Today, we will discuss the importance, the myth, and the truth about Men’s Role in Fertility with Ayla Barmmer MS RDN LDN

About Ayla Barmmer

Ayla Barmmer is a registered dietitian and Functional Medicine Practitioner, who earned degrees at the University of Connecticut and Boston University . In addition she has studied clinical nutrition, functional medicine, women’s health, herbal medicine, and holistic and integrative therapies. Barmmer is founder of FullWell, and has successfully led an integrative and functional nutrition practice, which specializes in health and infertility and has helped thousands of individuals seeking supportive, individualized care for their wellness and nutritional concerns.

Contact:Twitter:@aylabarmmer_rd
Facebook: fullwellfertility
Instagram:@aylabarmmer_rd @fullwellfertility
LinkedIn:aylabarmmer

To listen to the interview, click the player below. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestion, please use the comment section under this post or contact Ellen Kamhi here.

You may also be interested in listening to Functional Approach to Fertility with Sarah Clark, CPC

Ellen Kamhi Ph.D., RN, AHG-RH, AHN-BC interviewed Dr. Leslie Meyers ND and discussed how she incorporates various modalities in holistic medicine to manage PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)

About Dr. Meyers

Dr. Leslie Meyers is a licensed and board certified Naturopathic Doctor, who specializes in women’s health, gastrointestinal issues, fertility (including PCOS), chronic fatigue, insomnia, and anxiety/depression. After completing her doctorate degree from Bastyr University, Dr. Meyers practiced as a primary care doctor in Seattle, focusing on women’s health, fertility, gastrointestinal issues, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and insomnia.  Dr. Meyers then relocated to Asheville, NC, where her practice was able to focus on the fun side of holistic medicine. Dr. Meyers uses nutrition, lifestyle, herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutrient therapy, and education in private practice at the clinic run by herself, her wife, and their amazing team at Water Leaf Naturopathic Medicine. Dr. Meyers is very passionate about changing lives and changing healthcare by bringing empowerment to her practice members. 

Contact: https://waterleafnaturopathic.com/

To listen to the interview, click the player below. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please use the comment section under this post or contact Ellen Kamhi here.

You may also be interested in listening to Functional Approach to Fertility with Sarah Clark, CPC and Insulin Resistance: Importance in Health and Disease with Dr. Claude K Lardinois, MD

Register here: https://www.bigmarker.com/gaia-herbs/Mental-Health-Maintaining-Stability-on-a-Rocky-Road-with-Dr-Ellen-Kamhi-PhD-RN-AHG-RH-AHN-BC

This webinar is for healthcare professionals and students only.

FREE

This webinar offers 1.0 CE for CNS, RD, DTR, ND or DC**

Maintaining Mental Health can be a balancing act. Forty-six percent of Americans will experience a specific mental challenge at some point in their life. These can range from an occasional ‘blue feeling’ to serious imbalances that can disrupt many aspects of a healthy life. External factors can vary, such as circumstances related to lifestyle, income, physical health, personal relationships, disruptive weather patterns, and more.

There are steps an individual can take to help navigate these sometimes rocky roads. Specific foods, exercise, and relaxation techniques may be useful, along with botanicals traditionally used to support mental health. These include: St. John’s Wort, Passionflower, Schisandra, Skullcap, Chamomile, Holy Basil, and Hemp.*

This webinar is for healthcare professionals and students only.

**CE Info –

• • This webinar has been approved for 1.0 credit of Naturopathic Continuing Education by The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians for NDs.
  • It has also been approved for 1.0 credit of Continuing Professional Education by the PACE program of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards for Doctors of Chiropractic.
  • It is pending approval for 1.0 Continuing Education Credit for Certified Nutrition Specialists (CNS) and Registered Dietitians (RD), Dietitian Technicians, Registered (DTR). This page will be updated upon approval.

To receive CE credit, you must attend the live event and register using CNS, RD, DTR, ND or DC credentials.
Eligible for NDs, RDs/DTRs, and CNSs in the U.S. only. Please see below for list of eligible locations for DCs. DCs – please verify this topic is covered with your local association.

After attending the live event, you will receive your CE certificate via email within 3-4 weeks.

PACE is Accepted in the Following Locations:
Alaska, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming, Puerto Rico, Nova Scotia

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This webinar and/or products is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/gaia-kamhi-breath-easy

This webinar is for healthcare professionals and students only.

