Monday 17 December 2007

Improving Male Fertility




UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown Dip.ION (mBANT) offers pre-conceptual care, fertility and pregnancy care right in the city of London, EC2. Melody has written this great e-book on how you can improve Male fertility with nutrition.

Here's just a sample of what you'll discover inside:

Ten dietary factors that improve male fertility
Three lifestyle factors to improve fertility


To get this FREE e-Book click here.


Wednesday 14 November 2007

Chlamydia – without treatment it can cause infertility

There is alot being said in the media about Chlamydia and its affect on fertility at the moment with good cause. With up to one in ten sexually active young people having Chlamydia in the UK, it's a real problem facing couples trying to have a baby.

'A study published in 2004 involving Swedish couples seeking infertility treatment found that men with chlamydia infection were less likley to father a child. But researchers have lacked good evidence about why men with the disease develop fertility trouble and how to reverse the problem'

'Men with chlamydia have more than three times the normal level of DNA fragmentation in their sperm, report researchers.' taken from new scientist article

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/4347858.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7044602.stm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/15/ncmlydia115.xml

What is it?

is one of the most commonly sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It's a bacterial infection, which is found in semen and vaginal fluids.


(http://www.bbc.co.uk/relationships/sex_and_sexual_health/stis_chlam.shtml).


You can buy tests from most chemists, but it is a good idea to see your doctor and to ask to be tested for Chlamydia if you or your partner is experiencing problems getting pregnant. Alternatively, you can visit your local hospital GUM clinic where you can receive a full health screen for free to see if you have any infections that might be affect your fertility. A further list of potential causes of infertility can be found here.


To find your nearest Hospital GUM clinic. Please note that both partners need to be tested as it is easily transmissible.


What's the treatment?

As it is a bacterial infection, it means that it can be easily treated by antibiotics and this is a highly effective way of dealing with this infection. However, as antibiotics can also kill friendly gut bacteria it is always a good idea to take a course of Probiotics (friendly gut bacteria) after your course of antibiotics. Please note, that if both couples are infected and are giving a course of antibiotics, they should refrain from sexual intercourse until the course of antibiotics is completed.


What are the symptoms?


As Chlamydia sometimes has no symptoms, in both men and women, it can often go undiagnosed, unless it leads to complications. Some women may have 'non-specific symptoms' such as:

  • Cystitis
  • A change in their vaginal discharge
  • Mild lower abdominal pain
  • Unusual vaginal discharge
  • Bleeding between periods or during or after sex
  • Pain with sex or when passing urine; and Lower abdominal pain

However, when complications arise it can lead to infertility. In women, Chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease. This can lead to:

  • Miscarriage;
  • Ectopic pregnancy (when a pregnancy develops outside the womb, usually in the fallopian tube);
  • Blocked fallopian tubes (the tubes that carry the egg from ovary to womb); and
    Long-term pelvic pain


Chlamydia can also be passed from a mother to her baby during childbirth. Although no obvious symptoms are immediately apparent, the infection will often develop two weeks after birth, and can result in complications such as pneumonia.


Men might notice:

  • White/cloudy, watery discharge from the tip of the penis
  • Pain when passing urine or painful testicles

Chlamydia can also cause fertility problems in men, approximately half of all men with symptoms have impaired fertility, such as epididymitis.


Friday 9 November 2007

Pre-eclampsia - long-term risk of hypertension?

In a recent study in the British Medical Journal (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2955489.stm) those women who had experienced raised blood pressure in pregnancy had a long-term risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), an increased risk of stroke and a slightly increased risk of heart disease.

Pre-eclampsia is a condition that occurs during pregnancy (normally in late pregnancy), or immediately after the delivery of a baby.

Women develop high blood pressure, together with protein in their urine (leaked from their kidneys) and fluid retention (oedema).

Although pre-eclampsia is usually mild, it should always be taken seriously because, in a few cases, it can cause complications, such as growth problems in the baby and can in some instances result in the death of the mother or child.


Thursday 8 November 2007

Female Fertility

From a medical perspective, the two most common identifiable problems for women are:

  • Problems with ovulation (such as irregular periods)
  • Damage to fallopian tubes (e.g. from an infection)
However, almost a third of all problems can not be identified and are therefore classified as ‘unexplained’.

Subclinical nutritional deficienciesProblems with fertility may be down to a lack of certain vitamins, minerals and essential fats due to poor digestion or a diet that is not as good as it could be. This is because essential nutrients aid the working of the endocrine glands responsible for fertility and responsible to regulate ovulation and normalise periods. Essential nutrients can also help ensure that the fallopian tubes are in good working order.

Want to know more


Sunday 28 October 2007

Vitamin B6 may boost conception

A study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, may see vitamin B6 become as important as the current "Big 3" of pregnancy nutrition: folic acid, calcium with vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Researchers in China looked at blood levels of homocysteine, folate, and vitamins B6 and B12 in over 350 women to see if there was a link between B vitamin status and ease of conception. The women had an average age of 25 years and had all conceived at least once between 1996-8. Daily urine samples were taken for 12 months and tested for human chorionic gonadatropin (hCG) to detect conception and early pregnancy loss.

