fertility Archives - East Bay Acupuncture & Natural Medicine

By Nadia Moredo, LAc, FABORM

Flame Retardants Effects on Hormone Health and Fertility

We’ve been hearing for years about BPA and phthalates in plastics having a negative impact on hormones and fertility. At East Bay Acupuncture and Natural Medicine we advise our patients to avoid plastics when possible, because not enough research has been done on each chemical substance in plastics to know how it is affecting our bodies.

Now, new research is showing that currently used flame retardants can have a negative effect on fertility and hormonal health. Some common items that have flame retardants added to them are sofas, carpet and mattress pads.The current flame retardants in use are PFRs, or organophosphate flame retardants, and the good news is that PFRs clear from our bodies quickly.

The prior chemical flame retardant PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, were longer lasting in the body, and thereby harder for our systems to eliminate when in our household items. There has been research showing a clear link between PBDEs and decreased fertility, so they were discontinued from household products.Now new research is showing that PFRs may be having similar effects.

The 2017 Harvard study cited below focused on women going through IVF, and the incidence of successful fertilization, embryo implantation, and clinical pregnancy. Researchers looked at PFR metabolites in the women’s urine, and those with higher concentrations had a decreased incidence of the events listed above.

More research needs to be done, but researchers believe that PFRs interfere with fertility by disrupting the endocrine system and affecting hormones, which could have more far reaching implications with regards to other diseases. Researchers also called for studies to be done on PFR’s effect on men’s fertility.

One of the main takeaways from this study is that more than 80% of women in the study had evidence of PFRs in their urine, but only the women with higher concentrations had lower fertility. Therefore, reducing exposure to these chemicals is key. Because there are so many types of flame retardants, and because the safety of most is controversial, we recommend playing it safe and avoiding them all when possible.

Here are some practical ways to minimize your exposure to flame retardants:

Always wash hands before eating! We often think about washing our hands if we have been outside or touched something dirty, but washing hands can also wash off chemicals that we have been in contact with around the house. PFRs in household items often migrate into dust in our homes. A simple soap and water wash can reduce the amount of flame retardants that come into our bodies.

Vacuum floors with a HEPA filter vacuum; mop and wipe surfaces down with a damp cloth to minimize dust contaminated with PFRs around the house. You can also check out our article on safe and effective household cleaning products here.

When purchasing new furniture, and especially baby items, inquire and ensure that there are no flame retardants in them. This is especially true for sofas, foam mattresses, baby changing pads, car seats, baby mattresses, and nursing pillows. Check labels on the items you buy, and:

Steer clear if you see “TB 117” on the tag. This definitely contains flame retardants. If your household items contain this label, consider replacing them.
Be aware if you see “TB 117-2013” on the tag. These items may or may not contain flame retardants, and the best way to investigate is to call the manufacturer directly.
California Senate Bill 1019 now requires a label that will clearly tell us whether or not flame retardants are used in the product. The tag you will find on furniture made and sold in California after 2014 contains the following message: “The upholstery materials in this product: ___ contain added flame retardant chemicals OR ___ contain NO added flame retardant chemicals. The State of California has updated the flammability standard and determined that the fire safety requirements for this product can be met without adding flame retardant chemicals. The state has identified many flame retardant chemicals as being known to, or strongly suspected of, adversely impacting human health or development.”

Finding furniture and other items made without flame retardants can be a challenge. Some stores that sell some flame retardant-free furniture are:

Ikea

Crate and Barrel

West Elm

Ashley Furniture

But keep in mind that you must still check tags, because many of the products sold at each store will not be free of flame retardants.

While this can feel like alarming news, there is a lot we can do to minimize our exposure to harmful chemicals, and more that we can do to recover once we find that our bodies are affected. Opting for glass and stainless steel food and drink containers can minimize our exposure to phthalates and BPA, using chemical-free beauty and cleaning products can reduce our absorption of chemicals, and eating fresh and frozen foods can reduce our exposure to BPA in tin can linings. Please check out our related articles on green living and detoxification here.

The cumulative effect of reducing our chemical exposure in different aspects of our lives can have profound effects on health and fertility. Keeping our bodies healthy can optimize eliminating the chemicals we will inevitably be exposed to. Moderate exercise, fresh, healthy food and water, managing stress and illness can all aid our body in processing and eliminating what we do not need.

Research:

Urinary Concentrations of Organophosphate Flame Retardant Metabolites and Pregnancy Outcomes among Women Undergoing in Vitro Fertilization,” Courtney C. Carignan, Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón, Craig M. Butt, Paige L. Williams, John D. Meeker, Heather M. Stapleton, Thomas L. Toth, Jennifer B. Ford, and Russ Hauser, Environmental Health Perspectives, August 25, 2017, doi: 10.1289/EHP1021

References:

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By Sean Michael Hall, L.Ac.

Most of you have heard of superfoods by now.

They are foods like kale, berries, turmeric and spirulina. Superfoods are extremely nutrient-dense, or have properties that make them especially protective against disease. Although plant-based superfoods are amazing for overall health, the superfoods most essential to fertility and reproductive health tend to be animal-based. Liver and bone broths are extremely healthy superfoods for parents-to-be, but they aren’t the easiest to prepare.

