Detox supports female fertility—plus a healthy sperm count.

The first study to associate the all-too-pervasive chemical, dioxin, with decreased chances for conception,  shows multiple ways this toxin can damage fertility—from impacting hormone levels to lengthening menstrual cycles.

Following women exposed to dioxin at an average age of 17, Italian scientists found that those with higher blood dioxin levels took 25% longer to get pregnant. And another new study links belly fat in women with their inability to ovulate.

Similar research in Italian men links dioxin exposure to lower sperm quality. Plus, scientists at Tulane University Health Sciences Center report that dioxin, PCBs, and some pesticides have potentially damaging effects on male hormones, leading to abnormal sexual development and infertility.

Even the choice of cookware and fabrics for the home can impact a woman’s chances of getting pregnant. UCLA scientists find that PFOA and PFOS—chemicals in Teflon and Scotchguard—increase the time it takes to conceive as well as cause more  menstrual irregularities in women.

“These findings are quite alarming,” says Olga Naidenko, PhD, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group. “The UCLA team’s findings provide important new evidence that drastic declines in fertility rates in both the U.S. and Europe in recent decades may be linked to exposure to toxic chemicals.”

Dr. Ann Louise’s Take:

I’ve been concerned about the dangers of environmental toxins for decades. Both my Fast Track and Fat Flush programs are designed to lower your body’s burden of these dangerous chemicals by supporting the body’s major detox organs. While gentle detox is beneficial throughout the year, spring is an especially ideal time to flush hormone disrupters and other toxins out of your body.

Added Detox Benefits
Living in a toxic world is also the biggest single obstacle to losing weight—something that can enhance the chance of conception in an increasingly obese world.

Whenever possible, choose organic foods to help lower your body’s toxic burden. If you want to lose weight—and keep it off—one of the most effective ways to do so is by avoiding fattening pesticides, artificial hormones and chemicals in your diet. Any extra cost is clearly justified by the benefits to your health, ability to stay slim, and increased fertility.

If you can’t buy organic, choose fruits and veggies that are not as heavily sprayed: blueberries instead of strawberries, chard instead of spinach, bananas instead of apples. Also look for grass-fed, hormone-free meats and poultry. If you’re trying to get pregnant, you don’t want anything disrupting your hormones!

Nourish Your Fertility
Anyone thinking about starting a family needs a solid nutritional foundation to create and sustain new life. Recent British research reports that antioxidants improve both sperm quality and pregnancy rates. Oxi-Key—two (2) to four (4) tablets taken one to three times daily—is a full-spectrum antioxidant formula that opens up the detox pathways, helping to excrete pollutants and toxins.

Support both detox and prenatal nutrition by adding Whole Chia Seeds to your diet. Not only is chia the world’s most fiber-rich food, but it’s also the highest natural source of omega-3 fats, vital to normal fetal brain and vision development.

An important part of the Fat Flush for Life protocol, these seeds have 3 times the antioxidant power of blueberries and 8 times the omega-3s of salmon. Since chia is a plant-based source of omega-3 fats, it’s also free of mercury and other dangerous toxins in fish and seafood.

Neural tube disorders (a form of birth defects) can occur even before a woman discovers she’s pregnant, so it’s critical to obtain sufficient amounts of the B vitamin folic acid (or folate) prior to conception. If you’re planning a family, start by taking the Female Multiple with 800 mcg of folic acid—safe for both pregnant and nursing women.

Don’t forget those Dads-to-be! The Male Multiple is a broad-spectrum men’s formula with all the vital minerals, phytonutrients and enzymes needed to digest and absorb nutrients.

Sources:
Fat Flush for Life
The Fast-Track Detox Diet
The Fat Flush Plan
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20378409
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20348114
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20124903
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20090219
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19878931
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18368553
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18087652
www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/40518/title/Nonstick_chemicals_linked_to_infertility