FREE

This webinar offers 1.0 CE for Naturopathic Doctors

The respiratory system is the first link to life. Most humans cannot survive without breathing for more than three minutes. Optimum lung and respiratory system function can be challenged by many factors, including an overabundance of mucus and secretions caused by food and environmental sensitivities, particles that may enter the lungs through air pollution, and the invasion from offending microbes. Botanicals have been used throughout human history to help people support their respiratory health so they can keep breathing easy.* Let us explore  ancient folklore and the scientific mechanisms of action that indicate the efficacy of the use of botanicals for lung health & respiratory support.*

Herbs discussed include Oil of Oregano, Yarrow, Chinese Skullcap, Boswellia, Mullein, Plantain, Schisandra, Nigella, and Horehound.

This webinar is for healthcare professionals and students only.

CE Info:

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/gaia-kamhi

This webinar is for healthcare professionals and students only.

FREE

This webinar offers 1.0 CE for Naturopathic Doctors and 1.0 CE for Registered Dietitians and Certified Nutrition Specialists.

By focusing on specific assessment techniques, both women and men can create a targeted all-natural protocol for enhancing fertility and the chances for conception. In addition to hormone balancing herbs, I include spiritual and emotional considerations, along with considering food, nutrients, and detoxification pathways.

In this webinar, we will review the how’s and why’s of specific fertility assessment tools and how to bring balance to our lives with natural therapies designed to invite new life into the world.

Herbs discussed include black cohosh, chaste tree berry, fenugreek, hops, and red clover.

This webinar is for healthcare professionals and students only.

CE Info:

Functional approach to fertility is the topic of discussion when host Ellen Kamhi Ph.D.,RN, AHG-RH, AHN-BC interviews Sarah Clark CPC.

About Sarah Clark

Sarah Clark is a  certified life coach with accreditation from the International Coaches Federation. Additionally, she is a health coach with training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.  Sarah is the founder of FabFertile, a company that focuses on providing natural fertility solutions.

Clark is also the author of Fabulously Fertile – Supercharge your Fertility Naturally and Fabulously Fertile Cookbook. The fertility coaching program includes functional lab testing such as: food sensitivity, hormone, stool and hair testing. Furthermore, the program supports couples to make diet and lifestyle changes that dramatically improve the chances of a healthy pregnancy and baby! 

Contact: https://fabfertile.com/

To listen to the interview, click the player below. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestion, please use the comment section under this post or contact Ellen Kamhi here.

In addition to the above podcast, you may also want to read The Cycles of Life: Herbs for the Five Stages of a Woman’s Life an instructive resource for girls and women interested in natural, herbal aids for female health concerns including: menarche, fibroids, PMS, infertility, sexuality, pregnancy, menopause, and more!

Register here: https://www.holisticlivingschool.org/events/online-fertility-natural-support/

3 CEUs are offered for Massage Therapists, Dietitians, Nurses, and Midwives in the state of Florida

Sunday, March 22, 9:30am – 11:00am

Fee: $ 35.00

Early Bird Registration: $25.00 when you register before March 15

There are many foods and nutrients that span the bridge between the cosmeceutical and nutricosmetic sectors. They can act as an ingredient that can be added to skin creams, shampoos and other personal care items, and can also be used as a supplement that can be taken internally along with other health-enhancing nutrients that support skin and hair.

One example of this kind of ingredient is a super fruit combination, which includes goji, acai, noni, pomegranate, green tea, mangosteen and green coffee bean. These super fruits have a long history of use by traditional people in the areas where they are found, as well as scientific data substantiating their high level of healthy antioxidants.

Goji (wolfberry) has been treasured for centuries by the Himalayan people, the berries of the goji plant (Lycium barbarum) have been consumed daily by many of the world’s longest living people.

Acai is a berry harvested from the Brazilian rain forest, where natives believe the acai berry to have amazing healing and nutritional properties. Studies show acai has up to 33 times the antioxidant content as red wine grapes.

Noni grows in the Caribbean, Tahiti and Hawaii, producing a strange white, soft fruit. It is  harvested when it is ripe, and pulverized, then strained it to make a healthful drink, high in enzymes and other factors that support healthy skin and hair.

Mangosteen is called “queen of the fruit” due to its delicious flavor and traditional medicinal use. It contains a wide range of antioxidants such as a polyhydroxy-xanthone derivative called mangostin.