For that reason, the following two foods top my superfoods for fertility list:

1. ORGANIC, PASTURED EGGS

Eggs are good for you, especially the yolk! Numerous studies show that although regular egg consumption has a slight blood cholesterol raising effect, there is no correlation between egg consumption and heart disease risk. Cholesterol is the precursor to every steroidal hormone in our body. That’s right, estrogen, progesterone and every other hormone important for fertility starts out as a cholesterol molecule. If you have low cholesterol and hormone imbalance, eating eggs regularly is a great place to start. I would rather have my reproductive health patients have total cholesterols slightly higher than 200, than in the lower range of normal.

But cholesterol is only one reason I recommend eggs for fertility. They are also powerhouses of nutrition, and loaded with minerals, most of the natural metabolites of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E, beta-carotene, vitamin B12, natural folates, omega-3 fatty acids, a complete protein profile, and much more. Many of these vital reproductive system nutrients are not absorbed well when taken in supplement form, and some of them are not found at all outside of animal sources.

From a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) perspective eggs are one of the best foods to build the Jing, or reproductive essence, as well as the Blood. Both Jing and Blood are essential to reproductive health, and eating the eggs of chickens, as well as fish roe or caviar, is one of the best ways to replenish both.

Important: Organic
The higher you go up the food chain, the more important organic becomes. Eating conventional fruit or vegetables from time to time, is not a big deal. Especially, if the produce you eat isn’t one of the dirty dozen. But chickens that are fed pesticide and fertilizer-laden grains for during their lives will concentrate the toxins in the eggs that they produce.

Essential: Pastured
If chickens are fed a diet of grains like corn, soy and wheat, which they didn’t evolve to eat, it will make them less healthy, and their eggs considerably less nutrient-dense. Chickens that are free to forage for insects, seeds, grass, and whatever else free-foraging chickens eat, will usually have a yolk that is a darker yellow or even orange color. This is just one indicator of how much more nutrition they carry.

Where to find pastured eggs:
Whole Foods, Berkeley Bowl, Three Stone Hearth, and some Farmer’s Markets carry pastured eggs. All of the pastured egg sources I know raise their chickens without pesticides, fertilizers or hormones; though often, the small farms they come from can’t afford the expense of getting certified organic. A true pastured egg will cost $7 to $10 a dozen. Believe me, its worth the extra cost. Do not confuse the cheaper cage-free eggs with pastured. They are most definitely not the same.

2. ORGANIC, GRASS-FED, FULL-FAT DAIRY (especially Butter, Yogurt, and Cream)

Yes, full-fat dairy is not only good for you, it’s great for you! Full-fat dairy is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, but unfortunately, it’s been given a bad rap. Mainly because it contains a little saturated fat, and some people are not able to digest it well. If you find that you are unable to digest dairy well, then it’s probably not right for you.

There are other great ways to get the nutrition you need, so contact me and I’ll give you some suggestions. If you do digest dairy well, then you are in for a treat. The nutrient profile it contains can help regulate hormone levels and increase spermatogenesis, ovulation and conception rates. And of course, foods made with butter and cream are delicious!

Important: Organic
Who wants bio-accumulated dioxins, phthalates, HCBs and PCBs in their dairy? Certainly not I, nor should you, especially if your plan is to get pregnant and have a healthy child. Each of those toxins disrupts endocrine function, reduces ovarian follicles and spermatogenesis, induces ovarian failure and leads to chromosomal aberrations.

More important: Grass-Fed
Not only are cows that are fed grass healthier than their grain-fed cousins, but they also provide milk that is much higher in omega-3 fatty acids, CLA, beta-carotene, iodine and vitamins A and E. Grain-fed cows, on the other hand, have high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids, which, when out of balance, increase inflammation and have a host of other detrimental effects. Grain-fed cows also have much lower levels of CLA and the fat-soluble vitamins that are so essential to reproductive health. Simply feeding cows the diet they evolved to eat converts dairy from an inflammatory food, to an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense superfood.

Essential: Full-Fat
Drinking non-fat dairy is a waste of calories and money. All of the micronutrients mentioned above that are essential to reproductive health are found in the fat of dairy. The non-fat part of dairy has all of the lactose. It is the sugary part that raises blood glucose and insulin levels, both of which are detrimental to ovulation and other reproduction processes.

Drinking milk without the fat is the same as drinking fruit juice instead of eating the whole fruit. We need the fiber, protein and fat that’s in the whole fruit or dairy to buffer and slow the transit time of glucose into the bloodstream. Otherwise your glass of fruit juice or non-fat milk acts very similar to a can of soda.

Where to find grass-fed dairy:
Berkeley Bowl, Whole Foods and Three Stone Hearth carry high quality dairy products. My favorite brands all come in glass, and are St. Benouit, Claravale Farms, and Strauss.

Final Note: Dairy and eggs are not right for everyone. Food intolerances, sensitivities and allergies may not make these foods the best for you. Other reproductive health issues, like endometriosis, may also make dairy and eggs less useful. If you have concerns, please contact me through my East Bay Acupuncture & Natural Medicine website at https://www.ebacupuncture.com, and I’ll be happy to give you some alternative choices.

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Flame Retardant’s Effect on Hormone Health and Fertility