes on doing a 3 – 15 days juice ‘reboot visit Joes site where you will find lots of inspirational stories and support to help you ‘Reboot’http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/juicing/

I’m easing myself into juicing and currently trying www.greenjuiceshots.com which is local to the UK and Ireland and comes in a handy repacked shot of Wheatgrass.

So far so good, I’ve been doing them for 8 days and although the initial spray of pimples have made me hide from the world, it’s a sign that my body is detoxing and regenerating well! They taste much more pleasant than I was expecting, are never heated or frozen and are subject to ultra high pressure to kill off the nasties after the cold pressing. Also they are great for popping in your handbag when you leave the house or when away from home as they don’t need refrigeration!  I’m not sure if its me but my hair is extra shiny and I feel much ‘ lighter’ during this wet and windy week in the UK!

All my love

Angela x

Feeling overwhelmed about the whole fertility journey?

Hello everyone

I had a great weekend at the Fertility Show in London on the 2^nd and 3^rd of November. I blogged about it last week. As you know I was exhibiting with the Natural Fertility Expert team, who I've mentioned on a few occasions here. In between people coming and talking to us as a team we had the chance to chat  which is always a good thing to do, as it helps us to move in the right direction. Sarah Holland who works alongside Andrew, Clare and myself giving support to couples from an emotional side, turned to me and said..

‘..Angela there is so much here for people, it must be so overwhelming for them’ and she was right. Over the course of the day and the next although we saw many  positive, motivated women and couples visit our stand, we also saw many overwhelmed and confused people.

Sarah is fab, as she is always looking to help people on their fertility journey and as she provides the emotional support for Natural Fertility Expert always get to the heart of the emotional issues that could be impacting negatively on peoples fertility journey. It’s not surprising in the short time since the Fertility show Sarah  galvanised some of these thoughts into action and decided to put a seminar together to specifically help people with the sheer volume of information that is out there around fertility.

‘End Overwhelm and Take Positive Steps Forward on your Fertility Journey NOW!’ will be held on Thursday 14^th November at 8pm

This seminar is free to attend and easy to listen in to online from home.  Sarah will share real techniques to help the listeners overcome overwhelm, make good decisions, and move positively forward on their fertility journeys.  This seminar will make it easier for you to look at those brochures, make appointments and make good decisions to boost your fertility.  It could help you decide which clinics and practitioners to work with also.

It is completely free of charge and there will be nothing promoted or sold to you during the seminar – just support and techniques to help you to overcome stress and overwhelm, and feel positive on your fertility journey delivered by Sarah!

As I believe so strongly in this message and what Sarah does as part of the team, I thought it might resonate with many people out there who feel that the sheer amount of useful fertility information makes it difficult to know where to start.

If you want to sign up to this visit Sarah Holland’s page www.fertilemindset.com/end-overwhelm

With love

Angela x

Natural Fertility Expert - The Fertility Show and FQT 7th November

Hello lovely people. I’m a really happy girl today. I’m still buzzing from being at the Fertility Show with the whole team at: www.naturalfertilityexpert.com  last weekend on the 2^nd and 3^rd November in London. We had such an amazing turnout and managed to speak to over 300 people. A few of the people I spoke to had some really amazing stories of overcoming their fertility issues and going on to have the family they dreamed about. There were also lots of sad stories about loss and picking yourself up after years of trying and failed IVF attempts.

Andrew Loosely and Clare Blake did a fabulous talk on Sunday together with Michael Dooley a conventional medical practitioner about ‘ complementary therapies – can they boost your fertility’ There were over 200 people in the audience and lots of really interesting questions both on Chinese herbs and fertility massage.

Last night we all talked at the regular slot on Fertility Question time:  http://www.naturalfertilityexpert.com/fqt/  what should have been a 2 hour session turned into a 3 hour session, as we all got very passionate about our displines and Andrew gave away an amazing offer. If you haven’t listened yet, sign up and you will be added to the replay list, where you will also get access to the past 4 talks. 

Whilst writing this article I checked in on my emails, and had some great news, a lady who has been working with us for just under 3 months is now pregnant and I will be supporting her with the first trimester plan as a pose to the conception plan now!

I love my job!