Green coffee bean is the fresh, unroasted seed harvested from coffee plants. Its high in beneficial antioxidants, which gives it one of the highest ORAC values found in nature. Green coffee beans are high in chlorogenic acid, which may be linked to its energizing and fat burning capacity touted by Dr. Oz, and promoted by Starbucks as part of its “Refresher” line.

Pomegranate literally means “apple with many seeds.” This ancient fruit has been linked to fertility and beauty. Modern science confirms its use in topical applications due to suppression of lipid oxidation from its high ellagic acid levels (Plast Reconstr Surg. 1994 Dec; 94(7):1027-37) and enhanced effects for sunscreens (Cosmet Dermatol .2001;14(10):43–5). All of these superfruits make beautiful label content, and can support skin health when used for beauty from within as well as topically.

Infertility is defined as the failure to conceive after a year of unprotected intercourse. It is further differentiated into First Degree in a childless couple, Second-Degree if the couple already has at least one child, or Sub-fertile if the couple conceives naturally after 18 months. Since education, career, and a sense of financial security often precede the efforts of childbearing many couples opt to begin their family in their late thirties or forties. Approximately 33% of couples in their 30’s are infertile. [1] Difficulty conceiving in women increases along with age. Although this has been commonly observed, new evidence is increasing our understanding of the mechanism of action of this phenomena. For instance there is a substantial decrease in the level of normal mitochondria in granulose cells in women over 38 years old, indicating a decrease in energy and the ability of the cell to undergo mitosis. 2

The exact cause of infertility may be difficult to pin down. Even if a couple is considering natural intervention to deal with infertility, diagnosis by a physician is the first step in determining the cause. The first possibility that needs to be ruled out is any kind of blockage of the woman’s fallopian tubes, which is the leading cause of female infertility.3 Fallopian tube blockage may be due to an occurrence at birth, the after effect of an STD (sexually transmitted disease), endometriosis or fallopian tube scarring. Other female organs must also be checked for normal structure and function. The male partner needs to be assessed for any physical problems including blockages, as well as deformed or low number of viable sperm.

Hormones should be measured to determine the balance of FHS(follicle stimulating hormone), LH(lutenizing hormone), progesterone, estrogens, prolactin, anti ovarian antibodies, testosterone, thyroid and adrenal hormones. Other important factors to consider include stress levels and systemic illness. In addition to the above mentioned assessments, natural health care practitioners will often investigate environmental factors, such as levels of heavy metals 4 and PCB’s 5 which have been shown to interfere with both male and female fertility. Of all couples who go through in depth testing, approximately 10% cannot be diagnosed with a specific problem.

For the purposes of this paper, we will forgo a discussion of conventional tests and treatments and focus on natural testing techniques and interventions that have shown promise in fertility enhancement.

Pinpointing Ovulation:

Mapping out the timing of ovulation is the first step to take in the otherwise healthy female that is having a difficult time conceiving. Here is an excellent opportunity for the pharmacist to act as “health educator” in guiding the customer through self testing techniques. Ovulation generally occurs 14 days after day 1 of the last menstrual cycle. Conception efforts should center around those dates.

Basal body temperature mapping (BBT)

A basal thermometer is a tool available at all pharmacies that can help to determine the exact time of ovulation. The BBT should be recorded daily for 2-3 months. During the first phase of the menstrual cycle, the BBT generally has only slight fluctuations. Upon ovulation, there may be a dip in temperature, followed by a 1.0 to 1.5 degree (F) rise in temperature in the luteal phase. This elevation will continue until one to two days before the next period. If the temperature rise does not last 10-12 days, the patient may suffer from a short luteal phase. 6 This rise in temperature occurs in response to the thermogenic effect of progesterone secreted by the corpus luteum. Intercourse should be planned 2 days prior to anticipated ovulation, at an interval of every 48 hours, and should continue until at least three days after ovulation. Patients that are taking progesterone supplementation are not good candidates for BBT, as the supplemented progesterone will falsely raise the temperatures. 7 A flat temperature chart is indicative of an anovulatory cycle. Temperatures that remain elevated may indicate pregnancy.

