Can inflammation stop you from getting pregnant?
Hands up if you see the word ‘inflammation’ thrown around by health professionals on Instagram but haven’t a scoobies what the hell it actually means?
If so, you’re not alone.
So what the chuff is ‘inflammation?!?’ What has it got to do with fertility? And can it stop you from getting pregnant?
Inflammation is basically part of your immune system’s power of healing and repair. It’s necessary to heal from injury and mount a response when we get sick. Normal acute inflammation is actually also a required component for cellular repair during ovulation, menstruation, implantation, and birth
So not all inflammation is bad.
But chronic inflammation is a very different story. This kind of rumbling inflammation hangs around long term if there is an unresolved infection or as a response to persistent exposure to allergens, chronic stress, autoimmunity, chemicals etc.
Many reproductive disorders are inflammatory in nature
Endometriosis
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts
Adenomyosis
Early menopause (premature ovarian failure)
But there are also lots of other ways inflammation can impact fertility even if it’s not accompanied by a reproductive disorder or directly causing inflammation of the reproductive organs.
A hidden gut infection, imbalanced vaginal microbes, thyroid autoimmunity, toxicity and food intolerances are a few of the common things I see in clinic that cause inflammation and impact fertility.
Chronic ‘systemic’ inflammation can disrupt ovulation and disrupt hormone balance as well as implantation /endometrial receptivity. Immune cells called cytokines in the follicular fluid can also damage egg health. Basically, it impacts all the important ingredients for babymaking.
Women are much more prone to chronic inflammation and inflammatory conditions as women’s immune systems are very different from men’s. We are less likely to die from viruses and infections but are much more likely to develop a post-infectious auto-immune disease or have complications.
Many women may have never considered they may have chronic inflammation without even knowing.
So how would you even know if you have chronic inflammation?
If you suffer from PCOS, endometriosis or any of the conditions listed above, you will have a level of inflammation happening in your body. Same with autoimmunity when you have a flare-up.
There are lots of other symptoms to look out for that aren’t related to the reproductive system but may suggest you have a level of chronic inflammation going on:
Chronic skin issues (acne, eczema)
Heavy or painful periods
Chronic digestive issues
Mood disorders
Frequent infections
Chronic fatigue
Joint pain/body pain
Diabetes/ insulin resistance
Obesity
If you’re reading this and identifying some of the signs that you might have chronic inflammation, don’t panic. There are lots of things that can be done to help you heal.
Unfortunately, it’s not as straightforward as eating an anti-inflammatory diet (although that’s going to help too). First of all your need to identify what’s triggering your immune system and causing the inflammation.
It might be a food allergy or intolerance, a hidden infection, a reaction to a chemical, mould, or toxicity to name a few… It’s important you get to the bottom of what’s driving it and remove that first of all the healing anti-inflammatory foods and lifestyle protocols that aren’t going to get you to where you need to be.
Our diets and lifestyles and basically existing in our modern world can also leave us vulnerable to inflammation. The western diet, the level of stress and stimulation we are exposed to and the chemicals we are exposed to daily can also drive inflammation.
So what can you be doing to help reduce this?
Cut down processed foods and refined sugar
Diets high in processed carbs and refined sugar tend to be very inflammatory. Look at incorporating more complex carbohydrates into your diet will help keep your blood sugars more balanced and help to reduce inflammation. Complex carbs are things like whole grains and starchy vegetables (sweet pots, carrots and other root veggies)
Look at your omega 3/6 balance
Our inflammatory messengers in the body are made from Omega-3 and 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. These cannot be made by the body and have to be obtained in the diet.
Omega-6 messengers are used to mount an inflammatory response whereas omega-3s are used to calm the response once it’s done the job. Ideally, we’d be having a 1:1 ratio of these but in reality, in the modern western diet, most people are getting 10:1 omega 6: omega 3.
Omega-3s are found in fatty fish so think salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, sardines, anchovies as well as nuts and seeds (flax, hemp, walnuts, chia etc).
I would recommend eating 2/3 portions of fatty fish per week as well as some of the plant sources.
Up your antioxidants
Antioxidants are crucial for egg and sperm health. They protect cells from free radical damage & inflammation and also help power the egg cells to replicate DNA properly. Antioxidants that are also vitamins and minerals include Zinc, Selenium, vitamin C, and Vitamin A and there are many others that work alongside these.
Some great antioxidants foods to include are:
Berries
Pomegranates
Cherries
Dark green leafy greens
Citrus fruit
If you are struggling with infertility and think inflammation may be playing a part. Book a call to discuss how working with me 121 can help to address this.