It was found that women with an adequate vitamin B6 status (>30nm/l) had a 40% better chance of conception and a 30% lower risk of miscarriage early in pregnancy compared with women with a low vitamin B6 status. Having high vitamin B6 levels in the blood improved these chances further with a 120% increased chance of conception at 38nm/l and a 50% lower risk of early pregnancy loss at 46nm/l. The results suggest that increasing vitamin B6 levels prior to conception could boost conception rates and decrease the risk of early miscarraige.

Melody Mackeown, Nutritionist & Foresight Practitioner, says 'These results are very promising but further research is needed to support the observations. We know that Vitamin B6 is a key nutrient in many functions within the body'

Source: American Journal of EpidemiologyVolume 166, Number 3, Pages 304-312; doi:10.1093/aje/kwm078 "Preconception B-Vitamin and Homocysteine Status, Conception, and Early Pregnancy Loss"Authors: A.G. Ronnenberg, S.A. Venners, X. Xu, C. Chen, L. Wang, W. Guang, A. Huang and X. Wang


Thursday 11 October 2007

Having an older brother may decrease Fertility

Research looking at historical data by The University of Sheffield has concluded that having boys takes more out of a mother and may reduce her lifespan. One theory is that male fetuses produce more of the sex hormone testosterone and the stress hormone cortisol. Both these hormones may make a mother’s immune system weaker, thereby making her more vulnerable to illnesses and disease.

Surprisingly, it was also found that offspring to mothers whose first child was a boy were likely to have fewer children, than those in families where the first child was a girl. This was true regardless of the gender of your second or subsequent child (i.e. whether you have a boy or girl). This may also be a result of the mother having a weaker immune after first having a boy. It may also be due to the first born boy depleting more nutrients from the mother’s stores. Consequently, younger siblings may not receive the same nutrients throughout pregnancy.

“What this suggests”, says UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown, “is that optimizing your diet before and during all pregnancies is vital for a mother’s immune system (especially if you are having a boy) and then for your children for their reproductive health later in life (especially it would seem for younger siblings).

The best way to do this is to eat a good, balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables (at least five portions a day) and protein sources such as meat, poultry and fish. Meat is a good source of animal protein and important minerals such as iron and zinc, with zinc being especially important for male fertility. Fatty fish is a very good source of essential fats, which are important in the development of the foetus.


Welcome to Nutrition, Fertility & Pregnancy in the City Of London

Over the coming months we hope to bring you lots of information on how you can improve your health and fertility.

Who are we?

Our company is called UrBod, we are a team of qualified nutritionists. All of the team are fully insured and members of the British Association of Nutritional Therapists.

Kenny Tranquille Nutritional Therapist & NLP Coach, in Canary Wharf and the City of London.

Melody Mackeown, Nutritional Therapist & Foresight Practitioner, City of London.

Amanda Michie, Nutritional Therapist & Foresight Practitioner, City of London.


Saturday 6 October 2007

Free Healthy Bump' Tasters City of London EC2

Melody Mackeown, UrBod Nutritionist & Foresight Practitioner, City of London is offering free fertility sessions.

By choosing a Free 'Healthy Bump' Taster you'll learn all about the possible underlying causes to your health issue, which foods will be beneficial and you should increase and which foods to cut down on. To book or find out more click here


Free UrBump e-Book- Conceiving by design, not chance




UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown Dip.ION (mBANT) offers pre-conceptual care, fertility and pregnancy care right in the city of London, EC2. Melody has written this great e-book on how you can improve your fertility with nutrition.

Here's just a sample of what you'll discover inside:


Ten dietary factors that improve Fertility

Three lifestyle factors to improve fertility

Why improving your diet may well make UrBump healthier

To get this FREE e-Book click here.


Thursday 4 October 2007

The Right Food Can Improve Fertility

Roasted red peppers, mini crab cakes and Brazil nuts can all help to increase fertility. They will all feature in a special Fertility Buffet, laid on by Dr Margaret Rayman, Director of the MSc Course in Nutritional Medicine at the University of Surrey, on 3 July 2003.

A good, balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables (at least five portions a day) and protein sources such as meat, poultry and fish, is necessary to optimise fertility. Meat is a good source of animal protein and important minerals such as iron and zinc, the latter being especially important for fertility. "Oysters are by far the best source of zinc, but they are not included in this meal, as they are out of season," Dr Rayman explained. "Fatty fish is a very good source of n-3 fatty acids, which are important in the development of the foetus' brain and vision."
To give yourself the best chance of conceiving, alcohol and smoking should be avoided. This applies to both men and women, as there is evidence that sperm damage through smoking can predispose to cancer in the offspring. Full details


Unable to conceive or are having a difficult pregnancy?

It is well known that alcohol and smoking have a detrimental effect on fertility. Sadly, few recognise that there are many dietary and lifestyle changes you can take to improve your chances of conceiving and having a healthy baby.

A recent study at the University of Surrey demonstrated this among several hundred would-be parents with a history of fertility problems. They were put on tailor-made pre-conceptual care programme, which focused on three aspects: diet, vitamin and mineral supplementation and avoidance of environmental toxins. A stunning 81% of those who took part went on to produce healthy babies. Foresight, the Association for the promotion of pre-conceptual care, also has similar fantastic success rates.