Cervical Mucous Monitoring

Changes that occur to the cervical mucous during the menstrual cycle can often help determine ovulation. Women can perform self monitoring of the cervical mucous. After the period has ended, the vagina is dry, with little to no mucous. Just before ovulation the mucous production increases in response to increasing levels of estrogen. It usually becomes creamy, wet, and white. Upon ovulation, the “ovulation mucous” becomes clear, thin, and stretchy like an egg white, and has some special characteristics. It forms a ‘corridor’ pattern within the vagina, stretching from the opening to the os, or mouth of the uterus. This corridor guides sperm to the egg. In addition this mucous is high in glucose and other nutrients that nourish sperm cells and keeps them alive for up to 5 days, to increase chances of fertilization. Intercourse should be initiated when these mucous changes are noted, and repeated every forty eight hours. After ovulation occurs, the mucous becomes sticky, like rubber cement.8 The cervical mucous can be effected by intercourse, infection, showering, bathing, douching, recent birth control pill use, and lower levels of estrogen that can occur in the third and fourth decades of life.

Home Ovulation Detection Kits

These kits are widely available in pharmacies. They measure the elevation of LH that occurs just prior to ovulation. Ovulation should occur within 12 to 16 hours after the test is positive.

Fern Test

Body fluids, including saliva, dry in different crystalline patterns according to hormone levels which relate to fertility status. Early in the menstrual cycle, before the maturation of the egg, while the woman is not fertile, the saliva will dry into dots. The pattern will change to straight lines, and then into a fern-like pattern right before ovulation. Observing this pattern change can act as a monitor to determine ovulation status. The test is accomplished with the use of a tiny, inexpensive microscope. The woman touches her tongue to a slide, allows it to dry, and then views it through the lens. This can empower an individual with self-care information that can be useful to enhance the chances of conception. Pharmacies can offer this specialized testing equipment.

Dietary Focus for Enhanced Fertility

Dietary emphasis on whole organic foods, high in dark green leafy vegetables and devoid of fried, processed, high sugar and ‘junk’ foods is an important step for increasing the chances for conception for both men and women. Organic foods are free of pesticides, xenoestrogenic substances that interfere with fertility. 9 Food allergy testing(IGG) should be considered. Many women are sensitive to dairy products, and dairy consumption may decrease fertility, possibly due to incomplete breakdown of galactose, a lactose breakdown product. 10

Excessive intake of caffeine and alcohol have been linked to decreased fertility. 11 12 While the amount of what is considered excessive varies, a good rule of thumb is to limit consumption of caffeine containing beverages (coffee, tea, colas) and alcohol to no more than 2 cups per day.

Dietary Supplements for Infertility

Multivitamins are now recommended for every adult according to a study in JAMA, which links sub-optimal levels of nutrients to chronic illness. 13 Natural health care practitioners have long associated sub-optimal nutrient status to infertility, especially when no physical deterrents can be found. Both men and women may experience an increase in fertility after using multivitamins. 14

In my own clinical practice, infertile couples are analyzed individually, and a specific fertility enhancing protocol is designed. The following is a typical supplement schedule, which, along with dietary and life style changes, addresses colon cleansing, liver detoxification, increased antioxidant status and hormonal balance. A combination approach such as this, has resulted in conception in a majority of the couples who have implemented this protocol.

The supplement schedule:

Lifestyle Factors

Cigarette smoking has been linked to decreased fertility. Furthermore, the more a woman smokes, the less her chances are of conceiving. 24 Maintaining normal weight is important. Both underweight and overweight conditions decrease fertility. 25 Moderate exercise is essential for maintenance of overall health and wellness, but OVER exercising may lead to exercise-related female reproductive dysfunction (ERFRD), with associated symptoms of amenorrhea and infertility. 26

Creating ‘Time’

Many couples experiencing infertility are professionals with demanding schedules. If a couple’s schedule is already stressed to the breaking point, it is wise to consider creating more ‘downtime’ by cutting back work hours, giving up some civic duties, and scaling down social commitments.

Visualization Aids

Here is a simple visualization aid that pharmacists can suggest to clients:

Get a large piece of oaktag. Cut out pictures from magazines to create a collage . Design it to represent what you hope to create in your life. Fill the blank sheet with pictures of pregnant women, babies, families walking down the street with a stroller, and whatever else conjures a picture of the scene you would like to see in your own life. Place the completed collage near your bed. Allow yourself to look at it through half-closed eyes as you drift off to sleep, and as soon as you awaken. After looking at the images, create a movie in your mind before you go to sleep. Remember, you are the star, the producer and the director. Allow your vision to be the apex of the best, happiest , healthiest scene you can imagine. After a week or two of doing this exercise, women and men may start to have actual dreams about the happy family they hope to create. In many cases conception follows close behind!

Footnotes

Lemcke D,Pattison J, Marshall L, Cowley D:Primary Care of Women,: Norwalk:Appleton and Lange,1995, pp. 440-504.

Seifer DB, DeJesus V, Hubbard K. Mitochondrial deletions in luteinized granulosa cells as a function of age in women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril 2002 Nov;78(5):1046-8

Speroff L, et al. (1999). Female infertility, In Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility, 6th ed., pp.1013–1042. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Choy CM, Yeung QS, Briton-Jones CM, et al. , Relationship between semen parameters and mercury concentrations in blood and in seminal fluid from subfertile males in Hong Kong. Fertil Steril 2002 Aug;78(2):426-8

Buck GM, Mendola P, Vena JE, et al. Paternal Lake Ontario fish consumption and risk of conception delay, New York State Angler Cohort. Environ Res 1999;80(2 Pt 2):S13–S18.

Strott C, Cargille G, Ross and M. Lipsett: The Short Luteal Phase. J. Clin.Endocrin 30:2446ff, 1970.

Check J, Adelson H: The Efficacy of Progesterone in Achieving Successful Pregnancy: II. In Women with Pure Luteal Phase Defects. International Journal of Infertility: 32(21): 139-141, 1987.

Flynn A, Collins W, Royston, Barbato M, Mena-Gonzales P, Alliende ME: Volumetric Sampling of Cervicovaginal fluid to Determine Potential Fertility: A Multicentre Pre-effectiveness Study. Human Reproduction: 32: 1826-31, 1997

Golden RJ, Noller KL, Titus-Ernstoff L, et al. Environmental endocrine modulators and human health: an assessment of the biological evidence. Crit Rev Toxicol 1998 Mar;28(2):109-227

Cramer, D., H. Xu and T. Sahi, 1994. Adult hyplactasia, milk consumption, and age-specific fertility. Am. J. Epidemiol. 139(3):282-289

Hatch EE, Bracken MB. Association of delayed conception with caffeine consumption. Am J Epidemiol 1993;138:1082–92

Hakim RB, Gray RH, Zacur H. Alcohol and caffeine consumption and decreased fertility. Fertil Steril 1998;70:632–7

Fletcher R.H., Fairfield K.M , Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults , JAMA, Vol. 287 No. 23, June 19, 2002

Czeizel AE, Metneki J, Dudas I. The effect of preconceptional multivitamin supplementation on fertility. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 1996;66:55–8

Wong WY, Merkus HM, Thomas CM, et al. Effects of folic acid and zinc sulfate on male factor subfertility: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Fertil Steril 2002 Mar;77(3):491-8

Bennett M. Vitamin B12 deficiency, infertility and recurrent fetal loss.

J Reprod Med 2001 Mar;46(3):209-12

Bayer R. Treatment of infertility with vitamin E. Int J Fertil 1960;5:70–8.

18. Nugent D, Newton H, Gallivan L, Gosden RG., Protective effect of

vitamin E on ischaemia-reperfusion injury in ovarian grafts. J Reprod

Fertil 1998 Nov;114(2):341-6

19. Saller R, Meier R, Brignoli R., The use of silymarin in the treatment of

liver diseases. Drugs 2001;61(14):2035-63

Horrobin DF. The role of essential fatty acids and prostaglandins in the

premenstrual syndrome. J Reprod Med. Jul1983;28(7):465-8.

21. Propping D, Katzorke T. Treatment of corpus luteum insufficiency.

Zeitschr Allgemeinmedizin 1987;63:932–3.

22. Bergmann J, Luft B, Boehmann S, et. al., The efficacy of the complex

medication Phyto-Hypophyson L in female, hormone-related sterility.

A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical double-blind study. Forsch

Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd 2000 Aug;7(4):190-9

23. I Scibona M, et al. L-arginine and Male Infertility. Minerva Urol Nefrol.

Dec1994;46(4):251-53.

24. Howe G, Westhoff C, Vessey M, Yeates D. Effects of age, cigarette

smoking, and other factors on fertility: findings in a large prospective

study. BMJ 1985;290:1697–9.

25. Green BB, Weiss NS, Daling JR. Risk of ovulatory infertility in relation to body weight. Fertil Steril 1988;50:621–6.

26. Cannavo S, Curto L, Trimarchi F., Exercise-related female reproductive dysfunction. J Endocrinol Invest 2001 Nov;24(10):823-32